|
Has anyone compared the new version of the ground control
with the XHADOW connectors? If so what are the sonic
differences. Is it possible that the new version rolls
of the top maybe too much in certain systems?
I am also curious about the rca ground control on Naim
gear. Naim gear is said to be tristar grounded and I
am powering my Naim gear with the Audience pdc with had
this same grounding scheme. Would it be safe to even
try the rca gc on the Naim? |
Thanks for the response Bud.
So, are you saying that the reference gc basically sounds
the same as the standard gc in terms of sound staging, bass
response and smoothness but offers more low level detail?
Also, is it recommended to use an rca pair? Are some inputs
or outputs better then others? |
Thanks again Bud.
The last thing I need is decreased width so
I will consider trying the standard gc's.
Interestingly, the positive effects that
Ozzy described are the same that I am experiencing
with the Audience PDC power center which is
designed to give proper grounding especially for
Naim gear. So, I am now a firm believer in proper
grounding. My system is finally sounding like real
music and not just electronic sound.
As for my dac and transport, I don't have any spare
rca's. I do have the Naim xs integrated and a
Cary 300b sei sing ended triode tube amp that I could
use the rca's on.
So on the spades, how long do they take to run in?
Also, is it best to start with only one rca or do
you need a pair?
So, for my pre |
That's interesting. My Audience PDC is going through
this same kind of break in pattern. It should be fully
broken in in about 3 weeks. At that time I will definitely
give the spades a try. |
Okay, I have had the GC spades on my DeVore Super 8's for about a week now and I am getting the same results as Ozzy. A very nice improvement in sound stage width and front to back layering with a more relaxed and palpable presentation.
Like Ozzy, I too have the SR Power Cell SE, Apex ic's, and Tesla pc's. However, I have found that the SR Power Cell, as good as it is, would increase the sound stage at the expense of added glare. So, I now use an Audience PDC for my integrated amps. This gave me a wonderful sound stage that is relaxed with perfect pitch and the GC spades have taken this to the next level.
Ozzy, have you tried the standard GC rca's yet? I am also curious if you are running your amp into the PowerCell. |
Bud,
Do you think it would be possible and beneficial to
incorporated the ground control into a
high end set of headphones? |
I couldn't help but wonder since the ground control
has such a profound effect on my DeVore Super 8's.
My main headphone amp is the Naim headline 2 without
the rca's. It has a 4 and a 5 pin plug. So, I don't
see an option here.
I am looking at some high end phones which can
be rewired. Not sure if I will end up with
Sennheiser HD800, Beyerdynamic t1 or a Grado.
Not sure what a tip and ring plug adapter is.
I was wondering if it would be safe to try using
an rca y adapter on my dac with the rca ground control
on one and my ic on the other. I would like to try
one on my dac, but I do not have any unused rca's. |
Thanks Bud. I will have to look into this when I decide on which headphones to buy. |
Ozzy and Oddeophile, could you elaborate on which input or
outputs on your HT receivers that you have had the best results. I would like to try the standard RCA's on my HT
receiver, but there are way too many inputs and outputs to choose from.
Ozzy, I am curious if you are still using one standard and
one reference RCA on your Cary cd player in your two channel
system. I am also curious if adding the reference rca to the standard rca gave any decrease in harmonic richness.
Interestingly, I have tried the standard rca on my Naim XS
integrated amp input, and I am getting an increase in harmonic richness that makes vocals addictive. However, I am also experiencing a decrease in sound stage width. So, at
this point I have the rca on my dac via a rca y-adaptor.
The wide sound stage is back, but the vocals are not as rich. However, I have not had any time to let it settle in. |
Thanks everyone for your input.
Bud,
Yes, they do have the gold ground petals.
I burned in my standard rca on my cary amp for hundreds of
hours since I had some new tubes to burn in. I then
let it settle in for about ten days on the Naim. So,
they were settled in. I think what is going on is that
Niam's forte is star grounding. So, i think that adding
another star ground is overkill. I did however, finally
add a standard rca to my dac via a rca y-adapter and have
let that settle in for a day. Now this is a different story. For vocals and acoustic music it a dream come true.
Vocals now have that presence that i have experienced with
single ended tube amps, but with so much more air and decay
trails that let you hear the recording studio. So, there is
more depth and a maybe a little bit more width. There is also more detail, but in a very organic presentation.
I found the standard spades to have more effect in increasing width in my system. The only downside i have at this point is that i am getting too much mid bass weight on certain types of music. However, my system is already tuned this way.
Ozzy and Oddeophile.
Are you using an HDMI connection for your HT? I tried the
rca on my Denon center channel 7.1 input and did not really
notice much. I also have a standard spade on my Gallo nucleus center channel speaker. I was really hoping to get
that organic mid bass bloom quality that i got with my dac,
but so far no luck. I will have to experiment with my bluray and dvr. |
Oddeophile,
You have really piqued my interest in the Walker Audio/AP
combo. First of all, I must say I have sticker shock on the
Walker Audio HDL's. I can not believe that such a small little box with only a couple of parts can cost this much.
Have you had the chance to compare the Reference HDL to the
Mark iii? There is no description on the difference in
construction or sound.
I did get a chance to try the GC rca on my center external
7.1 input on my receiver, and here i did notice a difference. Less glare at higher volumes. However, the sound had less bloom and the sound field was more narrow.
Not getting that warm organic sound that I did on my other
components. I guess I will have to experiment with source
gear for my HT system.
If you have any extra Walker's or AP rca's that you no longer need. let me know. I have a spare AP spade that I can't find any use for. |
Thanks for clearing that up Odd. At that price I would
much prefer a demo or used pair. So, I think I will be
patient for now.
As for my HT system, i do have an update. The standard
rca GC on both my Marantz B-ray and my DVR had a profound
effect on the sound and now i find them indispensable in both applications. For the first time i actually really enjoyed some live music recorded on my DVR through my Denon receiver. I didn't think this would ever be possible, but the sound now has so much more warmth and an actual sense of PRAT if you can believe it. I highly recommend the rca's on your DVR. It makes regular tv audio so much better. So, it looks like i will be needing at least a couple more GC rca's. |
Thanks for the advise Ozzy. I just ordered a pair.
Did you go with the cryoed or non-cryod?
I was getting close to trying out the Walkers, but
then I came across a great deal on the new Stillpoint
Ultra SS footers. I hear they are a significant upgrade
to the regular stillpoints with risers and inverse risers
which I have. Like the AP GC's the stillpoints are another
one of those rare tweaks that improve sound staging and detail
while paradoxically sweetening the highs with better timbre.
The Purest Audio Design digital filter is another that I am
now playing around with.
So, the price of the Detail Magnifiers is ideal for my Gallo
Nucleus HT speakers. For my DeVore Super 8's I will have to
wait and see if the Walkers reference HDL are that much better. |
Ozzy, according to Earl, the non cryo version is warmer
than the non cryo version. Warmer is a better match for
my HT system. I wish we could get some feed back on how they compare to the Walker mrk3 and the Reference plus.
I am also curious about your experience with the Audioprism
reference GC on your Cary cd player. I had a very similar
experience on my Dac. The standard alone gave a nice rich
tonal balance but became a bit too congested when music with
more bass was played. Adding a fully burned in reference GC
and letting it settle over night was spectacular that evening. Not only did the width and depth increase but there
was an added sense of illumination behind the decay trails.
The added sense of realism was quite addictive.
Unfortunately, my sound stage constricted in between the speakers the next day and remained this way. I have tried
recycling the Reference GC, but have not had much time to
experiment. It is interesting that I also have to reset
my Synergistic Research Powercell SE every few weeks by unplugging and replugging becasue the same kind of sound
stage narrowing and upper frequency boost also occurs. |
Ozzy, Earl was referring to the non-cryo version being
warmer. The cryo process increases transparency while
usually decreasing mid bass warmth.
About the Powercell,
Ted Denny himself recommends unplugging the Powercell for
about 30 minutes every 3 to 4 weeks. This phenomenon of
a diminished sound stage and strident highs has been observed by a lot of folks on the SR tesla thread. When ever I know I will not be listening to my system for a good three days I will go ahead and reset the Powercell.
I am trying a similar scenario with the reference GC.
I had a listening session today where the reference GC was taken out last night, but the regular GC rca was left on my Dac. After re-inserting the reference GC rca today, the sound stage underwent a vast expansion after about 5 to 10 minutes while maintaining sweet extended highs. Even with
this inconvenience, it is still a keeper for me.
I would love to compare the Walkers, and they will let you
demo them at the cableco. However, I have way too many tweaks and variables on the table at this point.
Oddeophile, I would also like to know which version you compared to your walkers. |
Okay, I finally got my hands on a used pair of the
Walker Reference HDL's and I have to agree with
Oddeophile all the way. They are amazing and are
a great synergy with the GC's. I also have the
Detail Magnifiers and there is no comparison. However,
the Detail Magnifiers aren't bad for the price.
If you can find a used pair i would advise to grab
them because they are crazy expensive new.
I also have the same experience with the rca GC's as
Ozzy. On my Dac the Reference RCA needs to be unplugged
often or else the sound stage will shrink. I use the
reference when i am in the mood for more detail and spread
out sound stage. However, in my system the stage shrinks
after about 24 to 48 hours and then they need to be unplugged. For the regular rca gc's maybe once a month. |
