Is it a box of coal?????

[dimkasta]

Dimmy, please note that not one of these products offer any form of "protective grounding".
They are all built to connect to signal ground of a suitable component.

Yep that is what I said above because you mentioned a separate earth rod as an alternative. These are different things but might create confusion. That is why I wrote the long post.

And i'm pretty sure very few audio products have common ground for signal and power.

If by common ground you mean the logical 0V point, then you are wrong. Signal and power do need the same reference point. That is 0V or Ground as it is usually referred to (to confuse people because it is not the protective earth). If you mean the protective earth connection, then again that 0V point mentioned above is connected to earth, both for practical reasons (to avoid them floating on different references) and for protection in case of an accident. To avoid loops, something like a thermistor can be used.

Why they work? I have no idea... Even if they add noise, it is a pleasant effect with the ones I've tried connected. The effect varies depending on your environment and electronics.

And no, a closed circuit is not necessary for a component to affect signal i'd say... (But please don't ask me to elaborate! )

I agree it is not necessary. For example on an antenna or on a probe. But those work to receive randoms stuff and are very noisy. They act as high impedance entry points.

About the pleasant effect, I have no argument. I am one of those that do hear a difference between different resistors, capacitors, cables, sockets etc, and I do spend a lot of money on those.
If you are ok with buying a product that does not do what it claims, but still you feel that the change is positive, I have no argument with that.

If I had to rationalize the effect on the sound, I would say that it probably has a similar effect to what dithering does.

[sumday]

IF I bought one of these and the wife found out she would (and with some justification) stab me.

why not just spend the cash on better kit.....or music????

FISH.

[mad-moon]

..good post...yeah...buy some cheap pine...stones and a binding post...pinch the copper wire off your lasses iron and off you go.....

I can't work out if that is an expose of an Entreq box or a DIY article on building your own for a couple of Quid ?