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QKORE Ground Unit

QKORE GROUND UNIT

A great deal of the electrical noise in hifi systems is caused by imperfections in the power domain. These imperfections may be generated by airborne pollution on the AC line that are induced, in part, by increasing amounts of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular signals. Airborne pollution can take the form of high frequency interference, noise, and stray magnetic fields, which lead to AC line contamination. A poor, or “unclean”, ground causes more performance imperfections than most people realize. Without an effective ground point, the entire foundation of your sound system becomes jeopardized—and unfortunately, most listening rooms simply do not have access to a designated line, attached to a ground rod. In these instances, a simple, effective, and internal option is needed: Nordost’s QKORE Ground Unit.

The QKORE is a parallel grounding device, which provides an artificial, “clean” earth for hifi audio systems using both an electrical and mechanical approach. This unique product combines Nordost’s patented Mono-Filament technology with purpose-built, Low-Voltage Attractor Plates (LVAPs), constructed with a proprietary metal alloy and a passive electronic circuit, in order to draw stray high frequency noise and voltage-generated magnetic fields to a manufactured earth point, leaving a clean reference behind. This passive system is contained in a mechanically tuned housing, and outfitted with gold-plated, WBT binding posts, which easily connect each component to an artificial ground. By providing for a balanced and very “clean” ground point, by-products of electrical balance imperfections between voltage and ground are no longer added to other pollutants, dramatically increasing high quality audio circuit performances.

Nordost’s QKORE is available in three distinct models. The QKORE1 is specifically designed to serve as a parallel ground for use with Nordost’s distribution block, the QBASE. By connecting the QBASE to the QKORE1’s singular binding post, it provides an effective, alternative ground on the primary side of the power supply. The QKORE3 is named for its three available binding posts, which can be used to ground any component in your system on the secondary side of a power supply, where the audio circuit is. For audiophiles who have monoblocks in their system, or are searching for an all-in-one unit solution, Nordost offers The QKORE6, making it possible to ground all elements of your sound system on its 6 binding posts, including one ground for your distribution block, two grounds for the left and right channels of your monoblocks, and three grounds for additional audio components.

In order to complete this comprehensive grounding system, Nordost has also designed a designated QKORE Wire, which is constructed to provide the path of least resistance to ground, for the stray, high-frequency, low-voltage potentials that can affect the performance of your sound system. The QKORE Wire is a mechanically tuned cable that utilizes Nordost’s patented Micro Mono-Filament technology, combined with extruded FEP insulation, and constructed with a 16 AWG, silver-plated OFC, solid core conductor. The QKORE Wire can be terminated with the following connectors: spade, banana, male-XLR, female-XLR, BNC and RCA (further termination options available).

The QKORE grounding system is the most effective, comprehensive grounding solution in the consumer electronics market. When introduced to a hifi audio system, the results are immediate and dramatic— the noise floor drops, the increase in harmonic accuracy and clarity is unmistakable, and the overall musicality in system performance is elevated.


    QKORE1: 
  • Provided with a 2M Banana to Banana QKORE Wire.
  • Furnished with one “QBASE Ground” binding post to ground your distribution block.
  • Offers an effective ground on the primary side of the power supply.

    QKORE3: 
  • Provided with a  2M RCA to Banana QKORE Wire.
  •  Furnished with three multi-use binding posts to ground your audio circuitry.
  • Grounds system components on the secondary side of the power supply, where the audio circuit is.

    QKORE6: 
  •  Provided with a 2M Banana to Banana QKORE wire and a 2M RCA to Banana QKORE Wire.
  • Furnished with three multi-use binding posts for audio circuitry, two binding posts for left and right monoblocks, and one “QBASE Ground” binding post to ground your distribution block.
  • Offers an effective ground on the primary side of the power supply, for a distribution block, as well as on the secondary side of the power supply, for system components, including those with separate left and right chassis.

NOTE: The QKORE is not designed to replace the protective earth bond in your electrical grid system (household ground).


QKORE GROUND UNIT SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions (HxD):
270 x 80 x 200mm (225mm with binding post)
QKORE1 Weight:
13.25 lbs
QKORE3 Weight:
13.55 lbs
QKORE6 Weight:
17.2 lbs

 

QKORE WIRE SPECIFICATIONS

Insulation:
Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP)
Construction:
Micro Mono-Filament Design
Conductors:
1 x 16 AWG
Material:
Silver plated 99.9999% solid core OFC
Termination:
Banana, Spade, RCA, Male-XLR, Female-XLR, BNC, RJ45, USB A, and USB B

 

PREMIUM QKORE WIRE SPECIFICATIONS

Insulation:
Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP)
Construction:
Micro Mono-Filament Design
Conductors:
1 x 14 AWG
Material:
Silver plated 99.9999% solid core OFC
Termination:
Banana, Spade, RCA, Male-XLR, Female-XLR, BNC, RJ45, USB A, and USB B
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

QKORE Instruction Manual


AVAILABLE CONNECTORS

QKORE Connectors

MORE INFO

NORDOST QKORE AND QKORE WIRE — SYSTEM GROUNDING ACCESSORIES

"I can’t imagine that anyone who’s invested considerable time and energy and money in a high-end system would want to be without the markedly “blacker” backgrounds, increased transparency and detail, more vivid colors, and greater overall veracity delivered by Nordost’s QKore Ground Units...The law of diminishing returns does not apply; the differences were cumulative, and anything but subtle."    

– Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile

NORDOST QKORE GROUNDING SYSTEM — SILENCE IS GOLDEN

"...the introduction of the Nordost QKore parallel grounding device into my stereo system jolted me out of a comfortable sense of complacency, replacing it with a sense of wonderment at just how much subliminal noise I had taken for granted.  In a variety of small but significant ways, the QKore endowed my stereo with a sense of realism that almost defied credulity.  Put bluntly, it is the most potent power product that I have experienced."

– Jacob Heilbrunn, The Absolute Sound

NORDOST QKORE GROUND UNITS

"...the benefits are immediate, easy to hear, and extremely consistent from system to system, even in systems that may never use another Nordost product. Very highly recommended."

  – Alan Sircom, Hi-Fi+

NORDOST QKORE GROUNDING SYSTEM

"While Qkore isn’t necessary for your audio system to function, it is essential for hearing it at its absolute best. "

– Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat

NORDOST PREMIUM QKORE WIRE

“The major impact of the Premium QKORE wires is purity of the high frequencies. Secondary effects include increased image mass, a boost in dynamics, and dialing in focus. On the subjective side, there's more drama and impact… If you've already invested in the Nordost QKORE solution, this one's a no-brainer. For what you will get, they're not asking a lot.” – Marshall Nack, Positive Feedback

THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTRICAL GROUNDING IN AUDIO SYSTEMS

The effectiveness of electrical grounding in a hifi audio system can mean the difference between enjoying your music and falling in love with it. Contamination from RMI/EFI, electrical surges and switch-mode hash from home appliances, lighting, and wireless frequencies have a noticeably damaging effect on the performance of any sound system, making music less engaging and in bad cases, tiring to listen to. The following download will help you better understand why grounding is needed, what improvements can be heard in a properly grounded system, and what artificial grounding solutions can offer you.

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