[Curiousityflufff]

Thanks for the recommendation, Monosaudio P902 cable will be on my wishlist.



Been lurking all the discussions for quite some time, can anyone suggest some good value RCA interconnects beside fake Odins? (pure silver is a plus bcos I also want to try new things) Budget around $100-350.

 

[DecentLevi]

@Curiousityflufff This is my recommendation for RCA cables. IME with years of experience, I honestly don't expect Aliexpress cables to match this real thing. Him & I worked out out this custom design and it's totally transparent and scales with quality audio signal, for both headphone cables, interconnects, and soon to be used internally in my multithousand $ tube amp. He's also working on a v2 using a special cable material called Litz copper & silver. It's even on the lower end of $100-200.

Model: RUBI (Prototype) Shielded headphone cable. Mega 18AWG conductors.
Construction: 18AWG Varistrand OCC (-Ve), 18AWG stranded Pure Silver (+Ve)
For inquiries: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Arctand (message Darren in Singapore and ask for Levi's y-cable or r70x design)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aud...depth-review-impressions.765004/post-17154720

 

[cdacosta]

Received this earlier today and starting to mix into Tourmaline ground box mix. So far I like it. Adds a bit more depth and separation within sound stage, even quieter background so entire presentation stands out more. Upper frequencies are even more defined. From what I read from Asian sites graphite will make a huge difference with Tourmaline mixes. I have not read of anyone trying graphite with Magnetite. No idea if Entreq uses it either with their Magnetite mix. I will post what graphite does with Magnetite for anyone interested. Did take over a month to get this from Aliexpress though. You do get quite a lot for the money. Did not take much so far to make an audible performance improvement on the amp grounding box with Tourmaline as the main ingredient. Will have to let it all settle which can take 3 days for full effect.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...2sqkP9K&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

 

[dougms3]

Thanks for the recommendation, Monosaudio P902 cable will be on my wishlist.



Been lurking all the discussions for quite some time, can anyone suggest some good value RCA interconnects beside fake Odins? (pure silver is a plus bcos I also want to try new things) Budget around $100-350.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...2ky7S5H&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

I bought this one just out of curiosity and it replaced the odin2 rcas I had going to my loxjie p20. Its definitely better than the odin2 in all aspects. The odin2 rcas replaced the cheap rcas I had going from my sub amp to the line out converter.

 

[cdacosta]

Update on the Aliexpress graphite powder and mixing with Tourmaline mixes and Magnetite by itself or mixes. Also the mix I am using for these ground boxes.

The graphite does what I mentioned before, and is definitely for the money worth it. Works mixed with either Tourmaline and Magnetite mixes. Basically adds a bit more micro resolution, quieter background, even more improvement to timbre, and a bit more air and refinement to top end. Gives a "feel" of beauty and delicacy to instrumental notes, mid frequencies and up, extremely hard to put into words. This is for the entire frequency spectrum.

Very little is needed for a 3kg - 4kg mix. In one of the pics with the graphite bottle is also a white plastic spoon. With amp Tourmaline mix, 4 small heaping spoon full of graphite. I am adding while I am listening. With the DAC Magnetite mixes, 2 spoon full. Any more than just mentioned and the system tonality changes. Adding more than noted the system starts to get brighter and leaner starting at the mids on up. This is why I started experimenting by adding addition Magnetite mass by chaining to another approx. 1.5kg of Magnetite and that balances and as crazy as it sounds improved tonality balance.

Here are the ingredients I have in the two types of ground boxes I made, specifically for the amp and DAC. Have not experimented with the Magnetite mixes on the PC and Router/Modem yet. All of these ground boxes are for "signal ground filtering", have not tried AC ground yet. I mention "about" because I added and adjusted amounts while tuning across time:

All boxes are the same purchased from Amazon. Internal wood mated seams reinforced with E6000. No copper shielding except on the ground box attached to the Router/Modem. The amp and DAC ground box do not like any shielding or large copper plates inside the box, degrades performance.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P2N1922/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All binding posts are pure copper from Aliexpress
Footers used are the .75" Platinum domes from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KK8WXM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jotunheim 2 amp ground box: Main ingredient is Tourmaline
- Tourmaline chips - AA+ grade (eBay), about 3 lbs
- Tourmaline - Brazilian black Tourmaline powder (eBay), about 0.6 lbs
- Natural Shungite rough chips sized 5mm - 15mm (eBay), about 0.25 lbs
- Sodium Tartrate (Rochelle Salt) eBay - 0.3 lbs
- Silver plated 12ga. copper 5", just placed inside mix. (Aliexpress) I wanted to hear what silver does to the mix. May still add more later.
- Pure Rock Salt (Morton Pure and Natural purchased at Home Depot) - about 2 lbs
- Military Grade Graphite Powder (Aliexpress) - 4 plastic spoon full
- Pure Tungsten, sand sized (Aliexpress) - about 30 grams

Proceed DAP (older NOS R2R DAC) ground box x2, one is for digital output and one for analog output: Main ingredient is Magnetite
- Magnetite, High purity sand (eBay), about 7.25 lbs
- Natural Shungite rough chips sized 5mm - 15mm (eBay), about 0.25 lbs
- Sodium Tartrate (Rochelle Salt) eBay - 0.3 lbs
- Silver plated 12ga. copper fine cut up pieces from 24" length or so wire. (Aliexpress)
- Pure Rock Salt (Morton Pure and Natural purchased at Home Depot) - about 1 lb
- Military Grade Graphite Powder (Aliexpress) - 2 plastic spoon full
- Pure Tungsten, sand sized (Aliexpress) - about 35 grams

Before the ground boxes were added, this system was already highly tweaked, and sounded fantastic. With these ground boxes, system sounds absolutely stunning. Literally an entirely different performance level. Anyhoos, just wanted to share the mix I am using as I mentioned previously I would. Hopefully someone will benefit or save them time if they want to go this path.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

Update on the Aliexpress graphite powder and mixing with Tourmaline mixes and Magnetite by itself or mixes. Also the mix I am using for these ground boxes.

The graphite does what I mentioned before, and is definitely for the money worth it. Works mixed with either Tourmaline and Magnetite mixes. Basically adds a bit more micro resolution, quieter background, even more improvement to timbre, and a bit more air and refinement to top end. Gives a "feel" of beauty and delicacy to instrumental notes, mid frequencies and up, extremely hard to put into words. This is for the entire frequency spectrum.

Very little is needed for a 3kg - 4kg mix. In one of the pics with the graphite bottle is also a white plastic spoon. With amp Tourmaline mix, 4 small heaping spoon full of graphite. I am adding while I am listening. With the DAC Magnetite mixes, 2 spoon full. Any more than just mentioned and the system tonality changes. Adding more than noted the system starts to get brighter and leaner starting at the mids on up. This is why I started experimenting by adding addition Magnetite mass by chaining to another approx. 1.5kg of Magnetite and that balances and as crazy as it sounds improved tonality balance.

Here are the ingredients I have in the two types of ground boxes I made, specifically for the amp and DAC. Have not experimented with the Magnetite mixes on the PC and Router/Modem yet. All of these ground boxes are for "signal ground filtering", have not tried AC ground yet. I mention "about" because I added and adjusted amounts while tuning across time:

All boxes are the same purchased from Amazon. Internal wood mated seams reinforced with E6000. No copper shielding except on the ground box attached to the Router/Modem. The amp and DAC ground box do not like any shielding or large copper plates inside the box, degrades performance.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P2N1922/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All binding posts are pure copper from Aliexpress
Footers used are the .75" Platinum domes from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KK8WXM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jotunheim 2 amp ground box: Main ingredient is Tourmaline
- Tourmaline chips - AA+ grade (eBay), about 3 lbs
- Tourmaline - Brazilian black Tourmaline powder (eBay), about 0.6 lbs
- Natural Shungite rough chips sized 5mm - 15mm (eBay), about 0.25 lbs
- Sodium Tartrate (Rochelle Salt) eBay - 0.3 lbs
- Silver plated 12ga. copper 5", just placed inside mix. (Aliexpress) I wanted to hear what silver does to the mix. May still add more later.
- Pure Rock Salt (Morton Pure and Natural purchased at Home Depot) - about 2 lbs
- Military Grade Graphite Powder (Aliexpress) - 4 plastic spoon full
- Pure Tungsten, sand sized (Aliexpress) - about 30 grams

Proceed DAP (older NOS R2R DAC) ground box x2, one is for digital output and one for analog output: Main ingredient is Magnetite
- Magnetite, High purity sand (eBay), about 7.25 lbs
- Natural Shungite rough chips sized 5mm - 15mm (eBay), about 0.25 lbs
- Sodium Tartrate (Rochelle Salt) eBay - 0.3 lbs
- Silver plated 12ga. copper fine cut up pieces from 24" length or so wire. (Aliexpress)
- Pure Rock Salt (Morton Pure and Natural purchased at Home Depot) - about 1 lb
- Military Grade Graphite Powder (Aliexpress) - 2 plastic spoon full
- Pure Tungsten, sand sized (Aliexpress) - about 35 grams

Before the ground boxes were added, this system was already highly tweaked, and sounded fantastic. With these ground boxes, system sounds absolutely stunning. Literally an entirely different performance level. Anyhoos, just wanted to share the mix I am using as I mentioned previously I would. Hopefully someone will benefit or save them time if they want to go this path.

Thank you for the update on this ! Awesome ...

 

[cdacosta]

Thank you for the update on this ! Awesome ...

My pleasure bro

 

[kenincalgary]

My pleasure bro

Yes, thanks for the data, much appreciated. I have 3 from AE and your experience has inspired me to home grow a couple for the speakers.

 

[cdacosta]

Yes, thanks for the data, much appreciated. I have 3 from AE and your experience has inspired me to home grow a couple for the speakers.

The ones I built and am still playing with will stay with this headphone setup. I just wish I could properly share in writing the difference they have made, I never would have believed it until I experienced the difference. When I eventually buy another home and set back up my home theater I definitely will build ground boxes for the whole setup. This will include all three amps. I have read many times that ground boxes work extremely well at the negative speaker terminal on amps. Will need one for each channel though.

The reason I DIY'ed these ground boxes once I realized the potential of them, is they can be tuned real time for that application and system. I have really enjoyed this project, I hope it will be as rewarding for you!

 

[cdacosta]

Here are some things I learned regarding the ground wire or cable for the ground boxes I built while experimenting with "my system":

* The cable matters. This is the wire and connection. Hard to tell exactly how much the cable effects performance but I would say between 35% - 40%. This is a lot, a cheap cable will make your system sound horrible or off.

* The wire gauge matters and so does the metal and if it is stranded or solid core. The metal whether it is copper or silver plated. I have tried 18ga. solid core 5N Cardas and did not like it. Did not like the different grades and gauge silver plated copper either. In my system, the best and most natural sounding is 12ga to 11ga. stranded copper. The purer the copper the better. Thinner than 14ga. the presentation is not as full. Silver make work well for you, have to experiment. Best sounding is multiple gauge thin stranded wire. Probably why I like the gold color jacket Aliexpress fake Cardas XLR OCC copper cables.

* Can not hear a difference between 3', 4' and 4.5' lengths of the same wire with same connector.

* The connector and contact to component make a difference. The reason I started using the Furutech CF-102(R) solderless RCA connectors is 1) I had a pair of originals/real on hand and Aliexpress clones. 2) The Furutech connector makes it really easy to swap and try different wire. 3) No solder in the mix allowing direct wire conductor to metal contact. 4) These are locking connectors and will make a very solid contact to the RCA jack on the component.

* Improving the contact at all points makes a difference. Using Furutech Nano Liquid on all mechanical connections did improve performance.

* Cable directly into mix sounds better than connecting at binding post. Probably less resistance. The con of doing this is you cannot experiment with other cables after building the box unless a binding post is also installed like the way I did it. Adding a binding post adds cost (binding post and wire) but allows more flexibility.

I recently ordered from Aliexpress some different gauge 6N OCC Single Crystal stranded copper with Teflon jacket wire. Will post my thoughts on the wire after I try it. When researching ground boxes I had a lot of questions regarding the ground cable. These are the things I wanted to know...

 

[DecentLevi]

When I see this I can only think of one thing...

guess I'm hopelessly addicted. It is what I spent most of Christmas day on, and I don't mean the presents!

 

[ZivkoF]

Oh shoot, the links...

7.5lb. Magnetite from eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224300491368

Furutech CF-102(R) RCA plugs from Aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...2X1jKvI&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

If you want good sounding wire without experimentation I like this wire. It is about $27 for a 1.5m pair on Aliexpress. Just cut off the XLR connector ends, you will be using the conductors and shield wire. OCC copper, the braid and conductors give a total AWG of about 12ga - 11ga. This is the wire I am using for the two boxes going to the DAC.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255...tewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

I have built 4 of them and each is some 10 kg in weights.

 

[cdacosta]

I have built 4 of them and each is some 10 kg in weights.

Nice! If you do not mind sharing, what is your material mix? And in your system what kind of difference do they make?

 

[Exocer]

Nice! If you do not mind sharing, what is your material mix? And in your system what kind of difference do they make?

I am interested in this as well. Other projects have taken priority but I am still thrilled with the Tourmaline/copper sheets/quartz mix using the Mundorf Angelique wire (3x of 15.5awg) and gold plated copper lug to my ER (Etherregen).@cdacosta I have not removed the copper tape along the walls of the enclosure but that is next on the list, followed by the removal of the Tourmaline and the addition of a Magnetite powder base.

Looking forward to providing updates here. Thanks for the encouragement though! Otherwise, I may not have ever delved down the path of grounding. It can be very rewarding.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802855239096.html

I will be returning these pads … I bought them for my DAC. Yes they work and will make it more “tight” and clean so to speak, but they also remove the “body” … I think, this is due to the Ceramic beads used inside ( I have experienced same “too flat” issue before, when I tried those much cheaper ceramic beads feet) Unfortunately, these didn’t work for me and will be going back …