Responding to your insightful post above and your update here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aliexpress-cables.963919/post-17344726
I've been watching your journey into DIY grounding box boxes and am about to give it a whirl. Brainstorming here, please let me know if I got this right, or if you have anything newer to add?
Two grounding box variants which can work better depending on the component, each box primarily with tourmaline or magnetite. Just a few spoonfuls of graphite powder in each, a bit more for the tourmaline mix. Too much can make it bright, but daisy chaining it with another box that has less could counterbalance that.
Quoting your formulas:
"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
Tungsten, Magnetite, graphite, tourmaline stones, Rochelle Salt,
Rock salt, shungite chips
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"
Sometimes (but not always) less is more. Each box has about seven ingredients. Is there any of these you would say I could do without and still get the best performance, or should I go all in?
Wires - are these still your most recommended ones?
Neotech 12 gauge and 12 gauge VH Audio OFC.
It seems you are using two wires for each box. Where is it advisable to have each connected on a general stereo component? (EG one to digital out, one to analog out?)
Cable design - should I twist both wires together and put in an enclosure? And what about any shielding? I learned from my pre-made AliExpress grounding box that wire shielding does make a nice difference, perhaps darker and blacker background.
I like the fact that it doesn't need copper insulation, for simplicity. And I would do without the connection, just run the wire straight into the box with about 7" of the wire strands making contact with the mix. Though I would prefer to just use a single wire for each box.
My integrated stereo amp happens to already have a GND ground input, so I will just plug the wire in bare without a connector. I'll also be making one for my DDC, and probably my AC power conditioner. Since the connection is to the negative ground, any suggestions on a connector that works for this, only for the outside of an RCA or coax plug?
Boxes - Is that Amazon link for the Billioteam boxes in your post above still your main recommendation for a standard amp / DAC, or should I go with any larger box? Do those that you linked have about 3.5 kg capacity?
THANKS!