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Synergistic Grounding Block and Tweaking it.


Synergistic Grounding Block and Tweaking it.

I always liked the Synergistic Products and I have to give them credit for bringing out some of the most unique tweaks available today. There interconnects, speaker cables, and power cables were always top notch, perhaps a little pricey, but I always hated all of those extra mini couplers wires! So, I moved away from their wires. I think there new series does away with the extra mini couplers, but they are still IMHO still quite pricey.

I wanted to try the Synergistic Grounding Block. The price was not too expensive, so I ordered one from my dealer. Did I mention I always hated all those darn extra SR wires? This grounding block better impress.

Once I received it, I couldn’t believe the size of it. It is about 6 “long and maybe 1 ½” thick and about 2” inches high. At one end it has a hole for accepting a regular size banana plug and on the top there are 18 pin hole openings. The grounding block comes included with six (6) of the skinniest wires with the smallest banana plugs I have ever seen for grounding! There is also included another skinny wire that is connected to an AC plug (ground only) that plugs into the wall outlet with the other end having a standard size banana that connects to the side of the grounding block.

Well, since I only own one other SR product, I changed five (5) of the rest of the banana plug ends to RCA so I was able to try it with my own non SR equipment.

To my surprise, it did indeed make the soundstage purer and deeper. I don’t understand it? All of my equipment is plugged into dedicated grounded outlets, so why would this little diminutive grounding block with all those skinny wires do more?

Now, the tweaker in me took over. It seems SR also sells higher grade connection ground cables, but boy, are they pricey! Two of them cost more than the block itself! And the Synergistic grounding block can accept 18 of these ground connections!

I had some pure .9999 22 gauge silver wire left over from another project so I installed an RCA connector, sleeved it through some Teflon tubing and pushed one end into one of those 18 pin holes in the grounding block. To keep the wire from falling out of the pin holes, I pushed cut 2” lengths of some .999 18 gauge silver wire also into the pin hole which tightened up the connection. On the end, the RCA was connected to an unused RCA on my equipment. I also had some pure .999 16 gauge silver wire, so I installed this on one end with a regular banana, and then installed an AC plug (ground only) to the other end. This replaced the skinny wire that SR supplied to connect from the wall to the grounding block.

Sounding better… interesting!

On line I found some 12 gauge .9999 silver wire about 6 foot long, that cost about $50. But with this cable, to keep it pure throughout I used no connector on either end. I did this by shaping the wall outlet wire end into a V and pushed it into the wall outlet for a tight fit. The other end was crimped tight and shoved into the regular banana hole into the grounding block.

Each “upgrade” in wire went through a minor break in period. (hours not days) and doggone it, it did increase the purity of the sound.

So, now with the 18 available pin holes in the grounding block, I have all of my system connected. That includes my video and subwoofers!

Someday, I would like to try one of the higher grade SR cables to compare to my DIY version.

Folks, this little grounding block does work wonders and far exceeds the price to performance, but it is still a mystery to me. Plus all those darn wires!

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Showing 8 responses by nyame

nyame
198 posts
 
Hi Ozzy
Just saw your post yesterday. I purchased the grounding block last week
and share your enthusiasm for the product. There is a promotion now going in which a purchaser will receive a "free" high definition cable. I took advantage of this offer and received a high definition cable with an RCA
connection to my SACD player. The cost of a high definition cable is $375
so this was a great deal for me. So I paid $595 and received $970 in merchandise.
I also purchased another "basic cable for S100 also with an RCA connector
which goes to my Pre-amp. I will be building a high quality cable to replace the cable going to the wall. I can build this cable from spare parts I  already have.
I also hope to build a cable to connect my power amp and would love to solder this cable directly to the circuit board. I will have to open the amp to see if this can be done without having to tear things apart.
Thanks for sharing your experience on this forum.

nyame
198 posts
 
Hi Ozzy
I built a "high definition" cable using very high quality 18 gauge solid Uni-crystal OCC copper wire with "airlock" insulation to connect the grounding block (GB) to ground in the AC power receptacle.  

The improvement over the standard cable that came with the GB is HUGE !
Performers and instruments on stage stand in sharper relief, It is much easier to differentiate  individual back-up singers.  All the hash is gone. I can play -2db below my normal volume settings. The music has a gentler quality and the overall musicality of the system has reached new heights.

When you said on your post "I got to tell you my DIY versions are no slouch" I now know what you mean. 

My amplifier and sub-woofer  are the only components not connected to the GB. Did you notice any worthwhile improvements when you connected your
sub-woofer?

Congratulations for your efforts in this often neglected area. I notice you are using high quality silver wire without connectors for maximum fidelity.

nyame
198 posts
 
Hi Ozzy
My thoughts on the grounding block:

Impedance is the resistance occurring in AC circuits. The lower the impedance the easier it is for electricity to flow. Impedance is found not only on the positive and neutral legs of the AC but also in the ground conductor portion of the circuit.

There are voltages even in ground circuits. These voltages will cause current to flow. The purpose of the grounding block is to cause maximum current flow through the connectors conducted to it. When this happens noise in the ground currents are shunted to earth ground and away from other components in the system. This has the effect of lowering the noise floor of the entire system, allowing information, previously buried by noise
to rise up and be heard. (only the head of a 6 foot tall man standing in in a swimming pool 5 feet deep can be seen. But, if you lower the water level to 4 feet deep, you will be able to all of him from from the waist up) Similarly.
the lower the noise floor in your system, the more musical information you will hear.

The reason for the massive increase in fidelity you heard when you connected your home-made silver cables, is that your cables have lower impedance than those that came with the grounding block. The circuit did not change. Only the cables changed.

I have experienced everything you mentioned in your initial post. Moreover I had ordered one High Definition cable ($375) and one standard definition cable ($100) with my grounding block. This allowed me to build my own cables and compare them to the Synergistic cables. I feel comfortable saying that your home built cables should equal the performance of the Synergistic HD  cable and far exceed the performance of the standard
definition cable. (The standard definition cable should not be confused with the thin black wires that came with the block. It is made of silver wire and a decent quality RCA connector.) I now have three high definition cables in my system. One to the wall, one to my SACD source and one to the pre-amp.

The grounding block has elevated the performance of both our systems beyond beliefs. Thanks for starting this thread.

nyame
198 posts
 
davidpritchard

Are you referring to the new HFT 2.0 ? Does it add warmth to the system?
I noticed after inserting the 3rd high definition cable the overall sound became a little less warm, but with more detail.  I did not have a decent quality RCA connector to complete the final HD cable, so I purchased a $3.00 connector from a nearby Radio Shack just so I could finish the job. It is my intention to replace this temporary RCA connector with one of higher quality.  This should restore the warmth without sacrificing detail.

I have never seen a Synergistic Research HFT. Is it placed on top of the GB above vacant holes?

nyame
198 posts
 
Ozzy

I had forgotten that my sub-woofer is on a different circuit from my audio system.  It is on a circuit with a Comcast high definition cable box, a Panasonic TV, audio from the cable box, and a PS audio power conditioner. Because of this I have decided not to connect it to the grounding block. It is a toxic mixture with the potential for complicating my audio system with grounding and other noise problems.  

Both yourself and David Pritchard had suggested that grounding the sub was optional so I decided not to proceed.

nyame
198 posts
 
Thanks David and Ozzy for your kind suggestions. First I need to update you on the connections to the Grounding block. In my post of 5.16.2016   I stated that the synergistic HD cable I purchased with the grounding block went to my SACD  player and the basic cable with RCA connectors went to my pre-amp. I have reversed these connections so that the HD cable now goes to my pre-amp. and the standard definition cable goes to my SACD player.

The reason for this change is that the CENTER OF MY SYSTEM IS THE PRE-AMP.  ( In other systems the center may be a DAC, integrated amp or
something else.) The two most important cables are the home build HD from the wall to the GB and the SR high definition cable  to the control center (the pre-amp). All my audio equipment are connected to the preamp.
So all equipment benefits from being connected to the preamp and this includes, the sub-woofer and COMCAST cable box. I run an analog cable from the cable box to my pre-amp for sound. The sub is connected to the speaker outputs of the preamp. ( I have a REL B2 sub and this is the preferred connection method.)

I run an HDMI cable from the cable box to the Panasonic Plasma TV which
gets power from the PS Audio power conditioner on another circuit. The reason I mention this goes to OZZY point that I should seek better  TV picture reception using the GB. WhEN I REVISED MY CONNECTIONS  TV RECEPTION IMPROVED.  This was an unexpected benefit.

Finally, to David's point that a mixture of HD cables and standard definition cables may yield better overall results from a musical standpoint, I am now
believe this is true in my system.
 I intend to connect my amp to the GB with a standard definition cable to preserve the warmth of the system. I prefer the tonality of the warmer sound to increased detail.
nyame
198 posts
 
CORRECTION: Out puts from the Power amp are simultaneously connected at the same terminal to the loudspeakers and the the SUB,s inputs. The SUB is connected indirectly to the pre-amp. This, of course, is not as effective as a direct low impedance connection to the GB.

David, I wish to thank you again, for recommending the grounding block. It has turned out to be a very cost effective improvement to my system. The improvement wrought by the Synergistic black fuses and the grounding block has taken my system to new heights.
nyame
198 posts
 
OZZY

I wish to take this opportunity for leading the way by building your own cables in a creative and economical manner. Without the inspiration provided by your leadership I may not have built my own HD cable and would have been reluctant to pay $475 for the Factory cable. I am not saying the factory cable is overpriced, only  that I did not budget for it.

After my first posting on your thread you made me feel welcome. This is not always the case on these forums. You are a true gentleman.
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