Chord GroundARAY Review (Noise Filter?)

[Kevbaz]

@amirm hat IEMs did you use to test this out of interest.
Cheers
Kev

 

[Jarrett]

Will you test the Topping HS01? It seems like the first snake oil device that makes a measurable improvement. Archimago showed it. @amirm

 

[lc6]

According to this review, linked to from the company's site:
Chord Company GroundARAY noise reduction system
(a) These devices are supposed to be connected to spare ports on a DAC or streamer. (So not an Ethernet switch.)
(b) Each one (i.e. not a set) costs the same £550 (because they are effectively the same grounding device with a different termination).
(c) The device uses 'parallel grounding.' (Whatever that means.) "The 'secret sauce' is said to be a series of absorption devices, using materials chosen for the specific task. This provides a low impedance pathway for high-frequency noise, wicking away noise from the signal ground of the device to which the GroundARAY is connected." (This sounds like a glorified description of capacitors, but where is this noise from the signal ground 'wicked away' to? Back to hot leads or some other imaginary ground? Anyway, @amirm should measure the lead-to-lead LCR on the Ethernet plug of this device if he still has it. The device is passive, so this should characterize what is inside pretty well.)
(d) 'If you are using an amplifier that relies on switch-mode power, the GroundARAY’s impact on the sound is more significant.' (That leverages the usual audiophool scare along the lines of 'SMPSes are noisy.')
(e) Not only is this device 'reducing the noise floor' but also 'making those higher frequencies as clean as possible and extending that naturalness and clarity down the frequency range and out into the soundstage.' (I want some of the stuff this guy was having while writing this.)
(f) Almost everyone who borrows a dealer Demo kit ends up buying at least one GroundARAY and the orders have stacked up. (This demo kit seems like a perfect scheme to make sales by capitalizing on the placebo effect.)

 

[mmuetst]

Will you test the Topping HS01? It seems like the first snake oil device that makes a measurable improvement. Archimago showed it. @amirm

Is it never gona stop, compagnies that make BS products? Even a Topping is burning there fingers?

 

[staticV3]

Is it never gona stop, compagnies that make BS products? Even a Topping is burning there fingers?

The HS01 is not snake-oil. It's a regular USB isolator with a legitimate purpose (breaking ground loops).

 

[AudioSceptic]

Not that different.
Keith

What do you mean?

 

[mmuetst]

The HS01 is not snake-oil. It's a regular USB isolator with a legitimate purpose (breaking ground loops).

I like to see the test from Amir to tell me the truth. Is the measurement improved when some one put this on his/her USB? We listening to the end product music from a loudspeaker or headphone, not a USB cable. Please see the Test and then judge!

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Correct. They were based in Salisbury (now moved about 20m north to Amesbury) where I used to live. I was a good friend of Julian Vereker RIP, the founder of NAIM Audio and through him I met the Chord guys. They started manufacturing very high quality cables for a high but not silly price. I own many of their cables and still use them.

Seeing these products, it looks like they entered to the audiophool market. Such a shame.

I remember them too. If I recall correctly, Naim amps were sensitive to reactive speaker cables, it used to blow up the output stage, hence Chord making low-reactive cables for them.

 

[AdamG]

Which dick voted great, I love you.

Your making this almost too easy. So you love what exactly?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Is it never gona stop, compagnies that make BS products? Even a Topping is burning there fingers?

The HS-01 is a solution to a problem some may not have, that doesn't make it BS or Snake-oil does it?
If you don't have dry skin, a moisturiser does not become a scam.
If one's system has ground loop noise, then HS-01 is a solution, if you don't have ground loop noise, then it does nothing.
Those trying to connect a Mojo2 or Hugo2 to a noisy PC and poweramp, know what I am talking about.

 

[staticV3]

I like to see the test from Amir to tell me the truth.

Amir is not and should not be your only source of legitimate information.
Other people speak at least as much, sometimes more truth than him.
Blind faith and fanboyism have no place in science.

 

[sofrep811]

Popcorn in mouth waiting...

"Just When I Think You Couldn’t Possibly Be Any Dumber, You Go And Do Something Like This… And Totally Redeem Yourself!"​

 

[mmuetst]

Amir is not and should not be your only source of legitimate information.
Other people speak at least as much, sometimes more truth than him.
Blind faith and fanboyism have no place in science.

i agree

 

[TK750]

I can’t believe there is a company in the UK making this shit, Russ Andrews in UK got done by trading standards I believe for false advertising/snake oil.
Kev

Had a quick look into this as I was interested, turns out they eventually won the Advertising Standards Authority case surprisingly! I believe it was originally brought up in 2008 and then in 2014 they were eventually cleared.

Don't like to link this site but it was one of not many and had the cleanest summary imo:

Home

ASA rules that Russ Andrews did not mislead consumers in its advertisements about the reduction of radio frequency interference by its mains cables

www.whathifi.com

 

[mmuetst]

The HS-01 is a solution to a problem some may not have, that doesn't make it BS or Snake-oil does it?
If you don't have dry skin, a moisturiser does not become a scam.
If one's system has ground loop noise, then HS-01 is a solution, if you don't have ground loop noise, then it does nothing.
Those trying to connect a Mojo2 or Hugo2 to a noisy PC and poweramp, know what I am talking about.

Is this the same argument people use to buy a liniare power supply. Must the USB connector of the DAC not solving this problem?

 

[poxymoron]

Had a quick look into this as I was interested, turns out they eventually won the Advertising Standards Authority case surprisingly! I believe it was originally brought up in 2008 and then in 2014 they were eventually cleared.

Don't like to link this site but it was one of not many and had the cleanest summary imo:

Home

ASA rules that Russ Andrews did not mislead consumers in its advertisements about the reduction of radio frequency interference by its mains cables

www.whathifi.com

I wonder if this case was still live today with the technology available in 2022 would there be the same outcome?

 

[staticV3]

Is this the same argument people use to buy a liniare power supply. Must the USB connector of the DAC not solving this problem?

No. DACs don't have optocouplers built in.
I don't think you understand: ground-loops and the resulting noise is a legitimate issue with even the most competently designed DACs and the HS01 is a legitimate solution to that problem.

 

[Vacceo]

Products like this make me mad: they are a waste of resources, energy and work.

 

[mmuetst]

I see that Topping does not have the ABC bullshit on there website (you know, like it wil reduce jitter) but there graphic shows no improments I can hear

 

[Kevbaz]

Had a quick look into this as I was interested, turns out they eventually won the Advertising Standards Authority case surprisingly! I believe it was originally brought up in 2008 and then in 2014 they were eventually cleared.

Don't like to link this site but it was one of not many and had the cleanest summary imo:

Home

ASA rules that Russ Andrews did not mislead consumers in its advertisements about the reduction of radio frequency interference by its mains cables

www.whathifi.com

I’m really surprised they were cleared, can’t believe they managed that