During this Pandemic I have been focused on improving the sound quality of my system by reducing the noise floor and modifying the tonal character. The only major audio component I changed was the music server from the Roon Nucleus to the K50 and that was very recently and a very significant improvement. The other changes include switches, filters, cables, footers, tubes and a/c receptacles. The sound quality has improved over 100%, with basically the same primary components except the server.
Preamps and Amps: Lamm LP2, VTL TL 7.5iii, Lamm M1.2
Cables: Transparent Audio (TA) XL Gen 5 signal cables, TA XL Gen 5, Snake River Signature Amp and Clarus Crimson HC power cables, Jorma Design digital cables, Wireworld Starlight Platinum Cat 8, TA ethernet
Speakers: Wilson Alexia 1
Accessories: Adona Corp Signature Rack, EdisCreation Fiber Box II and Silent switch, TA XL Power Isolator, CAD GC 1 and 3, Network Acoustics ENO AG, Stillpoints Ultra SS
Chilli
I have two CAD GC1 and one GC3 One GC1 is used on a Furutech power distributor on a dedicated outlet for my K50, switch and filter. Results are negligible . The second GC1 is used on my LAMM LP2 with noticeable reduction in noise without harming tonal character.
The GC3 grounds my Dac, K50, Vtl 7.5iii and switch. Very impactful on the Dac, noticeable on the K50 and negligible on the VTL and switch.
The greatest impact is on source components in the beginning of the chain where you want to reduce noise so it is not amplified through the music. Digital sources and tube phono stages will benefit the most.
Very nice system! Did you ever try to move the equipment to the side of the room, so that there are no reflecting surfaces in between the speakers? That could improve stereo imaging.
I disconnected my Antipodes and power amp from the ac filter. But my dac really needs this filter. The ground controls are interesting devices. How can the materials inside dissipate 700kHz noise without being a high impedance, it’s like normal ground and earth have a much higher impedance for such high frequencies.
I use a usual filter (22 ohm and 0,47 uF parallel) between ground and earth.
Would like to have some of that material too!
With regards to CAD grounding, I personally have no experience (yet). However an award winning producer, recording engineer, label owner & now Hi-fi retailer whom I quite regularly converse with, absolutely swears by their beneficial effect. That’s at least piqued my interest enough to give them a try.
Arjan
Thank you. I live in an apartment and the audio system is in the living room. The room is rectangular and excluding built-ins is 29’ by 19’ with the audio system on the 19’ wall. The North wall with the system is the only full wall in the room. To left are two 6+ and 4 feet wide doorways into other rooms, as well as a piano. On the right side and the south side are all windows, balconies and a/c units.
My K50 plugs directly to a dedicated a/c outlet with a CAD GC 1 to reduce noise. My Dac is plugged into one of my power conditioners on its own dedicated line.
CAD does not provide detail information on the “secret sauce” but the devices are suppose reduce signal or ground related noise from 1 MHz up. I just know it works well on the digital source devices and my phono preamp. I do not notice any real difference using it to reduce noise on an a/c line that is fairly well isolated and has Furutech GTX NC R receptacle.
Mark
Good luck with convincing your wife. My wife is used to my hobby. I just upgraded my Dac which she understood as being necessary. However I am not even going to attempt to convince her I need new speakers.
