By Anthony Chiarella

For all the times we improve our HiFis by upgrading components, some of the most satisfying enhancements are absolutely free. And perhaps no other “Tweak” offers as much sonic benefit as chasing ground noise from your sound system.

Back in the days before streaming—or even CDs—most of us suffered some sort of ground noise from our analog rigs. Between the low output of moving coils, the high gain of phono preamps, noise leakage from turntable motors, etc., most pre-digital audiophiles needed to roll up their sleeves and chase hums and buzzes from their systems. Typically, this was (…and still is) accomplished by using ground wires to connect the tonearm and/or turntable to the preamp chassis.  However, there were also occasions where certain cartridges needed to be placed at a great distance from power transformers, not to mention that certain cartridges wouldn’t work with some turntable motors.

The scenario above illustrates an extreme case of grounding issues, but, to some degree, EVERY system is prone to the effects of component grounding. This means, of course, that EVERY system can be improved by paying careful attention to grounding.

For starters, let’s understand the problem. A three-prong electrical cord carries the positive (+) and negative (-) legs of the AC voltage, while the third wire is “Earth” which typically connects the chassis to true ground, which, in theory, reaches through the foundations of your home and into the earth itself. Simple, huh? Problem is, the walls of a typical house contain a birds’ nest of wires—electrical and otherwise—and some of your outlets might not make a proper, solid connection to ground. To complicate matters, not all components are grounded in the same manner, while some are not grounded at all! Throwing together bad household wiring and components, with different grounding schemes, creates a “Perfect Storm”, which allows hum and noise to pollute your system.

Fortunately, there are simple and effective solutions to grounding issues. Let’s start at the AC outlet. In most systems I’ve seen, the single biggest problem is the quality of the AC outlet. Think about it: we spend a fortune on AC cords and power conditioners, and then plug them into a decades-old AC socket with corroded conductors (which probably have little “grip” or connection integrity), and we expect our systems to sound their best? For under $15, a 20-amp, Hospital Grade AC outlet will vastly improve power delivery. Why? Well, first of all, these receptacles are much more robust than the sockets which were installed when your house was built. Heavier metal conductors (which, given the fact that they’re brand new, are corrosion-free), thicker insulators, made of superior dielectric materials, and the fact that “Hospital Grade” sockets are designed to grip the blades of the AC plug more tightly, better prevent life-saving machinery from being accidentally disconnected from the outlet. Simply put, there is no more cost-effective means of improving your system than replacing your AC receptacle.

Just as important, you’ll need to make sure your AC receptacle is installed correctly. The positive, negative and Earth wires must be connected to the proper terminals on the AC receptacle. This can be easily accomplished with an “AC Receptacle Tester” which is available at any hardware store. I bought mine on Amazon for under $7.

So, for under $25 (combined cost of AC Receptacle and Tester), you can dramatically improve the quality of the AC that reaches your system and ensure that your system is properly grounded. Congratulations! You’ve just established a foundation for greater system performance. You’ve also eliminated most of your system’s potential grounding issues! (CAUTION: working with AC power and your home’s electrical system is potentially hazardous. Please consult a licensed electrical contractor.)

Once you’ve optimized your AC, it is time to look at your power distribution. A common mistake is to use a cheap “outlet strip” intended to connect a computer, printer, etc. These devices have terrible contact integrity, tiny-gauge wiring and—worst of all—current-robbing, noise inducing surge suppression and protection circuitry.

Now, take a look at your components’ AC cords. Are they all three-prong, or are some of them two-prong varieties? We’re trying to determine if you’ll develop “ground loops” due to a combination of grounded and ungrounded components. Plug all your components into the outlet strip and power-up your system. With no source playing, and using a normal volume setting, put your ear close to each speaker. What do you hear? A gentle hissing sound is ideal, as it suggests that your system is properly grounded; on the other hand, any sort of hum indicates grounding issues.

To address ground problems, you can introduce a product like Nordost’s QBASE into the system.  Instead of using any sort of filtering or conditioning circuitry, which could adversely affect power delivery, Nordost’s QB8 creates a “Star Ground” topology to optimize system grounding and minimize hum and noise, while its shape and construction are designed to control resonance and further improve sound.  The real key to a product like this, is it controls ground flow between components.  We can all tell how signal flows throughout our system (For example, we know the signal goes from our turntable, to our phono stage, to our pre-amplifier). What we don’t know is which direction our ground is going; although, we can pretty much tell it goes in the direction of the component with the lowest chassis impedance— meaning sometimes it can flow directly opposite of the signal creating noise and hum.  As an entry point into Nordost’s AC power system, the QBASE can offer dramatically quieter and more lifelike sound quality, because it forces ground to flow in the direction of the integrated amp or pre-amp.

Ground optimization is truly a triumph of brains over bucks. With careful attention to the quality and proper wiring of your AC Cords, you can achieve a dramatic improvement in the sonic production of any system!

Our product specialists receive questions on a daily basis about Nordost products, their application, and hifi in general.  We thought that we would take a minute to share some of our most recent and frequently asked questions here so that everyone can get the answers they are looking for!

Q: I have never owned any type of audio power equipment. Where do you think I should start?

A: A lot of our advice would depend on your particular system. Generally however, step one would be investing in a high quality distribution block. Our QBASE units address the conflicting flows of signal and ground paths in a typical system, which create noise on the line. By using a unique method that we call “star-earth topology”, our QB8 and QB4 units (QB6 if you are from the UK) control ground flow by lifting the impedance level of every outlet except for one (the “primary earth” outlet) by .5 Ohms. This creates an uninterrupted, straight-line AC distribution path from the wall to each individual component. This has a significantly positive impact on your soundstage—it lowers the noise floor without any high frequency compression.

Q: My dealer supplied me with a copy of the Nordost set up and tuning disc. Could you let me know how long and how often I should use the “burn in” track?

A: We’re glad that your dealer gave you the Nordost System Set-Up and Tuning Disc. It really does accelerate the burn in process!  Using the burn in track on repeat, your interconnects and speaker cables will require about 96 hours of continuous play to get to the point where we consider them “burned in” (power cords burn in much faster and don’t require this).  After that, if you use the disc once a year for several hours, the cables will continue to perform perfectly.  We recommend that you repeat this process yearly in order to ensure that your cables are subjected to frequencies that your music might not contain.

Q: I am already using most of Nordost’s power products. I am now thinking about adding QK1 and/or QV2, but I don’t know which I should use in my one remaining free outlet. What problem(s) are the two different units designed to solve? 

A: I think it is important to clarify that these two units are not solving problems per se, but more importantly, they are adding harmonics in different frequency ranges. The QV2 adds harmonics to the midrange and upper bass frequencies, and the QK1 adds harmonics to high frequencies—so you use them to add clarity to those areas.

The QV2 provides more audible effects, since it’s easier to hear changes within the mid and lower frequency spectrums. However, both the QV2 and QK1 make nice improvements.

We also want to point out that these units are not limited to the space available on your distribution block. QV2 and QK1 units can also be plugged into wall sockets, as long as they are in the same circuit as your sound system. When you are purchasing these devices, it is important to note that QV2 units work best in pairs, since that has a tendency to double their impact — QK1s work great in any quantity.

“Image Is Everything!”

How to squeeze every drop of performance from your speakers….

By Anthony Chiarella

In nearly two decades as an Audio Reviewer, I wrote hundreds of articles and, as I look back, most of these were written about speakers. Whether listening to them, evaluating them, or moving them around my room, loudspeakers have consumed more of my attention than any other part of my audio systems…and with good reason! The performance of no other component in your system is more sensitive to proper placement than your speakers; in other words, speaker setup places the sound of your system largely under your control. Here’s how….

Roughing-In for Bass

The art and science of speaker placement involves a series of adjustments, beginning with “Roughing-in” speaker positions by finding the location where bass response is smoothest. (Note: assuming your speakers have spiked feet, Nordost’s Sort Füt units, or some other type of interface with the floor, you can retract these to make it easier to move the speakers. Near the end of the process, we’ll level the speakers and will adjust the feet at that point.) Start with both of your speakers about three feet away from side and rear walls, pointing straight ahead. Play some music with deep bass content (pipe organ, double bass or prominent electric bass) and move the speakers out of the corners until a natural bass balance is achieved. Don’t even think about mid- and high-frequencies right now: we’re dialing-in bass response. Listening to tracks with heavy bass content, disconnect first one speaker and then the other, moving each closer to, and farther from, rear and side walls until balanced bass is achieved. Now, connect both speakers and let ‘er rip! Is bass powerful and natural but without boom or overhang? When you’ve balanced the bass, it’s time to move “Onward and upward….”

Room Treatment

When it comes to Midrange and Treble, the room—specifically the reflective/absorbent characteristics of various surfaces such as walls, floors, windows and furnishings—is going to influence the sound at the listening position. If you find your mids and highs are bright and forward, try moving the speakers a little farther from room boundaries (but not so much that you compromise bass performance) and consider adding some absorptive treatments—wall hangings, carpets, plush furniture—at strategic points in your room in order to minimize reflections. At this point, you can also start toeing-in the speakers slightly.

Equilateral Triangle Approach

Years ago, British manufacturers including Spendor, Harbeth, Rogers and ProAc used a system whereby the two speakers and the listener formed the three corners of an equilateral triangle (all three sides being identical in length), with the speakers toed-in until only the front baffle of each speaker was visible from the listening position and both sides of the cabinet hidden from sight. This is a great way to control room reflections and focus central images for a solitary, centrally-seated listener; on the other hand, though you’ll wind up with razor-sharp focus, the soundstage probably won’t venture outside the speakers. What’s worse, the best seat in the house is the ONLY seat in the house, since this sort of positioning accommodates only one listener and is, to put it bluntly, anti-social.

Nearfield Listening

A similar approach—known as “Nearfield Listening”—involves moving both speakers and listener into the center of the room, father away from the four walls, with the listener sitting close to the speakers. Nearfield listening, which had its genesis in recording studios where engineers placed their “Nearfield Monitor” speakers atop the mastering console, goes even farther to remove room variables from the sonic equation. While this theory has many supporters, I always feel like the speakers are too close…almost like I’m wearing headphones. And of course, only one listener will enjoy properly balanced sound.

Voweling

“Voweling” is a more recent tuning process. Developed by Wilson Audio, voweling involves moving the speakers a fraction of an inch at a time—forward and backward, closer together and farther apart—until you’ve achieved the best tonal balance and imaging. When I first heard about voweling, I dismissed it; after all, how could moving the speakers half an inch at a time have a dramatic impact upon sound? And then I tried it….

In a word, it works! Moving the speakers such a small amount influences the mids and highs without impacting the bass. Once the speakers have been “Roughed-in” for bass response, as per above, put on a recording of a solo vocalist and slightly toe-in the speakers until the voice is sharply focused. Using a tape measure, make sure the speakers are the same distance from the back wall. Maintaining the same toe-in angle, move each speaker about ½” closer to the other and re-audition. Experiment, moving the speakers very slightly closer together, farther apart, forward and backward, until you’ve achieved the most natural, pleasing tonal balance.

Fine Tuning

Once you’ve dialed-in your ideal tonal balance, it’s time to fine-tune spatial characteristics. The goal is to balance image focus, on the one hand, with soundstage size on the other. This is accomplished by gentle toe-in. Since you’ve gone to great lengths to pick the exact location for your speakers, you should proceed in a way that doesn’t negate your hard work. I recommend pivoting each speaker using the outer rear foot as the fixed vertical axis of rotation; in this way, the positioning (which you worked so hard to achieve) stays constant. (Consider putting small pieces of tape on the floor to mark the speaker positions.) Work in half-degree increments, focusing the image in much the same way as you would a pair of binoculars. If you’ve accomplished all previous steps properly, you should only need a small amount of toe-in to focus images while achieving a wall-to-wall soundstage.

Spikes and Feet

As a final step, you need to adjust the floor spikes or other speaker feet. There are two goals here: first, you want to make sure the speaker is completely stable and doesn’t “rock” back and forth; secondly, you need to make sure the speaker is perfectly level. Drop a spirit level atop each speaker cabinet until the perfect level is obtained and all four spikes or feet are in solid contact with the floor. If you find the sound to be bright or forward, you can tilt each speaker back slightly by raising the front spikes. (Again: a little is better than a lot!)  Or, if you have Nordost’s Sort Füt, this last step will go much smoother. The Sort Füt is adjustable so that you can level your speakers with ease, and their premium package comes with a laser level to help both with leveling and toe-in. If you have the funds, I strongly suggest a set of Sort Füt. This solution not only protects your speakers from external vibrations, but also drains the cabinet of internal vibrations generated from the speakers themselves, elevating the sound of EVERY speaker to a much higher level of performance!

For more even ideas about speaker setup, see our Speaker Placement Guide  

By Anthony Chiarella

“In the Spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of…Audio Gear!?!”

May Alfred, Lord Tennyson will forgive my blatant bastardization of his poetic masterpiece, but its true: as Winter turns to Spring, flowers begin to bloom, animals awaken from hibernation and guys start prepping their toys for the warm months. All across America, lawnmowers are gassed and lubed, boats are lowered into lakes and rivers, hot rods are tuned and detailed until they shine like mirrors; in other words, it’s time for Spring Cleaning and your Stereo System is the best place to start! Tweaking your system means being a “Do it yourselfer” and, like car guys, you should derive pleasure from maintaining, improving and hot-rodding your gear. There’s a special satisfaction that comes from Sweat Equity and this is particularly true in the case of system optimization.

Although many connoisseurs assume a Stereo System requires little or nothing in the way of maintenance, nothing could be further from the truth. Mechanical vibrations and electrical impulses loosen nuts and bolts, while dust, dirt and pollutants contaminate every connection in your system. Records, cartridges, laser pickups, etc are equally vulnerable. Since these changes occur gradually, you might not notice the degradation in performance on a day-to-day basis but trust us: once you’re given your system a serious “Spring Cleaning,” you’ll hear everything you’ve been missing. And remember: THIS IS FUN!!! Enjoy spending some “Quality Time” with your system….

Let’s start with the things that are most vulnerable to the ravages of time. First up, believe it or not, is your AC Wall Outlet. I’m still amazed at how many six-figure High End systems receive their power from an ancient AC socket that can barely grip the power plug! This is the single cheapest and most significant improvement you can accomplish. Since most of you aren’t electricians and we don’t want you to get injured, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO LOCATE THE PROPER CIRCUIT BREAKER AND TURN OFF THE POWER TO YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE YOU PROCEED!!! Once that’s done, and you’re sure there’s no power flowing to the socket, remove the wall plate, remove the AC Socket and replace it with a Hospital Grade AC Socket. (I suggest buying an inexpensive Polarity Tester to ensure you have your positive, negative and Earth connected properly.) Reinstall the wall plate and prepare to be amazed! (I just purchased a dozen Hubbell 15-amp Hospital Grade Outlets for $5.37 apiece online: absolutely THE BEST improvement, dollar-for-dollar, I’ve ever wrought in my system!)

Now that we’ve improved our power, it’s “Time to Tighten.” Your speakers, if they’re on spikes, are probably wobbly. Drop a Spirit Level (please check my “Audiophile Tool Kit” blog from last month) atop each speaker, level it, and then tighten the spikes so that the speaker is rigidly coupled to the floor, making sure that all four spikes are in contact with the floor and the speaker (or stand, for monitors) doesn’t rock to and fro. The improvements in bass punch and image specificity can be startling! As a corollary, you can check to see if the bolts that hold each driver to its baffle are properly tightened. BE CAREFUL! You’re just ensuring that there are no loose bolts. Over-tightening can be catastrophic!

While we’re at it, it can’t hurt to clean and dust everything. If you’ve got some chutzpah, disconnect all of your components, remove from your rack and clean each with a soft, damp cloth. Clean the shelves upon which your components sit, as well. Will it make a difference in sound? Maybe not, but since when was dust and dirt A Good Thing? Since your rack is now empty, consider repositioning it. Do you have sufficient access to cables? Have you considered moving your rack to a more convenient location and changing cable lengths? Have you considered adding some sort of “Footers” beneath each component? Now’s the time!

Let’s make sure your system is “On The Level.” Even if you leveled everything when you first installed your system, that might no longer be the case. Start by leveling your system rack, making sure it doesn’t wobble or rock on the floor. Next, place your turntable and/or CD Player on its support and make sure they’re level, as well. Turntables require special attention. Check that cartridge screws and clips are tight, break out your stylus force gauge and check that tracing force hasn’t drifted, use a strobe to confirm speed accuracy. (This is especially important with Belt Drive ‘tables, as belts will stretch with use.) Load up your rack and verify level: an unladen rack won’t necessarily remain level once a couple of hundred pounds of equipment have been added! If there are nuts to lock your rack’s spikes in place, gently tighten to save your work.

It’s time to check your connections. Over the course of a year, your speaker binding posts will have loosened and your contacts will have become contaminated. This is a good time to bring your cables back to a Nordost Dealer for a three day Vidar burn-in. Buy a can of Cramolin and carefully clean every cable plug and chassis socket to remove built-up contaminants. (Do NOT apply any cleaner or treatment to AC connections: the results can be disastrous!) Before you reconnect all your cables, give everything a good wipe-down with Nordost ECO 3X to eliminate both dust and static charge. Ensure that all cables are properly “Dressed” and that power and signal cables are separated to the extent possible. Verify all connections and power-up….

Chances are, you’re going to experience a host of changes, some of which might not seem positive. You’ll probably hear more prominent bass and perhaps a bit more “immediate” (read: “Forward”) sound. This is normal! It’s time to reposition your speakers. Try everything: closer together and no toe-in, farther apart with more toe-in, closer and farther from the back and side walls, asymmetrical placement, etc. Use your favorite music and perhaps a couple of setup discs (Nordost makes a great one!) to restore the balance to your system. Once you’ve found the “Magic Spot” for your speakers, re-level, ensure that the speakers/stands are free of play and wobble and tighten.

Finally, here’s the most important part of the process. Pour yourself a drink, spin (or stream) your favorite album, sit back and enjoy your handiwork. Happy Spring!

RELATED INFO

AN AUDIOPHILE’S TOOL KIT

SPEAKER SET-UP GUIDE

By Anthony Chiarella

It never ceases to amaze: enter the sound room of any passionate music lover and you’ll find a rack full of costly HiFi gear—a wealth of cherished recordings lining the walls—but search for a few basic tools to tune things up and you’re met with blank stares. Or worse, you find a broken-handled screwdriver that looks as if it had been used to chisel stone.

Fact is, audiophiles happily spend princely sums on hardware and software yet bristle at the prospect of shelling out $100 for a few basic tools. And that’s a shame, because fine stereo (and Home Theater) systems require a little TLC to perform at their best, and that means you’ll need some basic tools and simple techniques for using them. For less than the cost of a single out-of-print LP, you can acquire everything you need to keep your High End rig running right! Here’s everything you need to know:

Screwdrivers: At a minimum, you’ll need three Philips drivers (#0, #1 and #2) and an assortment of flat-blade drivers. A couple of fine-blade Jeweler’s screwdrivers are essential for turntable setup and maintenance. German-made Wiha are the best we’ve found but Snap-On and Klein—made right here in the USA—are also excellent. These are the items you’ll use the most, so don’t cheap-out! (Tip: always use the largest blade that will properly fit the fastener’s head, as this will minimize the risk of damage.)

Allen (Hex) and Torx Drivers: Simply put, you can’t adjust a tone arm or remove the top cover from most electronic components without a set of Allen wrenches, though Torx drivers have become commonplace in the past few years. Compared to traditional screwdrivers, Allen and Torx allow greater tightening force with less chance of stripping the fastener. Fortunately, even the best of these are dirt-cheap. Look for “Bondhus” brand.  (Tip: with Allen drivers, choose models with one “Ball-end,” as these work better in tight spaces. You’ll need both Metric and English sizes.)

Machinist’s Level: For leveling your equipment rack, Turntable, CD Player and speakers. Actually, you don’t need one: you need two, placed at right angles atop whatever surface you want leveled. (Tip: a longer level will always provide a more accurate measurement that a shorter level of equal quality, so use the longest level that will work on a given surface.)

Needle-Nose Pliers: essential for cartridge installation and useful for any sort of fine wire work, not to mention fishing small screws out of tight spaces. You’re best off with two: 1” and 2-3” jaw. Best brands are Snap-on, Channellock and Diamond.

Adjustable “Crescent” Wrench: An open-end wrench with adjustable jaws. In this case, smaller is better. A 4” or 6” wrench should master just about any task. (Snap-On and Channellock are top brands here.)

Utility knife:  (Box-cutters) These are among the most useful and versatile items you can own. Need proof? How did you open your equipment boxes, anyway? (Tip: a dull blade is much more dangerous than a sharp one. Blades are cheap, so change them often!)

Tape Measure: HiFi setup is all about geometry…try that without a Tape Measure! (Tip: choose a tape at least 20’ long, with a locking feature, that is highly legible.)

High quality flashlight and Magnifying glass: Over 40? These are self-explanatory. An LED Flashlight with multiple brightness settings is worth a king’s ransom.  These will come in handy when looking behind your system, adjusting phono cartridge alignment, and in infinite other instances.  

Protractor and Stylus Force Gauge: For Analog Lovers Only! Brinkmann makes a gorgeous and easy-to use Protractor based upon the old Dennesen Soundtractor. As for Stylus Force Gauges, high precision digital units are available on ebay for $10.

Toolbox: Cheap insurance and guaranteed organization! (Tip: a plastic box with internal compartments offers the best protection and keeps everything at the ready.)

Parting shot: When it comes to tightening screws, bolts and other fasteners, audiophiles seem to think that “If a little is good, more is better!” Avoid the temptation and DON’T Overtighten!!!

Our product specialists receive questions on a daily basis about Nordost products, their application, and hifi in general.  We thought that we would take a minute to share some of our most recent and frequently asked questions here so that everyone can get the answers they are looking for!

Q: I saw a picture of the Nordost room at one of the trade shows that you were exhibiting at last year and noticed something on the bottom of the loudspeakers you were using. Are those similar to the Kones that you produce? Do they work under all loudspeakers?

A: The devices that you saw in our demonstration system attached to the bottom of the loudspeakers are our Sort Füt. The Sort Füt, like our Sort Kone, is a resonance control device and it is based on the same principles. The Sort Füt and Sort Kone address both internal and external vibrations. They allow the vibrations generated within audio components (and in the Sort Füt’s case, loudspeakers and audio racks) to be drained out through ceramic ball-bearings which act like mechanical diodes, without letting external vibrations in. What distinguishes the Sort Füt from the Sort Kone is that the Sort Füt is constructed with three ceramic balls to deal with the extra weight of, and vibration created by loudspeakers. The Sort Füt also includes a threaded rod to attach itself to the loudspeaker. While components simply rest on the point of the Sort Kone, it is important that loudspeakers and audio racks be attached to the Sort Füt for added stability. Nordost provides three standard thread sizes which accommodate a majority of loudspeakers and audio racks on the market. However, there is a complete list of additional threads which can be ordered if needed.  

Q: I have run out of room on my QB8 unit. I would like to purchase another one, but I want to know if there is a way that I can connect those two units?

A: Yes, we often “daisy chain” our QB8 units at trade shows so that we can take advantage of our QK1 and QV2 units. The best way to connect multiple QB8 units is to plug the first one into the wall, using the best possible power cord. Then you connect the second unit directly to the outlet labeled “Primary Earth”.

Q: I am very pleased with the result of my new Nordost purchase, but I want to make sure that they stay in the best condition possible. What techniques should I use to maintain my Nordost cables?

A: You will be happy to know that the longer you have your cables, the better they will perform. If you follow our blog, you will already be familiar with the importance of cable burn in. Burning in your brand new cables on the Nordost Vidar machine will allow you to get the best results from your purchase. By using extremely wide bandwidth signal as well as a range of both ultra-low and high frequency sweeps, the Vidar stresses the conductors, neutralizes charges, improves the way that signals pass through metal and  ultrasonically conditions the surface of the conductors. It is these changes in both the conductor and insulation material that refine performance in audio cables. The same goes with periodical burn in maintenance. Even though you may use your cables every day, electrical equipment can experience current leakage, which gives a charge to your cables. By having your cables treated with the Vidar, you are conditioning them and allowing the charges to neutralize once again.

The second maintenance that I would recommend for your cables is using Anti-Static Treatment. Products like Nordost’s Eco 3X stop the slow build-up of static charge (which happens at an even faster rate in the winter months) that can negatively affect the performance of your audio equipment. Just use Eco 3X on your cable jacket and you will find a noticeable difference in the liveliness and clarity of your system’s performance.

Q: I am considering a cable upgrade for my system, but I don’t want to commit to replacing everything at once. Which cables should I start with?

A: I would recommend starting your cable upgrade with the most important cable in your system, which would be the power cord that feeds your entire system (from your wall to your distribution block).