The Well Grounded System (or How I Learned to Improve My Sound and Love the Earth)

The Well Grounded System

or

How I Learned to Improve My Sound and Love the Earth.

Significant sound system upgrades often cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars.  The upgrade I am about to describe costs a fraction of that and delivers a performance improvement that you never thought you could get from your existing components.

It was one of those rare things that happens when you don’t see it coming but floors you when it occurs.  It all started when Nordost introduced a new cable product: The QLINE Ground Wire.  The QLINE is designed to work with the company’s QBASE power strip and take maximum advantage of the focused star grounding feature of this power and ground distribution system by creating a secondary ground for your hifi system. But what real difference could adding a secondary ground make? If you are familiar with Nordost’s foundation theory, you will see that this product perfectly reinforces the importance of a system’s foundational elements and how crucial it is to get this right. This got me wondering just how well my system was grounded.

The QLINE utilizes Micro Mono-Filament technology, and a 10 AWG, silver-plated 99.9999% OFC stranded conductor, with FEP insulation.  It comes fitted as standard with a spade lug for the inside connection to the QB8 and a type of termination that fits into a standard ground rod connector fitting.

IMG_4933After a quick inspection, I found it would be easy to use an existing intrusion into the house from an incoming cable line that was right behind my Nordost QB8 power strip.  My house is a ranch on a slab foundation, so it was pretty simple to install a ground rod just behind my wall outside.

I went to my local big box hardware store and spent a total of only $15.00 on a copper clad, 8’ ground rod and connector.  After some precarious moments pounding it in from atop a ladder, I was ready.  I was able to use a 2 meter QLINE ground wire to connect my QBASE to the ground rod.

IMG_4972                                  IMG_4971

Let’s back up just a moment first, and explore some of the long-held axioms of a properly grounded system:

“Connect a clean ground to your system and you’ll hear an obvious drop in the noise floor with blacker backgrounds, less grain and more vibrant instrumental and tonal colors.”

“A simple and cost-effective addition to any Hi-Fi installation which leads to a significant reduction in sonic pollution.”

Or maybe:

“The purpose of a good ground is to provide a safe path for the dissipation of static charges, EMI and RFI signals and interference.”

Knowing that all of these things are true did not prepare me for what I heard.  After warming up the system for a few hours, my wife and I were ready to do an A B comparison; both with and without the ground wire connected (I often evaluate new equipment with my wife Stephanie).  After listening to some selections for a time without the ground wire connected I then attached it to the QB8.

Some of our comments from my notes after hooking up the ground wire:

Steph – “Well, that sounds different”

Me – “Better bass”

Steph – “More like live music, less like HiFi”

Steph – “You can hear her singing more easily, understand words better”

Me – “No doubt about it.  Larger soundstage, more depth to the image”

Me – Definitely better stereo separation and dynamics, especially with micro-dynamics in the bass”

Never in my life as an audiophile have I experienced such a profound improvement in system performance – in ways that I did not expect – for so few dollars!

If installing a separate ground rod isn’t practical in your situation, a copper cold water pipe (if it’s copper all the way to the meter) makes an excellent ground as well.  Just make sure you bypass the meter if you are connecting it to the house side.

The use of a dedicated, clean, low impedance connection to ground fits perfectly with the Nordost multi-outlet power distribution units, the QB8 and QB4.  The external ground post tied into the focused star ground topology with the QLINE creates a solid earth connection and minimizes noise and general sonic pollution. It’s an easy solution to achieve solid ground, and it sounds fantastic!

lg-QRT-QLINE Ground Wire

27 thoughts on “The Well Grounded System (or How I Learned to Improve My Sound and Love the Earth)

    • By “the house side” I meant that part of the water supply pipe that feeds the house plumbing. The water meter is often non conductive throughout so bypassing the meter from input side to output side utilizing another Qline Ground wire with two clamps to bypass the meter. Remember, we simply want the lowest impedance to earth ground possible for best results.

  1. This is a very interesting post. I’ve always been a proponent of correct grounding systems with regards to audio quality and noise levels.

    However, the article does not address code (in the US, at least) that specifies bonding of multiple grounding electrodes in an electrical system. According to the NEC sections 250 and 800-820, supplemental grounding rods introduced into an electrical system *must* be bonded to the existing service entrance grounding electrode by no smaller than a No. 6 copper wire to form a single reference. Not doing so can cause a differential in ground potential. In the case of a lightning strike, ground rods in different locations can be thousands of volts apart from each other. If these rods are not solidly bonded, this voltage potential may attempt to equalize in the piece of equipment where there are two grounds, or over the conductors between them. However, lightning damage is only one form of potential problems for multiple grounding electrodes not properly being bonded. Any significant difference in the impedance of the two AC grounds can induce current flow in equipment connected between the two, in this case, the QBase Power Strip.

    Now technically, if the power strip inlet’s ground is tied to the enclosure of the power strip, then it is bonded to the external ground electrode as it is also tied to the enclosure, however this does not meet the NEC’s code for bonding ground electrodes and can still cause problems where the differential is high. In any situation with multiple electrodes, they must be explicitly bonded together directly with that No.6 or greater copper wire.

    Just curious if Nordost has addressed these requirements somehow, or mentions it in their literature.

    Thanks,

    R

    • If you read our QRT brochure, in the QLINE section you will notice that we do have the following warning:
      “It is important to recognize, that while installing a designated ground for your hifi system is the most efficient and direct approach to eliminate ground loops and AC hum, there are some states and countries that prohibit the use of a second ground. Please consult a local electrician to ensure that the improvements you make on your sound system remain to code.”
      Thank you for your concern.

    • Here’s a thought. Everything you said is true, however, if the auxiliary ground rod is say, 2 ft from the power ground rod, the likelihood of hazardous potential is minimized, and the rods will be loosely coupled enough to minimize noise from the power ground being induced on the dedicated ground. If ground is only being used as a reference, and carrying minimal current, I don’t see why impedance to the rod would be an issue. Running an extra wire to near the panel could be some trouble, however, running the ground wire for that circuit to an auxiliary ground electrode would be straight forward.

  2. When aiming for lowest resistance to earth the true bottleneck is not the wire from your equipment to the grounding rod – it is the resistance between the grounding rod and the surrounding soil.
    Even 150 ft of standard 12-gauge copper ground wire from your equipment outlet to the breaker box only have a resistance of appr. 0.25 Ohm. Your 8 ft copper grounding rod in average soil represents a resistance of appr. 25 Ohms – 100 times of the 150 ft 12-gauge ground wire!
    Instead of connecting a second rod directly to your system GND or system outlet GND (and thus creating a dangerous hazard like Rhiannon described above) it is more effective to simply connect a second rod to your existing main grounding rod. Spaced at least 20 ft apart and connecting the second rod with solid 6 or 4-gauge copper grounding wire will lower your resistance to earth by appr. 50 %! You can daisy chain multiple rods the same way to the main rod to further lower resistance to earth. Four additional rods daisy chained to the main rod and spaced appr. 40 ft apart from each other will lower resistance to earth to less than 25 % of the single rod resistance.
    You will be able to hear more of the improvements you described.
    P.S. A jackhammer makes installation of the rods easy

  3. Which path will the current choose in the ground plane? Naturally, the lowest-impedance path. Considering the loop formed by the U-shaped surface lead and the ground plane, and neglecting resistance, the high-frequency ac current will follow the path with the least inductance, hence the least area.

  4. Pingback: On earthing your ground – Music & Hi-fi Appreciations

  5. What is almost never discussed is plugging in an integrated amp with a floating ground; hence, no three-pronged power cord.

    I am considering purchasing a Nordost Qbase4 and plugging the Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amp into the specially designated “Earth Ground” socket and plugging in a Cambridge Audio CXC into the socket after the earth ground socket.

    In the first two sockets, I will plug in two Shunyata Venom Power Defenders. At a later date, I will build or have build, a passive “Earth Grounding Box,” and connecting it to the secondary WBT Grounding Plug.

    This should work? If anyone would like to digress, write it here so I may read it and learn?

  6. Why couldn’t we leave the hose dripping on the earth rod to get a lower resistance better conductivity to the ground at least the earth wouldn’t be dry in the area you could do it periodically through the year to keep the dirt damp would that work or help

    • Yes, that would increase the conductivity to the earth. So would certain minerals like salt. I find, however, that the typical ground rod is still too variable in its electrical connection, not to mention the problems of adding another ground to the electrical service coming into your home which have been documented in earlier posts to this original article.

      I have since upgraded my system ground to our QKORE grounding unit. It provides consistent performance not affected by temperature, humidity and time. The QKORE clearly is a better solution especially for folks who cannot easily connect to an external ground rod. Think condos or hi-rise apartments. The artificial ground that the QKORE provides is actually giving me better performance than the ground rod ever did and it avoids the problems of adding another electrical ground to the grid.

  7. The post was an informational one as it emphasizes on the need for a correct earthing system for augmenting the quality of your sound system. As an audiophile, the author was contented to find a fantastic sound with the noticeable noise reduction by using the ground wire named QLINE.

    A ground wire offers many advantages as it offers a safe way for the dissipation of RFI signals, EMI, static charges & interference.

    Intertech’s Marconite earthing ensures sturdy, permanent & low earthing solutions that are perfectly suited for different complex soil conditions. Marconite is deftly manufactured by well-experienced earthing specialists that let the electrical engineers tackle the toughest of soil conditions. This dark grey-colored granular consistency is the best alternative of traditional sand.

    Marconite is the product of Inter Tech and it is created by using a special manufacturing procedure by using raw material feedstocks.
    Thanks!

  8. The post was an informational one as it emphasizes on the need for a correct earthing system for augmenting the quality of your sound system. As an audiophile, the author was contented to find a fantastic sound with the noticeable noise reduction by using the ground wire named QLINE.
    A ground wire offers many advantages as it offers a safe way for the dissipation of RFI signals, EMI, static charges & interference.
    Intertech’s Marconite earthing ensures sturdy, permanent & low earthing solutions that are perfectly suited for different complex soil conditions. Marconite is deftly manufactured by well-experienced earthing specialists that let the electrical engineers tackle the toughest of soil conditions. This dark grey-colored granular consistency is the best alternative of traditional sand.
    Marconite is the product of Inter Tech and it is created by using a special manufacturing procedure by using raw material feedstocks.
    Thanks!

  9. Here in the UK, it is not permitted to add another earth rod. (It used to be allowed.)
    There are companies that sell RF Routers to overcome this problem. As you are probably aware, they are placed in the earth lead, to the extra rod.
    Do you know if these routers work?
    If they do work, have Nordost any plans to release one?
    Thank you.

    • There are several circumstances that prohibit the use of an earth rod. That is exactly why we decided to produce our QKORE products. The QKORE is a passive, parallel grounding device, which provides an artificial, “clean” earth to ground your sound systems. Since we have this solution, there is no need for us to release a router.

  10. My house is old and has 2-wire (hot and neutral) electrical supply throughout and all junction boxes are plastic. This means the ground line does not exist. It is not practical and economical to run a ground line to the electrical panel or replace the existing wiring. After reading this article, I have a question for Mike or whoever is willing to help me with an answer.

    I am thinking to install a ground rod right outside of the wall where my hifi system is located. I will then replace the 2-prone receptacle to a 3-prone IG receptacle that gives me an option of connecting a ground wire. I will connect the ground wire from the 3-prone wall receptacle to the ground rod outside of the house. Will this configuration give me protection from power surge, lightening, and ground isolation to reduce electrical noise? Or I still need to run a ground wire from the electrical panel to get the grounding protection?

    Much appreciated of any answer.

    • Running a dedicated ground for the Hifi system is always a good idea. Typically when an outlet is already grounded you need to disconnect that ground to use the ground rod ground to comply with electrical codes. The ground rod would connect to a distribution device like our Qbase. In the case of connecting a ground rod straight to an outlet you would need to talk to an electrician to see if that complies with code. I’m not sure it does.

      Having a ground doesn’t mean it protects from surges or lightning strikes. That would be the job of a surge protector. What it does mean is a much lower noise floor so your hifi would perform better and the system would be quieter so more nuances can be heard.

    • Hello there. I am in exactly the same situation as you. I live in Taiwan and my house is old and has no integrated ground line in the existing wiring system. I am therefore considering the same as you were and am thinking of running a low impedance cable (probably a 10 AWG 50ohm insulated coaxial cable, unless anyone can suggest a better sort of cable to use?) directly from the earth connector of a new 3-prong Furutech socket to a new dedicated grounding rod one floor down directly beneath my listening room. The distance between socket and grounding rod would be ~8 meters. I don’t know what the building codes are here but I had an electrician install a 60A circuit for EV charging in my garage earlier in the year and they put in a new dedicated ground rod for that so I assume it should be okay for me to add another for my HiFi system.

      @Roger if you could let me know if you went ahead with your dedicated ground rod and the affect it had on your system that would be ideal.

      If anyone else has any suggestions given my plan above it would be much appreciate! Thanks in advance!

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  14. If I were to run a ground wire from the Qbase4 to the copper part, underneath my kitchen sink, which provides a ground for an above 110 – 120 power socket, would it achieve any real addition to the ground already within The Qbase4?

    • This isn’t something that we have personally tested, however, since the copper pipe under your sink isn’t a true earth ground, it probably wouldn’t provide any additional benefit.

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