Grounding cable gauge size

@ozzy thanks for the update.  I have a rf router box on order.  Can you provide more detail on how you have it wired to each component/ground box? Is your 7000 only connected to the router wall plug no ground boxes.  Are your speakers connected to the wall plug?  Thanks

@bugredmachine how do you like your Russ Andrews router?  I was thinking of ordering one as well and wanted to get some input.  Or anyone else who has one…

Nice…thanks for sharing design pics.  What are your box dimensions?  So just trying to understand the battery like set up.  Would your box be connected to a component on the copper banana so the aluminum draws the noise through the mix and then out the aluminum banana to the ground rod or duplex plug similar to a battery draw?  Keep us posted on results.  Looks intriguing! 

Ok thought I should share that I made 2 6x6 grounding boxes for my modest system. $80-$100 investment. Lined boxes with copper plates, 45% rock salt, 45% horticulture charcoal , 10% crushed tourmaline. One is hooked up to my power conditioner chassis nut ground and phono preamp chassis ground plugged into wall outlet ground. Second one just connected to my Goldenear Triton Towers with sub amps built in. Wow what a dramatic improvement connecting a ground box to the speaker neg banana plugs. Tried connecting one to my tube amp with no improvement. Amazing hearing the clarity, percussion, organ, and rhythm section in he background stand out. Many where hidden in the background prior. These grounding tweaks really make a noticeable improvement. I am shocked!

I connected basic 16ga copper strand wire to the neg terminal on each speaker only to the standalone box. Speakers have class D sub amps built in not fully powered speakers. Plan to try NPS1260, wire and connector upgrades to see if it improves.

@bugredmachine i agree with your comment above on auditory improvement on a ground…UNTIL I plugged my speakers into the ground box. Gobsmacking sound improvement. Better than spending thousands of $’s on component upgrades…My ears tell me the truth!

@cakyol i guess these grounding connections to a ground box solved my speaker’s grounding issues.  Loving it!   Amp and DAC don’t seem to benefit from the box's.  Crazy stuff…

.  

I have found that sometimes logic doesn’t always translate to audio reality. Especially when it comes to all things in this hobby.

Ozzy, completely agree...being new to this hobby for a little over a year now I am continually amazed how all sorts of tweaks make a big difference.   You need to have an open mind that non-logical changes may have a positive impact on your system.  The only way to know is give it a try with an open mind.  Too many seem to have bias before getting started.  I always thought the best way to improve sound is upgrade components...not anymore.  Nps 1260, fuses, shuman generators, ground boxes, power conditioners, acoustic treatment, helmholz resonators, cables, optical FMC’s, and I’m only a little over a year in.  Mind bending to me.

Very impressive box ingredient list and system Wow!  I took a much simpler tact (on my modest system) after doing limited research with positive results as well. I made 2- 6x6 boxes from scrape melamine wood. Lined inside with copper plates and conductive copper tape. Filled with 45% rock salt, 45% horticulture charcoal, 10% fines and 1” pieces of tourmaline.  Used basic OFC copper 16 ga speaker wire +/- twisted together with spades and banana plugs. One box has both speaker - connected.  Second box is plugged into wall outlet ground only and connected to the chassis grounds on my power conditioner and TT preamp.  Substantial SQ improvement. I have pics on my system list.

@ozzy or anyone else experimenting with ground boxes.  Have you been able to confirm whether or not you gain SQ improvement by:

- using silver wire vs. copper

- solid wire vs stranded

- different gauge size

- cable lengths matter

- connector end metal types or just nude

I tried using nps 1260 and didn’t distinguish any additional improvement. Thanks

@bugredmachine if you don’t mind share pics and ingredient list if it works out for you.  I am planning to build a third box twice the size of my current two DIY boxes.  Intrigued by the “pull” construction.  Each speaker will have its own small box and the large box will be connected to the conditioner and wall outlet. Also, I am thinking about acquiring the Russ Andrews box to compare. Let us know how you like his box.  Thanks

@bugredmachine could explain what a non A/C ground would look like connection wise on a component?  Would that only apply to two prong components?  Thanks
 

Fyi - I contacted RA to see if the RF Router Plug-in and the RF Router MkII box performed the same if you plugged the MkII in the wall and not connect it to a grounding rod.  They said the two would perform exactly the same.  Seems to me the MkII offers future flexibility and would take up less plug space.  

How about connecting the RA Router MkII box to a large ground box instead of connecting to a ground rod and avoid plugging onto an outlet?

@bugredmachine in checking my DAC’ s ground wiring it’s IEC ground is connected to a chassis connection and from there a ground wire connects to circuit board.  No direct wires from the chassis ground to RCA or XLR’s. Is this considered a signal ground similar to your DAC?  Thanks again.

Ozzy, yes it’s listed on the last page #3 under all grounding products.  Made to order at 217 vs 228 on the uk version.

Fun project…Thought I would share my findings after several weeks of using and adjusting my 3 DIY ground boxes.  Now obviously each system and home electrical grid is different and will experience different results. My system is not super revealing high end and  I am blown away at what a little build effort, small investment and how experimenting with materials can make such an impact on sound quality.  Dead silence for a tube amp and tube DAC.  Clarity, separation of instruments,  depth of soundstage, bass definition all improved significantly.  Who would of thought you could get these results?  I built 2 6x6x6 each one is connected independently to a speaker negative banana. The larger 12x7x6  has one banana connected to my power condtioner chassis ground that all components are plugged into while the second banana is connected to the wall outlet ground only. Below is a list of building materials.  I kept the fill ingredients to a minimum which worked fine for me.  Lastly, my findings were using solid copper plates vs aluminum plates didn’t seem to make a difference, 11ga stranded ofc copper sounded better than stranded silver or 16ga solid silver (slightly fuller, richer, warmer sound to me), doubling the size of the box made a noticeable difference on the power conditioner. Sound improves with use as there seems to be a break in period.  Pics are on my system page.

Ground Box 6”x6” (2)

-  Made of scrape melamine covered in contact paper

- Copper plates, copper tape,  banana plug, bare solid copper ground wire, 

   11ga stranded copper speaker wire 

-  50 g Tourmaline fine stones

-  225g raw Tourmaline stones

-  50/50 volume mix of rock salt (4 lbs) and horticulture charcoal (2qt)  Connected one box to each speaker neg posts

Large Ground Box 12”x7”x6”

- Same as above with these additions

- 2 banana plugs

- Copper color aluminum plates (work as well as the copper and easier

   to cut and shape)

- 500 grams of natural tourmaline

- rock salt (8lbs), horticulture charcoal (4qts), graphite powder (2lbs),

   sand(quartz) (2lbs)

Connected large box to power conditioner chassis ground with power

    cord cable ground only connected to spade plug with hot, neutral 

    and ground wires twisted together.

Been using my Russ Andrews RF Router MK III for a couple months now on my second system/Home Theatre system.   Very happy with the improvement it has made in SQ.  Heck of a value to performance item. Will have give it a go on my main system which has ground boxes and nice power conditioners to see if can make an additional improvement. I haven’t been able distinguish a difference in wire types. Using  DIY OCC 8TC Kimber Kable Chinese copy.

@ozzy not chassis grounded.  I have my amp, DAC, CD, blue ray player, sat Dish receiver and sub connected directly into components open RCA plugs to the RF Router double side posts (2 banana, 4 spade) The single post on the RF Router Is connected by spade to a wall power plug rewired with all 3 wires to the ground only and plugged into an outlet using the house ground wiring.  Not how Russ recommends but it’s working well for me.