Source
SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
SW1X USB II
SW1X DAC III Special
Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
Amps
Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
Speakers
Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
Cabling
Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
Headphones
HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones
Yes the debate is confused when it is really quite simple:
1) The cable may or may not increase subjective sound quality, we can only tell by listening.
2) even if the cable does increase subjective sound quality we do not know how it does this since the manufacturer's explanation for how it works is nonsense and their claim that it 'dramatically reduces the noise floor' is not backed up by measurements.
3) So assuming it does increase subjective sound quality we can only guess as to how it does that. Possibly it does so by acting as an antenna for RFI in a similar way to the far more expensive Entreq grounding boxes. Like the Entreq it is a passive device so there is not much more it could do. The claim that it 'drains away' noise like you might drain puss from a wound is simply a blatant attempt to mug off the ignorant.
4) Given that we can make our own RFI antenna from stuff we have lying around why would we pay $200 for this one?
5) The makers know it does not work the way they claim it does so they are being dishonest. They are also making an enormous profit on each one sold. If they were to say 'We don't know why it works but it does' and charged $50 I would have no problem with it. It's the bullshit and the rip-of price that piss me off.
This is why 'just listening to it' is insufficient to make a rational judgement about any item of hi-fi and especially items like this.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: nottingham
Posts: 328
I'm nigel.
Right....just to bring us all down to Earth.....I thank you....
If I were to spend 200 quid on this piece of crap, my wife would STAB me.
And considering its now quite close to Christmas...probably stamp on my (given the current weather) rapidly cooling corpse.
Well I'm obviously a mug for making purchases based on sound quality vs value for money. When Walpurgis proves to us both aurally and scientifically that his donkey device equals the thoroughbred race horse I am prepared to pay him £5 for it. His R&D costs have been minimal and his outlay on raw material positively miserly. I wont be ripped off.
Source
SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
SW1X USB II
SW1X DAC III Special
Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
Amps
Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
Speakers
Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
Cabling
Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
Headphones
HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones
"lack of passion is fatal"
Vinyl: Thorens TD-124mk2 / SME-312 Aluminium 'special' / SME M2-9R / STEREO: Etsuro Urushi Cobalt / Shure M3D / Ortofon SPU A95 / Cartridge Man Music Master / Shure - SC35C (US) / SAEC C3 MC MONO: Miyajima Zero B 0.7mil mono / Miyajima Premium 1.0 / Amps & SUTs: Radford STA25 mk3 / AD Audio 'Satchmo2' pre & LCR phono / Hashimoto HM-7 SUT / ETR-MONO SUT Digital: Audio Note 4.1 (with DAC5 upgrades) DAC / Roon / Tidal Speakers: Tannoy 12" MGs' in RFC custom 'Rutland' Cabinets with RFC crossovers / Tannoy ST-100 Super Tweeters Cables: LFD Grainless phono / RFC Mercury / Duelund DCA16GA tinned copper / Kimber 12TC / SW1X Audio Design USB-SPdif / Duelund DCA20GA interconnects / SW1X Audio SPDIF Aero 6 / Mains Power Conditioner / Box Furniture rack / Audiodesk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner / a very beautiful & understanding Wife!
Is anyone going to make the statement that signal ground isn't the same as mains protective ground?
Damn, I just did .....
Andrew Rothwell has given very strong hints in this direction.
Connecting the signal ground to mains ground is not a wise thing to do.
You'll be fine 99.9999999% of the time, but if there's fault condition then there's potential (pun intended) for what could be catastrophic current flow.
Chris
Common sense isn't anymore!
Location: KY - Scotland
Posts: 5,470
I'm Mike.