Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!

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BobM

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #220 on: 1 Dec 2010, 02:28 pm »
Bud did say in his DIY Audio thread that he can "tune" his loop based on user feedback to the basic design. That has to include one of several variables:
- length of wire
- guage of wire and or # of strands
- amount of dielectric used

If so, then someone should be able to tell us what might work best if we find the basic design to be too revealing of the high end, and or hard sounding.  A direct answer, like "add a 1/4" piece of dielectric to the bottom part of the product" is more what I think most people are looking for, rather than a scientific explaination without a practical instruction.

So, any ideas on what one might do if the product doesn' settle down with break in, as some have reported in their systems?

satfrat

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #221 on: 1 Dec 2010, 05:27 pm »
Just wondering how you guys are placing your orders.... :scratch:
I am sure Ric is overwhelmed by the response to the GE's.
I have e-mailed twice and do not want to be a "P.I.A.". but I would lie to secure an order   :green: .
How are we supposed to order andpay using paypal??
Should I just be more patient and wait for Ric's response?
I've been Paypal'ing him an order with $5 shipping and an exact description of what I want (hooked/straight/RCA about covers it). I've also send him an email and even tho I got answered the 1st time, I haven't received any order confirmation with my 2nd order and I fully understand the reason why.
 
Quote
but they're by no means plug-and-play. If you take all of the usual and necessary steps of good audio husbandry you'll get terrific results (if I'm anything to go by...)


My hooked Enhancers were of the plug n' play variety for all intent & purposes. No installation protocol was needed or rituals followed to get to where I fell in love with them quite quickly. Guess I was just lucky hea?  :lol:
 
Cheers,
Robin

turkey

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #222 on: 1 Dec 2010, 05:39 pm »

Well the best I can offer is you read the DIY thread here and the Audiogon threads here for hidden clues as to what you're suppose to hear.

Why would you need clues as to what you're supposed to hear? Are you saying it's all just the power of suggestion operating here? :)


pjnad

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #223 on: 1 Dec 2010, 11:31 pm »
well, it's been 2.5 days since I received my ge's. after much experimentation I have found a combination that works in my system, and yes, they DO work. I have them on the tweeter/mid module of my speakers and the corresponding output on my amp.
first, I will recommend that they be placed on the inside of the spades (on the post). originally I had placed them between the spade and the nut, on my speakers they seem to sound much better secured to the post.
I biwire my speakers with two separate runs of acoustic zen satori from two outputs on my krell amp, interestingly enough, when I had them placed on the terminals of both the bass module and the upper module, it sounded awful, muddy, congested, boomy.
It wasn't until I removed them from the bass module that I realized the sonic improvements most of the users on this thread have realized.
I did a blind listening test with my wife, inserting and removing the ge's...and the difference with them in the system is now significant ( they did seem to need some break in time as well).
What we are hearing is a reduction in 'digitalness" , more weight in the overall sound, perhaps a bit less transparency, but overall a very pleasing, easy to listen to sound.
As long as nothing changes negatively from here, they will remain in my system!

Jon L

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #224 on: 2 Dec 2010, 12:18 am »
originally I had placed them between the spade and the nut, on my speakers they seem to sound much better secured to the post.
...
What we are hearing is a reduction in 'digitalness" , more weight in the overall sound, perhaps a bit less transparency, but overall a very pleasing, easy to listen to sound.

Interesting. I will try them inside the spades.

The extra weight and richness with less "digital" sound is addictive, but if one wished for a little more transparency/air, strategic placement of (good) silver cables, power cords, and metal cones/footers can achieve that without impacting the weight too much IME..

pjnad

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #225 on: 2 Dec 2010, 12:34 am »
JonL
I have been moving various power cords and ic's into and out of my system and had landed on a combo that sounded really nice...and I thought that they would stay awhile...

I am planning on upgrading my preamp from an Audio Research Ls3b (solid state) to a tubed pre, maybe something from BAT in a couple of months...

gibheid

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #226 on: 2 Dec 2010, 12:41 am »
My hooked Enhancers were of the plug n' play variety for all intent & purposes. No installation protocol was needed or rituals followed to get to where I fell in love with them quite quickly. Guess I was just lucky hea?  :lol:
 
Cheers,
Robin

Hi Robin,

I'm not suggesting they're difficult--they made a positive difference wherever I put them--it's just that with minimal effort they can sound spectacular!

 :D

Wind Chaser

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #227 on: 2 Dec 2010, 02:14 am »
Why would you need clues as to what you're supposed to hear?

If you have been reading up on this tweak you should know that it hasn't worked in every case because it seems to be system dependant.

Ric Schultz

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #228 on: 2 Dec 2010, 02:40 am »
Sorry guys, I have been swamped with work (finishing the last 3 Oppos and a few other things too) and also my emails were not being delivered.  This includes emails from Paypal that I had received a payment.  I took my spam blocker off and called Comcast today and now I just got an email from Paypal so maybe its OK now.  I will answer all emails that I have in my system tonight....so, if you do not get a reply then you need to resend....cuz for the last week many emails have not gotten to me.

I don't think there is one post about damping the GEs.  The GEs are mounted to a vibrating thang (speaker) by a single solid core wire.  This wire is going to vibrate and so is the GE.  Please use the cotton string supplied or whatever and damp the thangs.  I think some of you will be pleased with the difference.  There are no hard fast rules here and I will have pictures soon on the website showing this done, but I can describe here some possible scenarios:
Tie the string relatively tightly to the GE near the heatshrink closest to the connector...then tie the other end of the string to the speaker wire that it is laying next to or just tightly wrap the string around both the GE and the speaker wire.  If your GE is sticking in the air not near the speaker wire then you can use some magic tape on the back of the speaker (leaves no residue when removed...also bend one end of the magic tape under so you can easily remove it) and use some Blue Tack to hold one end of the string to the tape on the speaker and tie the other end of the string to the GE with a little tension.  You can do this on the back of the amp as well.  Also you can kill some resonances in the GE by tying some sting around the GE tightly in two places (on the cotton) and then tie it with some tension to something else with another string.  You could also just use some Blue tack and scrunch it between the GE and whatever.......use your imagination. 

When I first played with this technology over a year ago I had them soldered to the output jacks inside my modified Oppo and they were just sticking out in the air right above the circuit board.  I tightly tied a piece of string around each one and with some tension glued the strings to the circuit board.....way better sound.

I have had four people comment to me that damping them made a noticeable improvement.  What do you hear by damping them?

At this point from all feedback received directly and on the web (here and other forums) it seems that about 80% of the customers receive direct immeditate improvemnt with the GEs.  Another 15% seem to need some overnight burn in for them to be beneficial and maybe 5% are getting a difference they do not like (none of these people to my knowledge have tried damping and some are dismissing it without break-in).  Not one persion has yet said they hear no difference.  My sense is that with damping, experimenting with how they are mounted and break-in that the number of people in the last group will drop.  There is nothing in audio that is absolutely universal but this comes pretty close. 

The only one returned for a refund was by someone who is using a PS Audio GCA600 Ice Power based amp that has no true ground.  He said it veiled the sound and made the images fuzzy (the total opposite of what almost everyone says).  I do have other customers with Ice based amps that love them....so not sure what is going on here.  Remember, if you do not like them then just send them back for a complete refund.

Another thing to try is putting them on the hot.....along with putting them on the ground or by themselves without any on the ground.  These things maybe work in mysterious ways so maybe they work just as good on the hot......I want to sell you more....he he.  I know of no one who has done this including myself.....Who will be the first to try it?  Who is is mister "Tweak"?

I had some wrong wire delievered so this is holding me up a bit but I should be caught up with all orders taken by this last weekend by mid next week.  I should have some time this weekend to finally start the customer comments page and put some more pics and info up.

pjnad

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #229 on: 2 Dec 2010, 04:04 am »
I have tried damping mine...I've gotten the best results with having the ones attached to the speakers damped but not the ones at the amp end...go figure :scratch:

Jon L

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #230 on: 2 Dec 2010, 06:00 am »
GE's are definitely amp-dependent IME.  While I liked GE on both speaker AND amp with my 2A3 SET, when I tried them on my EL84 single-ended pentode, two GE's were a bit too much, resulting in that "brightness" (actually, more like over-splotlighting on upper-mids), but one GE on speaker was perfect. 




bacobits1

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #231 on: 2 Dec 2010, 03:09 pm »
I am using a pair on the speaker - end only. After flipping my wires from inverting phase, they are now connected direct to the terminal and tightened down. No banana plug used this time.
The result is they are even more pronounced and also on some material dynamic "in your face" I will call it. I suspect that to calm down.
I will try to dampen them next. I did not try them on the positive terminals. I don't think I need another pair on the amp end either.
My WyWires had the same effect when I first put them in. This adds even a bit more to the presentation. The GE's have got to be one of the most obvious tweaks in years at a most reasonable cost.  :thankyou:

D

gibheid

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #232 on: 2 Dec 2010, 05:11 pm »
The only one returned for a refund was by someone who is using a PS Audio GCA600 Ice Power based amp that has no true ground.  He said it veiled the sound and made the images fuzzy (the total opposite of what almost everyone says).  I do have other customers with Ice based amps that love them....so not sure what is going on here.

That's not my experience at all Ric. I have a heavily modded PS Audio GCC100 Ice Power based amp, (which is basically the same circuitry as the one you mentioned) and the effects of the GE's have been startling!

Please don't burn yourself out before I order the RCA version!

 :lol:

gibheid

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #233 on: 2 Dec 2010, 11:29 pm »
So, any ideas on what one might do if the product doesn't settle down with break in, as some have reported in their systems?

Clean your connections! Adding the GE's seem to increase the performance of the equipment they're attached to. It's a bit like adding a new amp (for example) that totally outclasses the components that surround it--it really shows up the weaknesses in the rest of your system. The transparency the GE's bring, seem to allow small changes to shine in a revealing way. If your experience is like mine, the GE's will sound good when first connected, but with attention to detail--stuff you would be doing anyway--your equipment will start to fly! I haven't been as excited about a tweak in years!

 :D

satfrat

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #234 on: 3 Dec 2010, 12:25 am »
I don't think there is one post about damping the GEs.  The GEs are mounted to a vibrating thang (speaker) by a single solid core wire.  This wire is going to vibrate and so is the GE.  Please use the cotton string supplied or whatever and damp the thangs.  I think some of you will be pleased with the difference.  There are no hard fast rules here and I will have pictures soon on the website showing this done, but I can describe here some possible scenarios:
Tie the string relatively tightly to the GE near the heatshrink closest to the connector...then tie the other end of the string to the speaker wire that it is laying next to or just tightly wrap the string around both the GE and the speaker wire.  If your GE is sticking in the air not near the speaker wire then you can use some magic tape on the back of the speaker (leaves no residue when removed...also bend one end of the magic tape under so you can easily remove it) and use some Blue Tack to hold one end of the string to the tape on the speaker and tie the other end of the string to the GE with a little tension.  You can do this on the back of the amp as well.  Also you can kill some resonances in the GE by tying some sting around the GE tightly in two places (on the cotton) and then tie it with some tension to something else with another string.  You could also just use some Blue tack and scrunch it between the GE and whatever.......use your imagination. 


 
Well I've had my Ground Enhancers on for 24 solid hours now and their contributions haven't faded in the least during the system(and my) "acclimation" period. I find the benefits to quite dramatic in my system which is already heavily loaded with power, signal, and other tweek conditioning. The sound stage expansion is likened to my Acoustic Revive RR-77, only greater and more importantly comes with the inner clarity that really accounts for this depth perception of the sound stage.
 
While I hadn't actually noticed any "ringing" that's said to be caused from the long wire lead, I did find it benefitial to use the included string that I attached from the Enhancer's tip to my speaker cable to add a very slight tension to them.
 
Cheers,
Robin

 
1 person did, and very early on in this thread Ric.  :thumb:  Welcome back!  :lol:
 
 
Hi Robin,

I'm not suggesting they're difficult--they made a positive difference wherever I put them--it's just that with minimal effort they can sound spectacular!

 :D

If you're happy, I'm happy.  :thumb:
 
Turkey, I could care less.  :lol:
 
Cheers,
Robin

raddar

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #235 on: 3 Dec 2010, 12:47 am »
I cleaned all my contacts/connections with DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold and then attached the GE's to the negative terminal on the speaker side (Gallo Ref 3's) and the amp side (Llano Trinity). I listened to some CD's that I am very familiar with and I do hear more defined bass and as other people stated, midrange vocals seem more focused. I will continue to listen this weekend to make sure I am not imagining things :icon_lol: Since I use Anticables, it was pretty easy to anchor/dampen the GE in between the positive and negative wires as you can see in my photos.







BobM

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #236 on: 3 Dec 2010, 02:07 pm »
Bud suggested (on the other DIY thread) that if you are experiencing too pronounced a high or a hardness in the sound then you may have too much dielevtric in relation to wire. He said to extend the connection point with about 2" or copper wire.

So, it's a good thing Rick did this for us already  :thumb:

I extended the length where I connect my GE's, connecting them to my binding posts at the extreme end of the wire. I also cleaned everything again. Now it might be additional break in, or more cleaning, or the extra wire length, but I believe the top end has smoothed out and become more natural sounding than before.

Worth a try for some of you experiencing this problem, at least.

Enjoy,
Bob

satfrat

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Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #237 on: 4 Dec 2010, 12:47 am »
well, it's been 2.5 days since I received my ge's. after much experimentation I have found a combination that works in my system, and yes, they DO work. I have them on the tweeter/mid module of my speakers and the corresponding output on my amp.
first, I will recommend that they be placed on the inside of the spades (on the post). originally I had placed them between the spade and the nut, on my speakers they seem to sound much better secured to the post.
I biwire my speakers with two separate runs of acoustic zen satori from two outputs on my krell amp, interestingly enough, when I had them placed on the terminals of both the bass module and the upper module, it sounded awful, muddy, congested, boomy.
It wasn't until I removed them from the bass module that I realized the sonic improvements most of the users on this thread have realized.
I did a blind listening test with my wife, inserting and removing the ge's...and the difference with them in the system is now significant ( they did seem to need some break in time as well).
What we are hearing is a reduction in 'digitalness" , more weight in the overall sound, perhaps a bit less transparency, but overall a very pleasing, easy to listen to sound.
As long as nothing changes negatively from here, they will remain in my system!

Far be it from me not to try anything that might improve what's already great sooooo, I took your advise and re-ProGold my connections, placed the Enhancers closest to the loudspeaker/amp terminals and even tho I had already used the provided strings for slight tension on the "antennas" at the loudspeakers, I hadn't done the same at the Butler amps,, soooo I did that also.
 
You were right, even further clarity gains were realized and more smoothness obtained. Only took a second to do, but a very well worth second to take indeed.  :thumb: 
 
Like BobM says, experiment & don't give up early on these little gems, they are worth much more than their weight in gold IMHO. Heck you got a full 30 day full money back guarentee(for november orders anyways), why not use the full time and experiement if you're having issues?
 
Oh yeah, where the heck is my 2nd order Ric???  :lol:  just kidding.
 
Cheers,
Robin

pjnad

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #238 on: 4 Dec 2010, 02:22 am »
Robin,
you're right, these things can do wonders, and it is certainly worth some time and simple 'experimentation" to achieve excellentl results. Bob's advice is well heeded, as was my moving the position of them on my terminals....
since even Ric claims that he's not exactly sure how or why these things "work", any further tweaking to get optimal results seems to be a "no brainer"
my system is sounding great and I for one am happy that I didn't give up after my initial dissatisfaction....

HumanMedia

Re: Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!
« Reply #239 on: 4 Dec 2010, 02:31 pm »
I'm also finding big differences depending on location.
Mine don't sound good on amp end.
Mine dont sound good on treble speaker posts but better on midrange and bass speaker posts.
After this thread inspired me to experiment further, I discovered that the GEs sound best not screwed onto the binding post but connected into the back of the speaker cable spade connectors. (improved high frequencies)