2. tech-talk
  3. 1366070855

Entreq Silver Tellus grounding/earthing system

Hi A'goners, I'd like to tell you all a little about this component which has taken noise elimination in my system to a whole new level.
I run a Trans Fi Salvation/Terminator tt/arm, ESCCo modded Zu 103 cart into a Tom Evans Audio Design Groove Plus SRX phono, Emm Labs CDSA SE, Hovland HP200/Radia pre/pow, and Zu Definitions Mk4 spkrs. This set up is (now) effortlessly dynamic and transparent.
I live in a semi industrial area with broadband on in every apartment, internet booster stations and light engineering nearby.
It became apparent some years ago that apart from the hours of midnight to 5am, I could not rely on a good sound, and research led to conclusion that mains borne noise was likely the culprit.
This led to my first partial success, the installation of the Burmester 948 mains conditioner/filter 7 years ago. This resulted in an immediate reduction in noise and increase in transparency/delicacy ie a major improvement, even in daylight hours. BUT it became apparent over time that dynamics were seriously pinched, and the conclusion I've correctly drawn is that peak current demand was restricted by the unit compromising the power amp output.
This led to my next upgrade, and now real progress: an 8kVA pro studio Westwick 8K balanced power transformer. Now I got all the previous improvements with no current restrictions to the power amp - transparency AND NOW dynamics in spades.
But as with all things audio, the awareness of the Entreq grounding/earthing system piqued my interest further in eliminating mains issues. Entreq are a Swedish audio engineering company with a couple of decades experience, and provide a variety of mains and interconnect products.
The Entreq Silver Tellus is a wooden box, the size and weight of a small power amp. It contains inert minerals and a grounding plate. It's a passive device ie NOT powered from the mains, and sits adjacent to the system. In my system, one Apollo Eartha interconnect runs from one of 4 terminals on the back of the Tellus, to an unused input of my preamp. It is possible to connect another 3 components to a single Tellus.
In effect, it provides an ADDITIONAL earth/ground to the system, NOT replacing the existing protective earth. This then provides an uninterrupted drain for RF/EMI/other hash from the system to the Tellus.
I was expecting a minor improvement at most. What I wasn't expecting was a transformation of the system.
Firstly, soundstage deepens dramatically, so much so that the stage seems totally independent of the spkrs. Phenomenal reduction in noise really enhances the blackness between notes, and brings micro detail to the fore. This reduction in noise has the amazing side benefit of relegating vinyl surface noise way into the background. The overall effect is a fantastic increase in dynamics and transparency, taking what balanced power brings to the party and sending it off the scale.
Vitally, the nature of the system sound hasn't changed, since the Silver Tellus enhances performance, doesn't change it; in many ways is the best system wide upgrade to optimise performance I could make.
My conclusion from the last 7 years is that noise is the major limiting factor in my system, and the installation of Westwick 8k balanced power ($7000) and Entreq Silver Tellus/ Apollo Eartha grounding/earthing ($3000) has led to improvements that even a total overhaul of the system and buying new at 5x the cost could not surpass.
If anyone is getting frustrated with their system, address the mains first before you go down the merry-go-round of endless component upgrades.
In the UK, Kog Audio are the go-to guys for Entreq. I have no affiliation, just an extremely content audiophile, now so much closer to the end point on improving my system.
spiritofmusic
msom
16 posts
 
Spirit,

Your findings with balanced power are interesting. Using two Richard Gray 400 pro's in line with my system circuit has advantages but, unfortunately, also caveats. More on that later, I suppose. It's also interesting your mention of bass improvement as overall acoustic improvement, which possibly sheds light on room/system interaction way beyond bass traps and diffraction solutions. The thing is, the better my system gets in terms of output, the slighter acoustic impediments get.

I should point out that I'm using primarily the unused rca/xlr inputs for Entreq interface. Chassis ground has turned up as a secondary route, meaning two Minimus per device (copper on chassis, silver on signal) which yields complementary results. I suppose I'm being, as your US cousins might say, dedicated to the process. I'm afraid I'm not acquainted with Tripoint at all.
In the meanwhile, an Eartha Atlantis and second Silver Minimus are now on their way. Can't wait, really. Hope there'll be more positive points to discuss over the next few weeks. Still, I'll trace back your posts to read more about your balanced power setup.
spiritofmusic OP
828 posts
 
Msom, I gather you don't live in the US? Maybe the UK like me? What's the rest of your system?
I really feel fortunate to have discovered the Entreq grounding/balanced power direction. It's totally opened up my system and allows it to perform to a level I really didn't think poss. I'd spent years tolerating digital, but now find it's really closed the gap with analog. Lps still take pride of place, but I've had an epiphany in really respecting the potential of 16/44 rbcd, all because of grounding/balanced.
Currently about to max out balanced power by installing a dedicated consumer unit, running an Oyaide radial main from it to hard wire into my 180lb Westwick 8kVA balanced transformer, from which I'll run 4-5 20A Oyaide dedicated lines into Furutech rhodium plated wall sockets. Then I'll run components direct from the wall, with Entreq grounding running in parallel.
msom
16 posts
 
Spirit, I live in the old Continent, not in the UK, but in a small coutry which holds the oldest, still ratified alliance in existance: Portugal. The Anglo-Portuguese alliance dates from 1373, making it even older than Lps!
I'm based on vinyl replay, and use a Well Tempered Amadeus (it of the golf ball), carrying a Clearaudio MM Virtuoso cartridge, connected to the Clearaudio Reference phono amp (earlier version, 100W p/ch power supply), which connects to a Pass Labs Aleph L 0.2 preamp, leading to a XTZ AP100 amp, option of class AB/A. Speakers are XTZ's own 99.26 "high gloss" monitors. I also carry two Clearaudio vinyl cleaning machines and shelves of Mobile Fidelity and Clearaudio vinyl cleaning/restoring fluids (it's a thrill checking discarded records take on life and meaning again). My present Entreq collection you already know. Before playing a record I also use Furutech's DeStat II and clean the stylus tip with Clearaudio's own fluid for the job. And I optimize VTA and damping for each record. It's easily done on the Amadeus and it's amazingly important.
I read the Westwick data sheet and it sounds truly tempting. Way to go. by the way, I removed my Rega Apollo cd player from the system because it interfered with the analogue systems ground (not with noise, it just improved the sound removed from the power strip) so your findings with 16/44 rbcd do ring a potential bell. By the way, I use PS Audio's AC5 current cables throughout, linked to and from a Nordost Quantum Qbase 8, sporting four Quantum Qv2 current harmonizers, as I reported before. Right now, still experimenting with Entreq grounding alternatives and really having a good time by it.
goldeneraguy
442 posts
 
Hi Spirit,You are a fine ambassador for Entreq .
In fact your posts here and in other forums have convinced me to at least look into the Tellus and Minimus.
Would you know who is the USA distributor ??
spiritofmusic OP
828 posts
 
Goldeneraguy, I'll speak to the UK rep and find out for you. I'm quite the convert, sat with my arms tightly folded in skeptic mode to begin with, only one ground lead from preamp in place, to be replaced 10 minutes later to use those very arms to help lift my jaw off the floor!
The great thing is that the biggest change was the first one, so if you stick at this you'll likely be eternally pleased w/out having to go as far as I have over time.
More to discover