Grounding cable gauge size


For those of you using external grounding source devices, units such as Entreq, Nordost, Synergistic, etc. What size wire gauge seems to work the best?

ozzy

128x128ozzy

I also had a residual noise when I used your Atmashere amps. It is inherent in tube amplifier designs.

With all due respect, you really need to try this type of grounding before you comment. It would probably surprise you, as it did me.

Its true that tubes are noisier than solid state. But you should not get any buzz if things are going well- just hiss. I run my amps on horns and I'm not particularly keen on buzz, nor do I get any. There are a good number of things that can cause buzz in a tube amp- for example leakage in the filament/cathode elements of the tubes, where noise can be injected into the audio circuit, or swept resonance between the inductance of the secondary winding of a power transformer and the capacitance in the junctions of the power rectifiers (of course that can happen in solid state amps too). Neither has anything to do with ground!

You might want to look at this page; of particular interest is page 20:

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://centralindianaaes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdf

Grounding is a far more complex topic than most people realize! I love the comment he makes about grounding in aircraft, not having to drag a ground wire around- its a good point.

At any rate I'm not contesting that you hear a difference or that it might be an improvement! Instead I'm simply pointing out that because that is so, it points to something amiss in the grounding scheme of the equipment you're using. Its a common problem in the audio world; I've seen amps that are currently in production that have grounding schemes from the 1950s before grounded outlets were a thing; others that have IEC connectors but the ground connection isn't hooked up. I've no idea how such products could be shipped overseas, since they are a bit more draconian about such things in Europe and even China; relatively speaking in the US its a bit of the Wild West in this regard.

 

 

Thanks, Ralph, for your continued comments. You do know your stuff.

It was not actually a buzz that I heard, but a low-level noise riding along with no music playing. But only if I pressed my ear up against the speaker drivers.

After signal grounding I no longer hear it, but the depth of the music quality improved greatly.

This seems to be unknown territory that needs more research.

ozzy

 

Here is a quote I found from What’s Best Forum, I thought it would help explain.

"Signal noise kills transients and detail. The more noise you have in your ground signal, the less of the finer areas of your music will be heard. Of course, some people have more noise than others so its difference in degree is, of course, obvious but it’s not until you remove the noise that you understand its negative and damaging effects.

The Entreq grounding boxes work with signal ground noise. Although noise from other bits of kit can be only very slight, that doesn’t mean it’s not having a negative effect on the performance of your entire system. The Entreq range of grounding boxes fixes this as they drain off the noise in the signal path, thus opening up the sound.

  1. Improved clarity and harmonics.
  2. Improved focus and texture.
  3. Improved air and transient details.
  4. Improved sound floor.
  5. Improved smoothness and fluidity."

ozzy

@ozzy 

As I look at your beautiful system that I can only dream of how beautiful it sounds.  I can't help but think you have/have developed ultra-sensitive hearing to be able to hear any issues that detract from your listening pleasure.

@ozzy I looked at the Entreq site and also read the manual for the boxes.

They only have one wire from the component to the box. When a cell is used in a box, it can only be used for one component so there are no other 'ground' wires connected to that cell.

Since only one wire is used there is no circuit- and therefore no current. I think you'll find that the wire is of little consequence. As best I can make out the boxes might act as a sort of opposite of an antenna and is something for which I have either too much education or too little to understand; I found the poorly written (language first English not) explanations offered on the website incomprehensible.