Sound Advice from David, MD of Kronos AV
Don’t upgrade… Fix a problem.
What do we mean by fix a problem? Well every system, no matter the cost will have compromises. (Unless you can build a dedicated room, with its own direct power supply from a power station, and isolate it from every other type of signal in the world!) Realistically speaking however, there will be external factors that are unavoidable. One such factor which falls into the category of “problems” is NOISE! Noise is like a poison to HiFi, it undoes all the good work that your components are doing and sadly it is unavoidable, but it can be removed.
Many of you will have seen more recently with amplifier such as Aavik and Axxess they are actively inserting anti-noise technology such as Tesla coils, as the R&D into this exact problem is ever growing and solutions are now becoming more readily available.
What is this “Noise”?
Essentially this noise is interference or external factors around us. Any signal, regardless of its origin will pick up noise and interference on its journey. Unfortunately that noise is then reproduced in what you hear. As this is something that is always present, we are accustomed to it and therefore don’t see it as a problem, but it is only when we remove it we actually get the opportunity to hear what our system really should sound like!
How do we remove it?
There are products now readily available that are specially designed for this purpose.. There is now wide range of products that help pull away all that unwanted noise. Here are a few I can personally recommend:
- Entreq Macro Ground Boxes - Speakers
The Entreq Macro Kits plug directly into your speaker terminals and act as grounding units to pull away all of that unwanted noise. Audiovector use a similar technology with their freedom grounding cables in the Arrete models. Effectively the Entreq Macro kits are universal versions that can be used on any loudspeaker. I personally use these on my Diapason Adamante V’s and I couldn’t do without them now that I have heard how good the Diapasons can be! The speakers are receiving a better signal. Better Signal = Better Sound!
2. Ansuz Sortz - Components
These little beauties are one of my favourite products. In essence, they are used to isolate unused inputs within your components. These unused sockets act like antennas for airborne radio frequency noise. This noise is picked up from the ground connection of any audio component (amplifier, etc.). Thus, the ground connection is one of the most critical sources for disturbing noise. Since all audio components are interconnected via their ground connection – this noise is bleeding into all the other audio components. Sortz are specially designed to remove this and stop that noise escaping and effecting the sound of your system. Therefore the signal from your source is purer and cleaner. Better Signal = Better Sound!
3. Synertistic Research Fuses - Cables / Components
Sometimes fuses are something that everyone forgets about, but ultimately all your power will be passing through these. If you think about it, you spend all this time and effort getting your cabling right but then have a fuse which is not really benefitting the situation. I love these as they are inexpensive and allow that signal to cleanly pass through your system and into your components. Better Signal = Better Sound!
4. Mains Cables - Components
This is one of the most highly researched areas of HiFi at the moment, and is for sure one of the biggest talking points in HiFi. Why? Well unfortunately mains is getting dirtier, more and more building are popping up, which is pulling power and contaminating the signal but more crucially the amount of wireless or electrical components in our home is ever increasing.
The question I get asked more than any (and it is a fair thought) is “If the mains has to travel miles from the power station through all types of transformers etc… to get to my home, what is the last 1.5m of cable really going to do to help?” It is a fair thought, but here is the answer. The mains is actually relatively fine at the power station and even as it begins its journey there is less issues, however the closer it gets to your home the more and more congested it becomes as there are other homes, buildings, shops etc.. all tightly packed together. All of this is adding noise and interference. What the Mains Cables do is removes that when it enters your home, better materials and shielding offer superior protection giving you system a much better mains signal. Again better Signal = Better Sound!
These are just a small assortment of products which can help to reduce that noise and let your system come to life. The best way I can describe the difference is it is like someone has a cover over your system, you can hear it but it is more muffled. If you had never heard a system without this cover you wouldn’t think anything is wrong, until someone took that cover off. Then you realise you haven’t really heard your system before.
This external noise is essentially that cover, and once you pull it off and hear your system without that noise, you have no idea how good it can sound!