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A New Ground -- Benefits of introducing the Synergistic Research Active Ground Block SE

Dedicated ground solutions are not a novel idea but over the past year it seems everyone has been coming out with their version. For a few months I’ve been thinking about introducing one to my system and had considered Entreq, Telos, Nordost and others. Although I have a bunch of Synergistic Research (SR) kit I had dismissed their older basic ground block as too rinky dink -- however when I heard about the new Active Ground Blocks I thought that could be the way to go. The Active Ground blocks are smallish devices with a mains connection and a plethora of outlets for grounding cables to every component. They incorporate a range of the latest SR UEF tweaks
http://www.synergisticresearch.com/isolation/ground-isolation/active-ground-block-se/

While the blocks alone are quite expensive ($2995) you will also need to lay out for connections to all of your components -- ideally the HD links. In my case as I have two distinct zones in my system I needed two ground blocks and 13 links -- quite an outlay

Question is is it worthwhile? Most certainly yes. The impact of implementing a full grounding solution in my system was one of the most profound changes I’ve experienced. It’s not a change that can be described in the usual audiophile terms of dynamics, frequency response, transparency etc. Instead it’s a shift in the wholeness, the verisimilitude, the gestalt of what you are hearing. Probably this is most obvious in a couple of places. Firstly is in background washes of sound (e.g. classic synth backings, or massed strings, or the whoosh that opens "Private Investigations") -- which now take on a scale, texture and clarity that had previously been completely masked. Secondly in vocals where a whole level of shading, nuance, breathwork, and subtly inflections are now audible. This is not simply more "detail" or a "reduction in the noise floor" it’s as if things which you did not know previously existed are suddenly there, as they had been all along

The effect is enhanced the more things you ground -- obviously all active components but even stands (my GPA stands are conductive so I connect a basic ground link to the bare metal inside the stand posts -- the surface metal is varnished and non conductive).

While I obviously can recommend the SR products I imagine any ground solution will bring similar benefits and would strongly suggest that anyone with a high resolution system explore some form of ground solution

ps For those in the now the music to accompany this review is A New Ground

128x128folkfreak
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,105 posts
 
Thanks ff. Yep, I plan to avoid long runs of grounding leads thus my friend’s recommendation to use one grounding block on just the computer audio gear located together yet a long way away from my preamp/amp/Powercell.

My thoughts toward the Tranquility Bases were to assume (since SR’s disclosure of the actual technology inside the bases - Schumann Resonance device? - is very, ahem, limited) that they could serve to create a "field of protection" around the Aurender/Exogal DAC to shield them from RF/EMI leakers like switching power supplies and such associated with consumer routers and other computer-type gear. Dunno if that is true or not.

I have some SR MIG 2.0s and would agree that they can be a negative in some applications. I appreciate you sharing your experiences with isolating the Powercell. I was planning to try a Symposium Svelte platform underneath mine and experiment with different footers.

Dave
jea48
2,944 posts
 
folkfreak OP
464 posts                                                                          06-29-2017 12:52pm


Thanks thanks very much @davehrab and @atmasphere these explanations really make sense and are very helpful

one final question/observation is regarding turntables. Most turntables and phono amps have a chassis ground that in many systems will be connected (it is in mine as in the case of one of my two cartridges it sounds better that way). Does the existence of this ground path mess up all other grounds that may have been well designed? Or should phono stage designers have a different grounding arrangement (for my AR Ref Phono 2 it’s a simple chassis tag, and on my table the ground on my wooden arm is to a tag on the turntable itself)


atmasphere
5,530 posts                                                                   06-29-2017 1:32pm

@folkfreak

No. The ground of the arm is independent of the audio signal.

In fact what is happening is that the tone arm is a balanced source which in most cases is being operated single-ended. That’s why you wind up with that grounding wire which other single-ended sources don’t seem to need.

At any rate the ground wire is independent of what is the signal ground in the preamp.

@ atmasphere

At any rate the ground wire is independent of what is the signal ground in the preamp.
Would you please expand..... What is the reference for the arm ground wire connection to the ground terminal/lug on the phono preamp chassis?

I guess I always thought it was the DC power supply ground. Isn’t the signal ground also connected there?

Jim
mtseymour's avatar
mtseymour
20 posts
 

folkfreak & davidpritchard:

I'm currently using 2 SR Ground blocks with HD Cables.  Pretty happy with the results.  I've owned the Entreq Silver Tellus and have also heard elaborate Entreq setups in other really good systems.  I prefer the SR Ground Blocks because they take much less space and offer similar results.

I'm considering an upgrade to the Active Ground Block SE.  How much better is it than the original Ground Block?


folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak OP
1,149 posts
 
@mtseymour im afraid I did not upgrade from the original grounding block to the active, I just started with the active so cannot comment on the benefit. With the normal 30 day trial I’d give it a go. I did find that getting the grounding block up on roller ball based supports helped. I also have had good results from grounding cables that Mike at Verastarr made for me that are much cheaper than the SR ones but give great results
mtseymour's avatar
mtseymour
20 posts
 
Did Verrastarr make the cables from Ground Block to RCA or XLR?  How about from Ground Block to Atmosphere interconnects?

SR's website has a photo of HD cables from the Ground Block to Atmosphere interconnects.  However, there's no info about these cables (presumably set of 2 per interconnect).  Does anyone have experience with this application?

It's been worthwhile for me to upgrade to the HD Cables for components and I wonder about the interconnects.


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