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Cable Conditioning Upgrade

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Posted on July 14, 2015 at 15:47:35
David Pritchard
Audiophile

Posts: 227
Location: New Mexico
Joined: February 5, 2008
For the past four years I have owned and used the Audiodharma Cable Cooker on my systems- both power cords and interconnects. I find the Cable Cooker to be indispensable when evaluating a potential new cable addition and to ensure that existing cables are opperating at maximum performance.

At the recent Newport Beach Show, Alan Kafton showed his newest device to improve power cable conditioning. The Ground Breaker Power Cable Adapter Set. This attaches to an Audiodharma Cable Cooker. For the first time the entire power cord is conditioned- hot, neutral, and now the ground wire.

In the past I have conditioned each audio system every six months. Is the hassle and work envolved in removing the power cords and interconnects to be conditioned worth it- Absolutely YES. I find the process much like going to the dentist for teeth cleaning. I do not like to go but afterwards my teeth feel so much better than any cleaning I can do at home.

The Ground Breaker was easily attached to the Cable Cooker

The interconnects were conditioned three days and the power cords were conditioned five days. With the Audiodharma Cooker both type of cables can be on the Cooker at the same time.

For the audio evaluation I chose two audiophile approved CD's- MA Recordings of Sera Una Noche and Begona Olavide's Salterio. Both recordings feature a lot of hall ambience and percussive instruments.

The system uses a Sennheiser 800 headphone and a Eddie Current Zana Deux tube amp.
The cables were reattached and I sat back and listened. The system's improvement with the addition of the ground wires being conditioned was impressive. The soundstage was noticeably wider. The ability to discern multiple percussive instruments playing at the same time was enhanced. The bass drum was more forceful and with a longer decay. Amazingly I would perceive the loud bass drum notes as if they hit my chest. A wonderful sensation while wearing headphones.

In short after the new conditioning using the Ground Breaker + Addiodharma Cable Cooker, I was hearing more music with a greater emotional effect.

In the past the ground wire in our powercords has often been treated like the unfortunate tag along baby brother to big brothers HOT and Neutral.
I now have experienced that conditioning the power cord ground wire will make a significant improvement in audio listening enjoyment. Little brother can now be of help.

 

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RE: Cable Conditioning Upgrade, posted on July 15, 2015 at 08:32:41
RadioWonder
Audiophile

Posts: 1236
Location: Arizona
Joined: March 16, 2003
Excellent review, David... :)

I have one of the pre-production GB Sets and I love mine! :)
It takes power cords to an all new level of excellence...

A couple of notes I took after conditioning my first Power Cord...

"First thing I noticed was a very uncompressed musical presentation with a wider and deeper soundstage... Musicians are nicely spaced in their own natural acoustic area...
The Untreated PC gave a slight unpleasant edge to the music that is pleasantly missing in the newly Cooked version...
Singers and instruments all have a very warm and natural sonic signature with wonderful overtones...
Noise floor is greatly reduced with wonderful natural detail without any edginess...
Percussion instruments have their natural bite with added low level overtones... A wonderful natural snap to the music...
Yes, the Ground Wire in the Power Cord does benefit from Conditioning on this new adapter! A must have for all Audiodharma Cable Cooker users... "

 

RE: Cable Conditioning Upgrade, posted on July 15, 2015 at 13:57:04
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Thanks! for sharing- David.

 

RE: Cable Conditioning Upgrade, posted on July 16, 2015 at 15:48:22
ozzyboy
Audiophile

Posts: 334
Joined: April 4, 2002
David, How much is the Ground breaker?

 

RE: Cable Conditioning Upgrade, posted on July 16, 2015 at 16:15:27
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
The new Ground Breaker power cable adaptor set is $399....there are a number of high quality parts plus advanced vibration damping materials used. The female wall plug side also fits Oyaide AC connectors (with their oversized ground pin), a very nice feature. You are welcome to PM me for the details.

 

RE: Cable Conditioning Upgrade, posted on August 15, 2015 at 07:38:03
DaveC113
Manufacturer

Posts: 9
Location: Front Range, CO
Joined: July 31, 2014
I bought a cable cooker 2.0 a while ago, I could not be without it! The first thing I did was parallel the neutral and ground leads for the PC adapters so they would both break in. :) The ground wire in power cables is very important as reducing the resistance between grounds on your components leads to less noise, and in many components they make the exact same electrical connection as the grounds in ic cables, making the ground wire in PCs easily audible.

I am interested in the latest upgrades though, I will see if I can msg you through your website or email me at dave at zenwaveaudio [.] com.

Thanks for your very nice product!

 

Hi, Dave....unfortunately...., posted on August 15, 2015 at 15:34:51
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
....connecting any conductors in parallel will meet head-on with the principal of "the path of least resistance", and one (or more) of the conductors will NOT receive full signal strength. The conductor (and it might be only one, or a few) with the least amount of resistance will receive the lion's share of the signal, and so it is with the Cable Cooker adaptors. Connecting power cables and speaker cables (and of course, interconnects) in series yields the best results, without a doubt.

The new Ground Breaker discreetly conditions the ground conductor(s) and ground contacts within the AC connectors, along with Hot and Neutral, without any loss of output signal.

 

RE: Hi, Dave....unfortunately...., posted on August 15, 2015 at 16:51:42
DaveC113
Manufacturer

Posts: 9
Location: Front Range, CO
Joined: July 31, 2014
Yup, there's no way getting around v=iR :)

 

RE: Hi, Dave....unfortunately...., posted on August 15, 2015 at 17:19:54
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5285
Joined: April 7, 2000
My first thought in designing the Ground Breaker was a scheme connecting Neutral and Ground....until my consulting engineer tested it vs. the topology he came up with which tested equally for H, N, and G.

I bowed to his genius and that's the topology I'm using. Equal signal and current throughout is way better than partial any day. A much better mousetrap.

 

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