RouteMaster addresses two serious challenges to audio nirvana: The corruption of ground
\nintegrity by the torturous ground routing in today\u2019s music reproduction systems and the increasing
\nnoise levels on the ground line that have crept up on us over the last decades.
\nFor single ended unbalanced analogue signals with connections between components made for
\nexample by RCA interconnects, the signals are measured between two points, a \u201cHot\u201d signal is
\ncompared (referenced) to \u201cGround\u201d giving two points of measurement, the difference between
\nthe two points being what we are interested in. Try measuring a room with a tape when the person
\nholding the other end won\u2019t hold it exactly where it needs to be or even steadily.
\nComponents connected by balanced e.g. XLR connectors have a \u201cHot\u201d signal wire with positive
\nvoltages and a \u201cCold\u201d signal wire with negative voltages both referenced to the third, zero volt
\n\u201cGround\u201d wire.
\nConsider the ground as the horizon, it should show which way is up and be extremely steady and
\nunwavering, or with the tape analogy it should be steady, unwavering and in the right place.
\nGo back in time and the ground was usually a very simple affair; the signal was the signal and
\nground was ground: The chassis of equipment was metal and was safety grounded by the
\nincoming power cable giving a direct connection to the ground pin of the power plug. The metal
\nchassis was also the signal ground, e.g. the barrel of an RCA socket was directly bonded to the
\nmetal chassis. Safety Ground, Chassis Ground and Signal Ground were all one and the same.
\nWith this system, grounds were connected from component to component both by their common
\nconnection to the premises wiring ground via the power cords into the wall and by the
\ninterconnection of signal leads between equipment
\nAn occasional problem with this approach, caused by having simultaneous alternative routes to
\nground, is induced current \u201chum\u201d loops. Hum loops are caused by circling currents; circling
\nbecause the connection routes and varying resistances between points are neither uniform nor
\nmethodical. The \u201ccircles\u201d required hunting down and breaking to stop the hum. But even with this
\noccasional problem\u2026… these were simpler days.
\nToday, things are substantially more complicated: We have to consider and approach a much
\nmore convoluted route map of grounds in our systems where we have not one but three \u201cgrounds\u201d
\nto concern us; they even get their own symbols!
\nCurrently the signal grounds on your various HiFi and AV components may adhere to any of a
\nnumber of practices: At the original and most basic level that many equipment makers still adhere
\nto chassis ground is the same as safety ground is the same as signal ground, but on some
\nequipment chassis does not equal safety ground and on much equipment signal ground is \u201clifted\u201d
\nby x volts from chassis ground by a resistance or other device(s). But here connecting an item
\nwhere these three grounds are unified to a component where they are not, will immediately result
\nin that component having its signal ground \u201cunlifted\u201d and reunited with safety and chassis ground.
\nAnd so today, through the interconnection of signal leads to assorted components adhering to
\ndifferent grounding practices, a rather haphazard, cross confusion of the whole system signal
\nground map is created. Ground is an absolutely vital element of the signal, no less so that the
\n\u201chot\u201d and any incoherency in the ground is a sonic disaster.
\nRouteMaster reorganises the tangled web of your system\u2019s grounds in a coherent fashion directly
\nlocating all signal grounds to a single star point. Creating a stable and fixed horizon for all
\ncomponents to reference to, and navigate from.
\nRouteMaster accepts grounding reference connections from up to nine system components.
\nSimply identify a spare input and connect it with the appropriate Ultra Connect cable. For the very
\noptimum results all RouteMaster UltraConnects should be the same length and hence resistance.
\nThe Star Connection Chamber inside of the RouteMaster, already enhanced for silence by the use
\nof a unique combination ferroelectric and other materials, can be further silenced and stabilized by
\nconnecting a GroundMaster or GroundMaster City version
\nIf you already have a GroundMaster connected to your system safety earth connection through a
\nPuritan conditioner or other connection, use a second GroundMaster connected to the same rod.
\nThe two GroundMasters automatically isolate from each other avoiding any circulating currents
\nBenefit can be gained by treating digital cabling shields (USB, RJ45 etc) independently from
\nanalogue signal grounds. Use a further RouteMaster to gather these connections, the airborne
\ninterferences being absorbed by these screens can then be nullified by routing to earth ground via
\nan additional GroundMaster or GroundMaster City. This avoids these unwanted interference
\nenergies existing in the shields from where they otherwise are inductive and capacitively coupled
\nto the digital signal carrying leads, corrupting these signals.
\nGoing even further, noise present on case metalwork can again couple to intended signal paths
\nand many users find it beneficial to gather all chassis connections to yet another RouteMaster
\ndealing exclusively with chassis\/case noise and treating this independently from the analogue
\nsignal grounds and digital lead shields RouteMasters. Connections are made by loosening a
\ncase screw and inserting a spade terminal Ultra Ground Connect under, gathering all case
\nconnections to a RouteMaster and sinking the noise present to planet earth ground through a
\nfurther, separate, GroundMaster or GroundMaster City.
\nNotes:
\nSeparate GroundMasters or GroundMaster CITYs are required for individual RouteMasters to separate out interference paths
\nand to avoid ground loops.
\nWhen using multiple GroundMasters, only one ground rod is normally required as the GroundMaster isolates one interference
\ndumping path from another.
\nThe speaker negative\/black output from amplifiers is not in all designs at ground potential and for this reason grounding of
\nspeaker outputs is never advised unless you are very certain of your amplifier\u2019s design characteristics as this may cause
\ndamage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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