There seems to be alot of valuable information regarding ground boxes that is getting lost in the volume of posts in the aliexpress thread. cdacosta and others have provided alot of great info regarding the materials used to make these ground boxes and I'm not sure about anyone else but I had a hell of a time searching for the info in the other thread. I think its best to post it here so its easier to reference.
I'll just create the thread because you guys are so lazy
@cdacosta @Crypt Keeper @DecentLevi @Jake2 @basillus @Dandoudou @FredA @KT77 @msing539 @saldsald
Please excuse me if I forgot to tag anyone.
Original post with pictures.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aliexpress-cables.963919/page-175#post-17344726
If you come across the older posts in the aliexpress thread with more info in them. Please pm me with links to the posts and I'll update this first post.
PDF of DIY Ground box instructions attached to this post.
I'll just create the thread because you guys are so lazy

@cdacosta @Crypt Keeper @DecentLevi @Jake2 @basillus @Dandoudou @FredA @KT77 @msing539 @saldsald
Please excuse me if I forgot to tag anyone.
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.
Original post with pictures.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aliexpress-cables.963919/page-175#post-17344726
Ground box journey update...
* Graphite added to ingredient mix works well, just as I described previously. What I found out is that with Magnetite mixes use very small amount like two of those plastic spoon for 3-4kg of material mix. Otherwise will change sonic signature toward neutral. But with Tourmaline mix more can be added and will not change the sonic signature, only enhance performance.
* In the pic there is a jumper going from the box mix going to digital output of DAC to another 3.4kg bag of Magnetite. Previously was about 1.5kg. Adding the 1.5kg to the existing 3.7kg-4kg mix added a bit more micro detail, a bit more body to presentation, tiny bit more improved decay and a bit more separation of all sounds. This effect was across the frequency spectrum. Changing the 1.5kg to 3.4kg. was a larger difference/improvement in performance. I was feeling I must be hitting or getting close to a performance ceiling until the bump to 3.4kg added to mass. So this taught me that mass matters more then I thought. The theory by Entreq and a couple of other manufacturers of these devices is the mass of material dictates how much stray current, noise and static electricity can be drawn, trapped and dissipated from the line level signal. No idea how much of this is nonsense but seems mass to size of component as a rule of thumb works. The biggest difference is added micro detail and nuance with decaying notes across the frequency spectrum. When listening to this change makes the presentation more grand sounding and more refined.
Today I will be getting more Magnetite and some different gauge 6N OCC Single Crystal Copper with Teflon jacket from Aliexpress. This wire has the same specs as the Neotech I got from Sonic Craft, but at 1/5th the price. I am off the next two days and will test the wire against VH-Audio OFC and the Neotech. Also will test adding another 3.4kg+ to the second analog output on the DAC to see if this does anything. This is what the empty box in the pic is for, to house the material during testing. Currently only one of the two analog signal outputs are being filtered. When I tried attaching both analog outputs to the same 4kg. box there was smearing and degraded performance. I will be placing a second 3.4kg to 4kg mix to the second output to see what happens.
To make the above clearer to understand. Since bumping the digital output filtering mass from 4kg to 7.4kg improved performance, I will be setting up the analog outputs so they will have 3.4kg+ per left and right channel. Currently only one analog output channel is being filtered with a 4kg. box. At the same time I will test or compare the 6N OCC Single Crystal Copper with Teflon jacket from Aliexpress with what I have on hand. Will update on what I find out...
My mix:
Magnetite 75-80 %, Himalayan pink salt 25-20% .
Some: Shungite, Black tourmaline, Carbon charcoal, Pink and White quartz
A few spoons of: Pure Tungsten and graphene powder (would like to use silver powder as well, but it’s too expensive ATM)
Large rocks : Pink and white quartz, Tourmaline ...
My boxes: 10.71x8x5.66 , 10" x 7" x 3.9 , 9.6"L x 5.9"W x 4.3"H and “standard small ” boxes.
3 coats of YShield RF Shielding Paint + 1 coat of Krylon K02702007 Fusion All-In-One Spray Paint.
Each box gets about 5-10 % of pure copper (0.4mm, 0.3mm, 1 mm ) Sheets + M8 Copper Washers.
Xangsane pure copper carbon fiber rhodium-plated posts / 2 per box + Nano liquid.
Inside wires: 2.5 and 0.75 Sq Wires, Valhalla cores, Cheap version Odin2 cores, Pure Silver 0.5mm wires.
Footers: Hudson Hi-Fi (0.75) and https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832725412366.html (Cheaper version)
If you come across the older posts in the aliexpress thread with more info in them. Please pm me with links to the posts and I'll update this first post.
PDF of DIY Ground box instructions attached to this post.
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