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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 8, 2014 21:27:04 GMT
I don't have any personal experience of these "Ground Boxes" Trev, the Entreq website doesn't give anything away what's inside them either although I saw the word "minerals" mentioned in the text and also "earth wire" which raises my suspicions.
They don't explain either what the particular application it is designed for, whether it's to supplement or replace a mains earth contact.
A large improvement can be gained by bypassing the domestic mains supply earth and connecting all your system earths directly to an in-ground earth spike. This though is a job for a qualified electrician to carry out and it requires a level of upkeep to keep it functioning at full potential, as in keeping the earth where the spike is located moist/wet as dry soil conditions stop the earth spike from doing it's job correctly. In some houses they will couple the house wiring earth to a copper water pipe but that isn't a good option as most water pipes are connected to plastic outside the property these days.
Maybe one of the other members have some knowledge of the Entreq system and how it works.
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 9, 2014 18:05:36 GMT
I have spent some time trawling the net for some enlightenment about how the ground boxes perform but still none the wiser. I found a thread on another forum where some folks are using the Entreq system and posting good results HEREFirst thing that springs at me is the sheer cost of the entire system Although there is positive comments about it's effectiveness I am (sceptical isn't the right word here) distancing myself in a dispassionate way just how big the improvements actually are. Have read too a review on 6 Moons HERE and that too isn't explicit or detailed enough for me to grasp the concept fully.
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 9, 2014 20:21:58 GMT
I do agree there is nothing that explains them well at all, your links made for interesting reading but like you say still none the wiser regarding how they work I found this review www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/entreq.htm Which is very is a in-depth review i didn't fully understand every bit of it i must admit but it does make for a interesting read I too have read the Audiobeat review and still utterly baffled by it all The combinations and permutations of the cable types alone is enough to give you a headache. I can get my head around connecting up the signal returns via the RCA sockets to one of the box terminals, but where I become lost is what happens after there. Is there an "output" on the boxes that you connect to the mains earth or an earth spike? It isn't mentioned anywhere in the reviews I have read so far and there isn't a from Entreq that might throw some light onto what is going on This needs more digging into methinks
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 12, 2014 18:10:40 GMT
I have read almost every scrap of text on the net now Trev and about as wise as I was at the start When you had your chat with your dealer, I am surprised they didn't haul you into a demo room and give you an audition of how the system performs, then maybe a home dem with your own system for you to appraise it with familiar components and surroundings. Not saying you need/want or indeed can afford the Entreq system, but tempting you with a treat then not letting you at least sample it to back up their strong support for it strikes me as being rather illogical to be honest Next time you are there, ask them to give you a demo and give us your opinion of it
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 13, 2014 22:06:55 GMT
Aha, that explains why the dealer didn't offer a demo It's not essential that I MUST know how something works, however I do like some kind of explanation in general terms to see the merit and viability in a product. Provided a product does what it says on the tin, it really doesn't bother me if the major ingredient that makes it work is horse manure LOL So, when you get to have a play with these mystery Entreq boxes, I am hoping you give us your own personal appraisal of them. I hope you like the TQ Black speaker cables. I'm a TQ fan myself, starting with the Blue, then on to the Black. The Blacks though were a bit too soft and laid back in my system and I missed the top end sparkle the Blues gave me, so went back to the Blues. I am now running with the Ultra Blacks and they are a different ball game entirely - at a cost too I might add. I have found that there isn't a progression in hierarchy across the TQ range as there are in other cables brands, more different "flavours" of sound that interact with each system they are connected with. In my opinion the Blacks should work pretty well in your system Trev.
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Post by justchillin on Sept 15, 2014 19:20:03 GMT
Yes I'm looking forward to hearing the TQ Black speaker cables got to avoid hearing anything more expensive because i know i will then want them instead there is a limit on what ill spend on speaker cables I'm afraid and the TQblack is approaching that limit so the blue or ultra black are too much for my pocket My understanding is that the Blue costs less than the Black I also see that there is a new model which is between the Blue and Black called the Ultra Blue, plus a Silver version too now
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 15, 2014 21:39:48 GMT
I'm gonna stick to the TQ black (already ordered 2m x4 to bi amp the front pair of speakers & 1m x1 and half a set of links for the centre speakers) I've spoken to 3 people and they all say it is a great choice for the money It is a great choice of cable Trev and I am sure you will enjoy what your hear tremendously
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eldorado
Junior Member
Posts: 51
System components: Marantz CD17, Luxman A-357 amp, Proac Studio 140 speakers
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Post by eldorado on Sept 16, 2014 21:23:36 GMT
Amazing what happens in the hifi world - you blink and you are out of the loop without realising it. Have to follow you guys into this Ground Box research malarkey
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 16, 2014 21:35:14 GMT
I have read almost every scrap of text on the net now Trev and about as wise as I was at the start When you had your chat with your dealer, I am surprised they didn't haul you into a demo room and give you an audition of how the system performs, then maybe a home dem with your own system for you to appraise it with familiar components and surroundings. Not saying you need/want or indeed can afford the Entreq system, but tempting you with a treat then not letting you at least sample it to back up their strong support for it strikes me as being rather illogical to be honest Next time you are there, ask them to give you a demo and give us your opinion of it Hello Rob i have found some more reading material regarding Entreq ground boxes don't know if you have read this or not but here is a link www.lotus340r.net/blogs/entreq_blog.htmlHeck that was some reading Trev Interesting to see what's "under the bonnet" of the Entreq boxes and bubble wrap and maybe corrugated cardboard is as good a mechanical isolator as anything else more elaborate. I still cannot get my feeble little brain around the notion of current/electrons flowing into box and not coming out the other end. Maybe the eyes and brain are a bit too tired at this time of night, so will take a look again tomorrow.
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 19, 2014 20:00:12 GMT
Found a forum with a big thread on the Entreq ground boxes if anyone is interested www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?11995-Entreq-Tellus-groundingI read all of it and I don't think I found any negative comments at all I'm amazed just how positive people are about them I must say I'm looking forward to my demo/home trial of the Tellus That was one of the first items I read Trev. I do trust the word of people that have paid their hands in their pockets rather than reviewers who are almost obliged to say nice things
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 20, 2014 9:28:26 GMT
Im still none the wiser regarding how they work though It's interesting that i have not heard anyone who has tried one say anything negative about them quiet the opposite in fact I can ALMOST work out how they work, but I'm still baffled how they do so without a throughput FROM the box. The flip side to that is I would have designed one myself if I knew how it all worked and been selling it now
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Post by justchillin on Sept 26, 2014 19:49:20 GMT
Me too, having real trouble getting my head round what's going on with these boxes. Have you had a play with them yet Trev?
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 29, 2014 20:44:14 GMT
Me too, having real trouble getting my head round what's going on with these boxes. Have you had a play with them yet Trev? Yes indeed I have had the in store demo of the Entreq ground boxes (demo was friday sorry have not posted already but was busy over the weekend) The demo room was setup with a Arcam A49 with TQ black speaker cables and focal speakers(aria926) music source was a meridian server I think To give you a idea of the music being played here are a few examples Infected mushroom Deadmau5 Chris jones Allan taylor Dave Brubeck The cables used to connect the A49 to the Tellus are the copper entry level Entreq ertha cables We started by playing infected mushroom with the Tellus box connected to the A49 and my first impression was how good it all sounded. Then we unplugged the Tellus and plugged in a silver Tellus and I thought there was a slight improvement but not huge by any means it generally sounded fuller deeper and more detail( i do apologise I’m not very good at putting into words what my ears hear) Then we unplugged the silver Tellus so that NO ground box was connected I have to say this is when I noticed the biggest difference don’t get me wrong it still sounded great BUT it just wasn’t the same without the ground boxes it seemed somehow flatter and not so much detail. I spent the next 3.5 hours plugging in and unplugging the Tellus and silver Tellus ground boxes and without doubt it sounded better with them obviously the silver sounded even better then the copper Tellus So to round up i thought it sounded fuller deeper lower noise floor and more detail noticeable and as iff there was more separation between instruments all in all i was most impressed so much so that i have arranged to bring a ex demo silver Tellus home to try which I’m looking forward to and i strongly suspect that once i have it it won’t be going back Its strange that I noticed the difference more when I unplugged the ground boxes as opposed to when i connected them Unfortunately i still have no idea at all how they work but my ears tell they make the sound sound even better Once i have the silver Tellus at home set up with my kit I will write another post That is a great summary Trev and it certainly told me in your own words that it has pleased you immensely, even in unfamiliar surroundings. This is what this particular forum is all about and I would have it no other way. At least it shows that the Entreq system does what it says on the tin, which sort of negates the NEED to know HOW it works because it obviously does work in a more than subtle way I am just as interested how the system performs in you own home environment, but judging by your first impressions the outcome is going to be positive. Incidentally, how much of a price difference is there between the copper and silver variants?
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Post by Admin (Rob) on Sept 29, 2014 22:37:48 GMT
Hello Rob the RRP of the copper Tellus I believe is about £850/900 and the silver Tellus is £1550 but if i keep the Silver Tellus when I bring it home I have negotiated a very good price on it as its a ex demo which the HIFI shop got before some recent price increases and regarding cable prices the entry level copper ertha cables retail at £80 each but again i have got a discount off that price if/when i buy them (think its gonna be when not if judging by the instore demo) I'm going to bring the Silver Tellus home next week and play with it That's not as pricey as I believed it to be, so if the sound per pound value measures up in your judgement, then good for you Trev
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eldorado
Junior Member
Posts: 51
System components: Marantz CD17, Luxman A-357 amp, Proac Studio 140 speakers
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Post by eldorado on Oct 3, 2014 19:24:13 GMT
Having a demo of the Entreq system tomorrow
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