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
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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?


@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
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.


@mtseymour all of my connections, with the exception of the bare silver connections to my stands, are SR HD links. For the Atmosphere and my two FEQs SR make a cable terminated with the larger bananas. I also needed longer runs to the FEQs for which SR sell extender cables terminated in female small bananas. Did grounding the Atmosphere and FEQs make a difference? Yes but one of the smaller ones, certainly less than getting the grounding right on the FEQs without the ground block ( ie plugging them both into the same dedicated outlets)

I do not have any Atmosphere interconnects so cannot speak to what results you might get with them. all my interconnects are AQ WEL Signature