DIY Ground Box Thread

[kenincalgary]

The double cling film wrap seems fairly robust. The one I redeployed last night was previously on the speaker cable (not recommended) and didn't seem to suffer from being twisted and handled.

What I've done with some baggies is cut off the closing mechanism and sealing the edges with electrical tape.

 

[cdacosta]

The double cling film wrap seems fairly robust. The one I redeployed last night was previously on the speaker cable (not recommended) and didn't seem to suffer from being twisted and handled.

What I've done with some baggies is cut off the closing mechanism and sealing the edges with electrical tape.

Are you using the baggies instead of cling wrap for GBC Enhancement wraps? If yes, does the wrap twist around and stay snug around the ground cable?

The GBC Enhancement wrap was several weeks experimenting, designed specifically for ground cable application. I am not surprised does not work well for speaker or other system cables.

 

[kenincalgary]

I only used cut-up baggies for salt in some locations. All the GBC mini wraps are per your design.

Since the main electrical ground cable responded so well to the wraps and is much bigger than GBCs there is strong temptation to increase the amounts to see if more is better. However, first I'd like to salt the rest of the outlets and switches in the basement.

 

[cdacosta]

Tuning update - using Rochelle salt to absorb EMI from your homes AC line

- 30 hours or so after installing the last of 28 junction points across three circuits. If memory serves me, 25 junctions have the grounds at those locations filtered.

- As mentioned in the DIY, what filtering at ground with 0.5 grams does:
"The 0.5 gram filtering the ground adds a better tonal balance. Warms up the presentation a bit compared to the Hot line being filtered by itself. Also improves bass slam and presentation weight. You obviously can also use less or more to tune. I just find 0.5 to be the sweet spot for me."

- My impressions: is that the system is a bit too warm. It is like 1 notch dialed too far to warm side. Bass and body weight also a bit too much, and lost a bit of the incredible detail in those frequency ranges I got after install.

- Remedy: On the light switch in my office (on same circuit as system) I removed the 0.5 gram filtering the ground at the switch. Boom, immediately took the tonal balance to perfect for me. Too much bass and body weight remedied, and bass detail is back. FWIW going to the light switch first was only because of convenience. This junction is easily accessible and I assumed since it is on the same circuit as system should have a bigger impact than a junction on a different circuit.

Summary: I just introduced this crazy tweak. Because of how audibly impactful this tweak is, I figured tuning after full treatment was going to be a thing. For those that have tried it, you understand how absorbing EMI across the AC line effects what is heard from your system. Once a few junctions are treated and you hear what it does, you want to just go ahead and treat every junction you see. Because of how sensitive your system is to EMI (or the removal of EMI), just know that there is likely tuning required after some settling in time.

The closer you get to the balance you like after full install, the less tuning will be required after. Listening to the system after 2-3 junctions are treated is recommended. What you are listening for is system tonal balance, body/overall presentation weight and bass slam. If system is tilting toward neutral or body weight is lighter than you like, you need to add the 0.5 grams to filter ground. If body and bass slam is too much, on the last treated junction, you can remove the ground treatment or rotate the wrap so it is vertical (slightly filtering neutral).

 

[kenincalgary]

My last recollection was that 1 ro 1.5 grams was the desired amount. I'm almost finished creating more 1 gm bags for the remaining locations.

 

[kenincalgary]

BTW the 1 gm bags sound amazing so far.

 

[cdacosta]

My last recollection was that 1 ro 1.5 grams was the desired amount. I'm almost finished creating more 1 gm bags for the remaining locations.

1 gram for Hot side, 0.5 for ground

Copied from the DIY post:

"The amount of Rochelle salt you want to use for the Hot line is 1 gram. Amount used for the ground is 0.5 grams. Do not let that small amount of Rochelle salt fool you, it is very potent within this application. "

 

[cdacosta]

BTW the 1 gm bags sound amazing so far.

This tweak yields substantial performance gains. I think way more than any AC line conditioner I have ever listened to can provide. Even multi thousand dollar units. And a system can be tuned in the process. Kind of crazy considering the cost of the tweak.

 

[kenincalgary]

I clearly missed that memo. Does it make enough difference to make it worthwhile re-opening the Hot-only installs?

 

[cdacosta]

I clearly missed that memo. Does it make enough difference to make it worthwhile re-opening the Hot-only installs?

Use your ears to tell you. if your system is not tilting more than you like toward neutral and you like what you are hearing, keep it as is. If you are curious, experimenting takes minutes.

 

[kenincalgary]

Good advice, tonight's installs will be both. I'll get into the tweaked locations in a week or so when more salt arrives, I'm using the last of it to partially cover the basement.

Does the original 3 to 4 grams at the cables still hold?

 

[cdacosta]

Does the original 3 to 4 grams at the cables still hold?

Which cables are you referring to?

With the GBC Enhancement wraps I did not specify weight. In the recipe I specified by volume in relation to the other minerals.

For Rochelle mini wraps used on ground cables installed at the component side, 2 grams. But can be adjusted for tuning purposes.

 

[cdacosta]

Good advice, tonight's installs will be both. I'll get into the tweaked locations in a week or so when more salt arrives, I'm using the last of it to partially cover the basement.

Does the original 3 to 4 grams at the cables still hold?

What do you hear after each additional junction install? Are you treating the Hot line and ground and how much are you using for the two wraps?

 

[kenincalgary]

I've installed the remaining salt bundles in the 1+.5 gram combo at 7 locations, each of the first 3 added more sense of thereness with more finer details. The last 4 I just installed without listening, at the end the amount of spacial information was more immersive and I'm hearing more details than I ever thought existed in the files. Things cleaned up even more and the tonal balance has gotten slightly warmer. Very happy with it do far, I still have half the house to do once more salt arrives. Rochelle salt is a killer app.

 

[kenincalgary]

Which cables are you referring to?

With the GBC Enhancement wraps I did not specify weight. In the recipe I specified by volume in relation to the other minerals.

For Rochelle mini wraps used on ground cables installed at the component side, 2 grams. But can be adjusted for tuning purposes.

2 grams is the answer I'm looking for to my imprecise question, thanks.