Good bye grainy cymbals.

g3rain1

Good bye grainy cymbals.
« on: 2 May 2026, 09:19 pm »
So I've always had an issue with cymbals sounding like sand and I have a fairy decent system. Oticas, Schiit Tyr monoblocks, Holo Audio DAC and pre, well treated room. The problem was especially bad if the room was cold or the system had been off for a while. Changing cabling didn't really solve it either.

Enter the Uberbuss. I finally received my order a few months ago. Wow! It instantly and completely got rid of the sand. Wasn't expecting it to do that either.
Among other benefits: bass is punchier, notes have more presence and weight to them, busy passages are more intelligible the system is more consistent throughout the day. I even some times notice bit of hight to the stage. Although no noticably change in depth or width, but that was never lacking the first place.

Overall I'd say after room treatment it's made the biggest improvement of anything!

Danny Richie

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #1 on: 2 May 2026, 09:38 pm »
Yep, it will do all of that.

These are really a must have for every system.

g3rain1

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #2 on: 2 May 2026, 09:54 pm »
I'm wondering if I should make an effort to get my double trouble subs on to it. They're physically further form the Uberbuss than anything else and I'd likely needed an additional pair of 8ft to 10ft power cables. Does it make that much of a difference compared to the rest of the system?

Early B.

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #3 on: 2 May 2026, 10:29 pm »
So I've always had an issue with cymbals sounding like sand and I have a fairy decent system. Oticas, Schiit Tyr monoblocks, Holo Audio DAC and pre, well treated room. The problem was especially bad if the room was cold or the system had been off for a while. Changing cabling didn't really solve it either.

Enter the Uberbuss. I finally received my order a few months ago. Wow! It instantly and completely got rid of the sand. Wasn't expecting it to do that either.
Among other benefits: bass is punchier, notes have more presence and weight to them, busy passages are more intelligible the system is more consistent throughout the day. I even some times notice bit of hight to the stage. Although no noticably change in depth or width, but that was never lacking the first place.

Overall I'd say after room treatment it's made the biggest improvement of anything!

As a former UberBuss owner, this isn't surprising. Glad to hear the Uber cleaned up the sand (ummm...mud) in your system.

BrandonB

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 559
Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #4 on: 3 May 2026, 02:44 am »
As a former UberBuss owner, this isn't surprising. Glad to hear the Uber cleaned up the sand (ummm...mud) in your system.
Why are you a former owner?

Early B.

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #5 on: 3 May 2026, 01:49 pm »
Why are you a former owner?

I needed surge protection.

Danny Richie

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #6 on: 4 May 2026, 05:05 pm »
I needed surge protection.

I would keep the Uber Buss and then add serge protection back at the breaker. Look for Square D HEP series devices.

Early B.

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #7 on: 4 May 2026, 05:45 pm »
I would keep the Uber Buss and then add serge protection back at the breaker. Look for Square D HEP series devices.

Really???  I recently upgraded my electrical panel, and code requires surge protection. I have a Square D surge protection breaker installed on the panel -- is that equivalent to the HEP series? I also don't know if local surge protection in my power conditioner is necessary or redundant. I Googled it, but you get different answers depending on the electrician. Any audiophile electricians on Audiocircle wanna weigh in??

I'd like to get a definitive answer. If my surge protection breaker can replace the surge protection inside my Puritan PSM-156, I'd seriously consider selling it and buying an UberBuss. I prefer the Uber's form factor, additional outlets, and access to GR's customer service, should it ever be needed.     

NIGHTFALL1970

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #8 on: 4 May 2026, 06:21 pm »




I got one of these last summer.

Early B.

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #9 on: 4 May 2026, 06:54 pm »
I got one of these last summer.

That surge protector is exactly what the electrician installed in my panel earlier this year. 

My location has frequent brownouts and too many blackouts (about 3 annually), so surge protection for my audio equipment is essential.

Danny Richie

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #10 on: 5 May 2026, 05:04 pm »
From my electrical expert.

For surge protection, I recommend at least 80kA whole house surge protection.  Why save the stereo and lose:

Computers
TVs
Range
Fridge
Home heating system
A/C
Etc...

The ultimate is Environmental Potentials.  Chris VenHaus is a great source.

mlundy57

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 3650
Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #11 on: 5 May 2026, 06:55 pm »
I'm going to have to look into that. Don'y have Square D panels but the same should be available for my panels.

Early B.

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #12 on: 5 May 2026, 08:00 pm »
I did some more research, and the rationale some people provide for surge protection at the whole-house and component level is that surges can occur within the home (beyond the reach of the whole-house protector). I don't know what that means. They also say that most surge protection can wear down over time, so it's good to have another layer of protection. Then there are those in a camp who say that catastrophic surges are so rare that it's not necessary to invest in surge protection, or that whole-house protection is all you need. I dunno. Electricians are as bad as audiophiles -- they don't agree on anything! :o

A quick story: Years ago, a surge fried my computer. I told the tech that it was plugged into a surge protector. He asked me where I bought it, and I replied, "Office Depot." After he finished laughing, he told me to buy a "real" surge protector. Today, I use SurgeX on all my computers and AV equipment.   

NIGHTFALL1970

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #13 on: 5 May 2026, 08:08 pm »
Thanks for the info Danny. I am going to have this added to my breaker. It will bring my protection up to 80Ka.



Early Bird, I had a nice Panasonic plasma tv fry from a surge. Now I have a few Surge-Xs myself.

NIGHTFALL1970

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #14 on: 23 May 2026, 09:11 pm »



Finally got my stereo put on its own dedicated lines!
« Last Edit: 25 May 2026, 05:24 pm by NIGHTFALL1970 »

Danny Richie

Re: Good bye grainy cymbals.
« Reply #15 on: 25 May 2026, 08:54 pm »
Thanks for the info Danny. I am going to have this added to my breaker. It will bring my protection up to 80Ka.

That is the way to do it.