Grounding boxes - The real deal

[Marco]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for that. At last, a simple and concise explanation for what these boxes are purported to do! If this in fact is what's happening:

Most audio engineers put a lot of effort into making sure the positive and negative rails of their DC power supplies have low ripple and noise, adequate bandwidth, etc. but typically not much thought is put into the signal ground plane.
CAD believes that reducing high frequency noise on Signal Ground and Earth improves sound quality.

...*and*, crucially, this grounding box (and others like it) successfully address that issue [and I'd like to see evidence of how], then I could see why they'd work. However, why does it need to cost as much as £800 to produce?

Marco.

P.S Dennis, another excellent post, on a subject that's dear to both of our hearts! I shall reply later

[Macca]

It might be simple and concise but not much use if it is meaningless.


Not seen anything so far to persuade me that subtraction, rather than addition, is what causes the effect. Addition is far more likely from a theoretical position.

[Marco]

Not for me. Sorry, I don't buy the notion of it adding noise, and that somehow this makes making things sound better, as it's counter-intuitive. For me, that's a dead end. If that's what it did, then chances are I'd hate it, as I dislike adding any unnecessary coloration.

That bit I've highlighted above makes perfect sense, given my considerable experience in other areas of eradicating similar types of noise, *if* it can be conclusively proven that what's stated is fact. However, it would be enough reason for me to investigate further, but it would have to be at considerably lower cost.

I might ask Duncan to knock one up for me, based upon the electrical principles stated, then report back!

Marco.

[Macca]

Not for me. Sorry, I don't buy the notion of it adding noise, and that somehow this makes making things sound better, as it's counter-intuitive. For me, that's a dead end. If that's what it did, then chances are I'd hate it, as I dislike adding any unnecessary coloration.

That bit I've highlighted above makes perfect sense, given my considerable experience in other areas of eradicating similar types of noise, *if* it can be conclusively proven that what's stated is fact. However, it would be enough reason for me to investigate further, but it would have to be at considerably lower cost.

I might ask Duncan to knock one up for me, based upon the electrical principles stated, then report back!

Marco.

I agree it is counter-intuitive but some things are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither

'Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often one of the last stages of mastering audio to a CD.'

[Marco]

Yup, but I wouldn't use anything in my system that didn't produce a beneficial effect on *music*, for the right reasons - and my ears would soon tell me, either instantly or through time, by using the device concerned, if any improvement perceived was genuine or not.

*Everything* I do in hi-fi, or for my system, is for the purpose of 'opening the window' as widely as possible, thus maximising resolution and realism, not the opposite!

Marco.

[AJSki2fly]

this explanation is quite interesting

[MikeMusic]

Accepting that these things work, and Firebottle has an inkling of how, would they work in a balanced system using xlr’s etc?

Yup.
TAD - TAD, see below
All wonderful

[MikeMusic]

Pressured by my lust to get more out of the music I got rid of my Coherent RTZ 2 yesterday.

Replaced by a Coherent RTZ 3

When I first heard what was going on a I said a rude Anglo Saxon word

The RTZ 3 is staying. The step up in sound quality was not subtle.
Black too so must be wonderful

First Grounding Box virgin visits me next week.
Be interesting to hear his thoughts

[anthonyTD]

So basicaly what your saying is; the box is attracting random frequencies from the air, and imposing them on the Ground, or 0 volt rail of the equipment its connected to ?
A bit like how a crystal set works, [basicaly a tuned circuit that plucks frequencies out of the air] and powers a small ear piece, or headphones.
I am more inclined to think that it is more likely to be equaling the earth or 0 volt potential of each piece of kit that's connected to it.

I agree it is counter-intuitive but some things are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither

'Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often one of the last stages of mastering audio to a CD.'

[Cyrus]

I agree it is counter-intuitive but some things are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither

'Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often one of the last stages of mastering audio to a CD.'

And this is the thing; you might not necessarily know if something is added or taken away within the signal, as demonstrated by Macca's link, unless it is truly detrimental to the sound and bloody obvious