Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!

highfilter · « **Reply #300 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 10:01 am »

Update for me as well...

I previously had the enhancers on the neg posts of my speakers and amp and thought it was great over a few days. I decided to try and remove them from my speakers to see the difference, and wow, instantly opened my eyes. Much, much more organic and smooth presentation with them off the speaker terminals. Everything improved almost 50%, especially the highs. I'll be leaving them off my speaker posts unless I change configurations.

Meanwhile I still had them on the back of my amp. I then took them off the amp and still had the sweet, organic presentation from before. I didn't really notice much of a change, but I was only comparing on a few tracks. I need to try them on the back of my amp, as it might improve low level detail and bass definition. Like watercourse, I have a DAC Cherry amp (but the Jr, not the PLUS) - so I might find they work quite well on the amp neg posts. Will try in the next few days.

I really notice the rolled off highs as watercourse mentioned, it's even more of a metallic grain from my hearing, compared to having them off. I recently just put in all WyWires in my system for cabling, and they are very organic and neutral with great detail, so the high harshness was more noticeable than before when I had my previous cables.

I'll have to try ordering some RCA Enhancers to try on my sub and maybe on my pre-amp. BTW, the bass and midrange improvements I mentioned before are still here without the Enhancers since, and are actually even better since swapping over to the WyWires cables. I might have too many things breaking-in right now to be trying this tweak anyhow, as I just got my new cables a few days ago. So I'll re-evaluate next week and give these a fresh try.

eclein · « **Reply #301 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 10:58 am »

Quote from: highfilter on 7 Jan 2011, 10:01 am

I recently just put in all WyWires in my system for cabling, and they are very organic and neutral with great detail...

Thats a great description of how Alex's cables sound, in my setup with Wywires front to back the cables got me 85% there and the EVS ground enhancers took me the rest of the way. I'm still using one set but they now reside on the negative speaker terminals at the amp-that change made things even better sounding. I have noticed. and it may just be coincidence, but the older the speakers are that I use them with the greater the effect the enhancers have on that setup.

watercourse · « **Reply #302 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 02:40 pm »

Highfilter: GE on the subwoofer seemed like it wouldn't make any difference whatsoever, as it seemed the REL was already well-integrated with the mains. I tried it on a lark only, since the RCA versions didn't work with anything else I put them on, but dang if it didn't increase the coherence top to bottom, improve timing between the sub and mains, and increase the soundstage depth ... it really pulls the sound together like Lebowski's rug did for his room. Or El Duderino's rug, if you prefer.
RE: the metallic grain - I heard it too, but shifting where I connected the tail on the binding posts affected how much grain I observed. This is true for both the speaker and amp ends. I ended up connecting about midway on the tail for best results, and a tad closer to the heatshrink than the other end.
Also, the RCAs were not helpful on unused analog outs from my CD player and phono pre - it was phasey city.

highfilter · « **Reply #303 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 05:37 pm »

Cool, thanks for the information eclein and watercourse. These things are sure interesting and versatile - I should be able to tweak them some more.

Another question, have any of you guys tried putting the RCA or XLR versions on a receiver for HT? I have a Marantz receiver that I use for movies with HT Bypass and was wondering if you noticed any improvements in the HT area. I don't have the RCA versions but I think I'll order a few to try. I noticed the pre-outs on the Marantz receiver are not dead quiet or as noise free as my W4S STP-SE preamp, so having some on the receiver might help tame the Marantz.

eclein · « **Reply #304 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 06:11 pm »

highfilter - when my next pair come thats my plan is to play with them on my home theater rig, A) I'm gonna hang one on the RCA input of my sub for starters B) depending on how that goes I'll try them out on my receiver somewhere. The other day when I got my new/old speakers I had to take them off of the old ones and then forgot to put them on the new/old ones and was too lazy to pull the speakers out and do it when I remembered a few hours later so I just hung them on the negative speaker terminals on the back of my little Virtue TWO.2 amp and instantly noticed an improvement in sound, largest improvement yet for me.
On subs are you guys just hanging them on to where the RCA connects to the sub, my sub is powered and has two RCA inputs but my amp only uses the one-so do I hang one there and then put the other into the open RCA????

satfrat · « **Reply #305 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 06:43 pm »

Quote from: eclein on 7 Jan 2011, 06:11 pm

highfilter - when my next pair come thats my plan is to play with them on my home theater rig, A) I'm gonna hang one on the RCA input of my sub for starters B) depending on how that goes I'll try them out on my receiver somewhere. The other day when I got my new/old speakers I had to take them off of the old ones and then forgot to put them on the new/old ones and was too lazy to pull the speakers out and do it when I remembered a few hours later so I just hung them on the negative speaker terminals on the back of my little Virtue TWO.2 amp and instantly noticed an improvement in sound, largest improvement yet for me.
On subs are you guys just hanging them on to where the RCA connects to the sub, my sub is powered and has two RCA inputs but my amp only uses the one-so do I hang one there and then put the other into the open RCA????

Ed, I'm using an RCA Enhancer on the right channel of my Line Level Inputs of my ACI Force XL sub, my RCA subwoofer cable uses the left channel. An RCA Enhancer is also working awesome on the composite video input of my Sony XBR CRT.

If my hooked Enhancers were making my soundstage sound both forward and rolling off the highs, I'd have them on the chopping block ASAP. Fortunately for me anyways, just the opposite has happened for me while using the Enhancers on both ends of my speaker cables. The highs have actually been greatly improved as has the whole frequency range, like a veil has been lifted and the sound stage simply expanded because of this. Everything collapses when I remove them so,,, I don't do that anymore.

Cheers,
Robin

watercourse · « **Reply #306 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 07:28 pm »

eclein - I am putting the RCA GE on the left channel of my sub input. Like you, I only need one channel for HT.
Robin - these things are definitely system specific, and I've found the best combo for mine too.

WilliaBe · « **Reply #307 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 09:07 pm »

Quote from: satfrat on 7 Jan 2011, 06:43 pm

Ed, I'm using an RCA Enhancer on the right channel of my Line Level Inputs of my ACI Force XL sub, my RCA subwoofer cable uses the left channel. An RCA Enhancer is also working awesome on the composite video input of my Sony XBR CRT.

If my hooked Enhancers were making my soundstage sound both forward and rolling off the highs, I'd have them on the chopping block ASAP. Fortunately for me anyways, just the opposite has happened for me while using the Enhancers on both ends of my speaker cables. The highs have actually been greatly improved as has the whole frequency range, like a veil has been lifted and the sound stage simply expanded because of this. Everything collapses when I remove them so,,, I don't do that anymore.

Cheers,
Robin

Robin -

A RCA GE on an unused line level input of my sub worked very well. As did on the component input of my TV. Have to thank you for posting your test results a few pages back. My subs sounds amazing with the little GE in place. Also the effects on my LED DLP TV were amazing. Immediate difference when putting the RCA GE on a component input. The RCA GE pictures on RIC's websit are actuall my sub and TV. Had to send them pics because they worked so well and I think they should be considered step 1 in implementing RCA GE's.

I am now experiementing with damping the GE's. I am adding a piece of fo.Q damping tape on the heatshrink of the GE nearest the connector to the GE on my centre channel. Christoph Waltz opening dialog scene of Inglourious Basterds was much more organic and vocals and dialogue had more weight (bass?) and dimensionality with fo.q on a GE. I have only added fo.Q to the GE on my centre channel and compared before and after with dialog heavy media. Will do another A/B test over the weekend and post pics and feedback. I believe damping a GE increases it's efficiency (At least in my initial test it did - YMMV).

Tweaking a tweak....

highfilter · « **Reply #308 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 09:58 pm »

For all the guys that are putting the RCAs in their TV sets, do you know if you are able to put them in while it is running and notice the effects real-time? I think that could be cool to have a friend put them in and get to see the changes flip-over - or maybe it doesn't work like that. Or maybe you could shock your friend.

eclein · « **Reply #309 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 01:18 am »

Thanks guys! My next pair, one on sub, one hanging from HDMI cable at tv- figure I'll try it.

jhm731 · « **Reply #310 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 01:22 am »

Quote from: watercourse on 7 Jan 2011, 05:03 am

I've ended up with only a straight pair on the negative binding posts of my amp, and an RCA on my sub. This made the sound more liquid, increased the sense of ease, seemed to lower the noise floor (my preamp prior to GEs had a bit of hash), and increased the 3D aspects of the sound. Very, very nice!
Putting more GEs in the path rolled off the highs, made the sound very forward, and sometimes gave a "phasey" quality to the sound (esp. when the RCA was installed on my pre - no bueno). Putting a set of GEs only on the speaker's negative posts also rolled off highs and made the sound more forward.
May end up using the last set on my HT system, if I ever turn off the music!
Wilson

Had a similar experience with the GEs on the negative posts of my Pioneer receiver.

werd · « **Reply #311 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 04:10 am »

Anyone who buys these should also include their weight. Just would like to know the size of sucker fish these are catching.....

Just kidding folks keep on going.

eclein · « **Reply #312 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 04:19 am »

Werd----you should try some, I know you think they are hogwash but darn if you were closer I'd send you a couple so you could try them. Some systems really benefit while others maybe not so much....your in Canada right??

werd · « **Reply #313 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 05:22 am »

Yah up in Canada. Don't think they are hogwash. They just look like a good fishing gear.....lol

jhm731 · « **Reply #314 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 06:31 am »

Quote from: werd on 8 Jan 2011, 04:10 am

Anyone who buys these should also include their weight. Just would like to know the size of sucker fish these are catching.....

Just kidding folks keep on going.

I got my GEs for free, so I really didn't care if they'd produce an improvement on my <$100. Pioneer VSX-D409 receiver, but they do.

djbnh · « **Reply #315 on:** 11 Jan 2011, 11:34 am »

Picked up two hooked pairs. 1st installed solely on speaker neg posts (applied tension to bottom by using a type of bluetack). Results: wife and I heard nice improvement in soundstage depth and width, perception of increased detail / air around voices and instruments.

After some listening time, subsequently put second pair on neg posts of my mono amps. Seemed to be even wider soundstage and more air around voices and instrument, but lost much detail. Ended up pulling them off the amp posts.

Wouldn't mind trying the RCA version - ~~anyone want to swap a pair of RCA for a pair of hooked?~~ FYI - don't know why these work / don't care. They just work.

---------------------------
EDIT: Placed one each of the second pair on my preamp and cdp grounding posts respectively, and it sounds like they are going to stay there. Guess I'll have to purchase a pair or two of the GE RCAs.

eclein · « **Reply #316 on:** 11 Jan 2011, 02:01 pm »

I got another pair via bacobits and put them on my main L and R home theater speakers and then forgot I did. I'm watching a Pat Metheny DVD yesterday- "Imaginary Day" and I'm thinking wow this sounds good, then I remembered-The EVS Enhancers on the mains!!!

These little buggers work with my stuff, the combination of items, the older JBL's, every place I've put them I've noticed a clearly better sound after installing them. I said it earlier in this thread if anyone knows "why" they work or "how" they work please post it here. I'm really enjoying whatever voodoo is happening here.

Mass. Wine Guy · « **Reply #317 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 03:22 am »

I just received a pair. Do both of them go on the negative speaker terminal OR the negative speaker outlet on the amp or preamp (but not one on each)? I don't want to damage anything.

Thank you.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #318 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 04:19 am »

One enhancer on one speaker negative.

Rocket_Ronny

gtaphile · « **Reply #319 on:** 21 Jan 2011, 12:02 am »

Just got three pairs and installed them on neg. terminals of triwired Kef 702/2...negative affect until I damped them....great inprovement in air..much deeper/wider soundstage...that was already deep to start with. Don't seem to hear any downside ...

Will play some more....remarkable product...werd you need to order them also...I am in TO and it was something like $3 for USPS.