I’m sorry but this is a strawman argument because no one advocating for objective testing has said or implied this, and it’s not a response to the question that IB asked.
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That’s interesting
Somebody who’s reduced to claiming “it’s all in the mind”, is clutching at straws.
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I disagree. I read that certain members may very well feel that way, hence feel it is implied.
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I think Richard’s right. It’s extremely boring when one or two forum members turn every thread into a discussion about the same thing. It’s a difficult balance, though, I’m always banging on about instrumental texture myself
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That’s not exactly how I’d put it but I suspect we’re using different words to describe the same thing. I have certainly found that every Chord cable I’ve tried from the Indigo on pursues lower noise and soundstage spread at the expense of (acoustic) instrumental integrity, texture, body and detail. It’s got to the stage where I simply have to conclude I don’t agree with their ears. FWIW I found the same thing with the Superlumina DIN to DIN interconnect. I think some high-end cable design has lost sight of its priorities.
There are a few members whose posts are so repetitive that you can almost predict what they are going to say before reading it. I just don’t understand how they can have the energy to say the same thing yet again. Maybe it’s copy and paste.
Totally agree
Totally agree
Totally agree
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Mike, have you tried these Chord thingies yet? Any plans?
No, I haven’t. Have you? I may give them a go if a dealer has the patience to lend, but as I wrote, I’ve rather lost trust in Chord. That said, I did give their Music interconnect a go when auditioning the ND555…
I think any effect would be lost on me! It seems only a few have tried them, or people are keeping it quiet.
At a far more reasonable £79 each I have just tried Russ Andrews MiniZaps (RCA) in the digital out of my NDX2. There is no question between brilliant or bollocks with these, they are brilliant. The difference has not been subtle with more organic presentation of vocals and piano in particular. Bass is better defined and more controlled and there is more space around the instruments. I was a little surprised by the impact so put in the digital out of my Oppo 203 and it had the same impact. Given the significant cost of the Chord I will stick with the MiniZaps.
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as I mentioned much earlier in this thread - have 5 Pin Din into 252 and USB into my NAS
month in now, I am really enjoying the uplift in music all I can suggest is try before you buy
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Did you mean the analogue out? NDX2 digital out is BNC.
No it’s not. Both are from the Chord Company.
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I’m still interested on HOW they work.
Some time ago I tried something similar that was the then ‘flavour of the month’ in this sort of thing: one that ‘gave’ exactly the same benefits claimed here. This version were only £30 each, but it was said the get the best effect needed about 10 of them and ideally on all unused inputs (I don’t recall the name of the commercial product, but someone who disassembled one showed that it was a screened Phono plug with a 100Ω resistor soldered across it). It was claimed that even just using half a dozen or so in the unused inputs would do the same thing that Chord describe here. They had also been compared to ‘normal’ shorting plugs and many people found them to be superior.
I made up 10 (or was it 12 or 14?). I put them into all the unused inputs of a Nait XS2.
Result: Nothing, no change
Added the same approach to the unused DIN inputs.
Result: Nothing, no change
Left them in for many months, then removed them
Result: Nothing, no change
It may well be that I didn’t hear a change because I didn’t particularly expect to hear one: I regarded it as an experiment that was worth trying because with all inputs shielded there is a possibility that it could reduce the influence of RFI. So I neither expected a change nor did I expect no change, I was completely neutral with no set opinion either way.
This is why the lack of blind testing can be used to deceive people who are told to expect a positive change.
Set against that if people believe they hear a positive change and that increases their pleasure from the music or they believe that they hear the music better, then they do hear a positive change; pleasure and hearing are both constructs of the brain, so their opinion is completely valid for them.
The placebo effect is real, and has genuine physiological effects.
I don’t know if these devices fit into that category, the previous much cheaper version certainly did.
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Flavour Of The Month is the last thing I’d think the GroundARAYs are, going by this thread…
This broad category of products (RFI / EM absorbers) has been around for a long time. In the 90s there was a fad about electro-magnetic stabilizing stones that are still for sale today (from $200 up). They received some very positive reviews in magazines too.
Shakti Stone marketing text:
The SHAKTI Electromagnetic Stabilizer (aka “the Stone”) has three internal trap circuits (Microwave, RF and Electric Field) to absorb the broadest spectrum of EMI. Placement on automotive CPUs has measurably increased engine horsepower. It also improves resolution for virtually all-major components in high definition audio/video systems. Music reproduction is clearer, with more liquidity, dynamics and focus.
The improved inter-transient silence allows the listener to hear ambient cue information essential for accurate perception of stage depth, width and unwavering imaging. High quality video systems will benefit from SHAKTI devices near power supplies, projection guns and laser disc/DVD players. Reduced color noise and improved convergence alignment are some of the improvements that can occur. In automotive applications, where space allows, the unit should be securely taped and/or cable tied to the top of the CPU.
A few reviews:
Sorry @Michaelb mistake- I was wrongly thinking of Chord electronics.
I think is true for many people on a variety of subjects - I recall when the same could be said if a certain fan of the 272!
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Me too
I’m not so much puzzling over the ground noise suppression if that is their sole purpose as the product name implies.
But am wondering (if a connection exists) what there is to suppress on the +ve (ch1 & ch2) DIN & RCA connections as (as I understand it) they are only connected to an open relay when not used.
Also what does the RJ45 do, is it only effective on the screen (ground) or does it connect to the 4-TP’s.
The plot thickens with the Sortz as their blurb implies circuits other than just ground are included.
I have them filed under arctic viper oil until someone does explain what & how each variant does.
If you have something connected to the ground plane of a device, and all other connections are to open circuits, then far from providing ground noise suppression, electrical theory indicates that it will act as an antenna!