Thread: Shunyata Launches - ALTAIRA GROUNDING SYSTEM!!

Originally Posted by brodricj

Oh yeah baby, this is the real deal.

Altaira brings more to the party than Everest or Alpha/Sigma v2 power cables did.

It's right up there with Sigma Clock-50 for quantum leap in system utility.

That's all I have to say about that!

Yep...

That's why guys were literally freakin' out at the demo Richard of Shunyata did at the initial demo at the Suncoast show last year, in Feb 2022. Mike remembers...

And, then again at the show this year...

And...it gets EVEN BETTER when you implement a segmented system, e.g. partitioning the digital front end from the "analog amplification" gear.

Originally Posted by brodricj

One Altaira doesn't have enough grounding posts for my system.

If I went segmented that would be another SG, right? I'm wondering whether the power supply for the SACD transport would be on the analog segment with the pre-amp and its power supply, or would you put it on the digital segment with the transport?

Hi Brodric,
Yes, the guidance from Shunyata is that if you were to implement a "segmented" system, then you should be using the SG hubs*. Regarding your specific question as to where you would attach a ground cable for the power supply for the SACD transport, my thought is it would be on the "digital stack". Also, just a note regarding segmentation: my understanding is that for fully dual-mono "analog amplification" devices, which the Esoteric gear is, I would dedicate one of the SG Altairas specifically to your "analog amplification stack", for example, if you have a dual-mono pre and dual-mono amp or monos, keep that "segment" separate from the "digital stack" (DAC, clock, transport. etc). So, you if you have an Esoteric preamp and monos, you could connect a ground cable from the Esoteric preamp's ground terminals (the "main control unit" aka "MCU" and the power supply) to this "analog stack" Altaira, and if you are using the monos or the stereo amp, connect a ground cable from it's SG ground terminal to individual ground terminals on the analog stack Altaira.

If you want to go "whole hog", you can get a third SG Altaira, and dedicate one SG hub to just the left channel of the analog amplification segment, and the other hub just to the right channel segment.

Today I'm getting some Altaira system VT-X grounding "tails" in with RJ45 and USB-A terminations. The plan is to install the USB-A tail in an unused USB port on the Mini Roon Core and the RJ45 tail in an unused port in my Pace router, both of which are located in the remote server room and connect them to Gemini. The Mac Mini, EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock, and Pace router are all powered by the new Gemini power distributor which is perfect for these applications and also has... four Altaira chassis-ground noise-reduction terminals. 👍


You can see in the photo above the Alpha CGC that connects from EtherREGEN's ground terminal to Gemini's fourth terminal.

I really like how Shunyata implemented their "base ground cable" and "tails" system: you can purchase a base cable of the spec you need (e.g., Venom, Delta, Alpha, Sigma, Omega) and then simply add the appropriately-terminated tail for your specific application(s). There's a variety of tails available including XLR male and female, USB-A and B, RJ45, S/DPIF, BNC, etc.

Shown here are pics of the Alpha CGCs and their respective XLR tails I use for (unused) XLR jacks on my Constellation Inspiration integrated and Lumin P1. As both components are fully dual-mono, I use a CGC + XLR tail for each channel, L/R, for each component.

An Alpha base ground cable with standard STIS banana plugs. The two types of XLR tails are shown in the middle of the base cable.


Photo showing an XLR female VTX-Ag tail "snapped" onto the Alpha base ground cable. The male XLR tail is shown in the middle.


Here's the cables for the Lumin P1 in the main rack in place: the lower left shows the two cables with XLR tails connecting from the P1 to the Altaira SGC hub on top.


I'll make similar connections from the Mac Mini Roon core and router in the server room but will connect to Gemini, instead...stay tuned.

Originally Posted by MichaelsMinute

Definitely let us know how it turns out!

Will do.

And...look what just arrived: the USB-A and RJ45 VTX-Ag tails.



Et voila...
the USB tail on an Alpha CGC


the RJ45 tail on an Alpha CGC

Okay....so played a reference track on with the system fully warmed up. Then, connected a single Alpha CGC from an unused USB-A port on the Mac Mini Roon core to an Altaira terminal" on Gemini.

F*CK ME!!! 🤯 The presentation just became notably more expansive, dimensionally-layered, spacious and 3-dimensional, with a background with a "deeper decay" into blackness. Whoa....NOT subtle.

More notes: NOT a subtle improvement: the entire presentation has more body, "weight", depth, and expansiveness.

My guess is the ground planes of "consumer-grade" computers used as "high-end music servers" are pretty dirty.

Hi Stephen,

great reports from your end! This mirrors my experience from adding signal grounding to my Taiko Extreme. I had only done the standard grounding via the GND post. Then for fun I added another grounding cable to one of the free Ethernet ports not expecting much. I was pinching myself as I didn’t expect anything. As you described…more body, weight, expansiveness. Great! Then I remembered that Emile from Taiko recommended the USB port is the most effective choice. So switched to USB…and yeah … even better! Also Emile said you could try doing more than one signal ground and give it a try. So, I added the Ethernet back. Hell, that was like adding up the two individual effects!! Wohoooo!

As Caelin said in the interview with Mike, these digital devices by their very nature are quite dirty.
So for everyone with an Altaria and a capable digital source, please give it a try and connect a signal grounding cable… you might very much like the effect!

Originally Posted by MusicLover

Hi Stephen,

great reports from your end! This mirrors my experience from adding signal grounding to my Taiko Extreme. I had only done the standard grounding via the GND post. Then for fun I added another grounding cable to one of the free Ethernet ports not expecting much. I was pinching myself as I didn’t expect anything. As you described…more body, weight, expansiveness. Great! Then I remembered that Emile from Taiko recommended the USB port is the most effective choice. So switched to USB…and yeah … even better! Also Emile said you could try doing more than one signal ground and give it a try. So, I added the Ethernet back. Hell, that was like adding up the two individual effects!! Wohoooo!

As Caelin said in the interview with Mike, these digital devices by their very nature are quite dirty.
So for everyone with an Altaria and a capable digital source, please give it a try and connect a signal grounding cable… you might very much like the effect!

Yes, that mirrors my experience as well. That's great that Taiko has a ground terminal on it. I wish all manufacturers installed these on their components. I just remembered that the forthcoming Lumin L2 has a ground terminal, also. So, good on ya Taiko and Lumin!

After installing the USB cable on the Mini Roon core, I just performed your experiment, but in reverse order: I installed the RJ45 tail on a Venom CGC cable and connected it to the Pace Router and obtained further improvements. Not quite of the magnitude of the USB tail in the Mini, but probably 75% of the improvement, but that's likely due to the this ground cable being a Venom instead an Alpha. The jump from the Venom to the Alpha ground cables is pretty notable, so for component connections, I've decided to standardize on Alpha ground cables.

Rememer, the noise does not ride down low, at what some folks refer to as the "noise floor", it rides ON TOP of the signal, as shown.

Just installing those tails yesterday, the presentation and overall audio quality took quite a notable jump forward. So, when it comes to noise, every bit helps.

So, that's consistent and concordant with your findings as well.

In conclusion, if folks have "remote server rooms", "network closets" etc., adding ground cables with the appropriate tails to the "networked devices", e.g. Roon cores, Taikos, Grimm, Pink Faun "music servers", etc., and Ethernet switches, routers, and the like, connecting them to a Gemini or Altaira for grounding pays big dividends.

Originally Posted by brodricj

It looks like there is a new grounding cable VENOM-X. There is a photo of it in the banner of the Shunyata home page but it's not listed in the product page.

That's cool, but it would not surprise me. Shunyata's been building out the Venom-X cable line for a while now. I've got a pair of the Venom-X RCA and XLR ICs, and a pair of the Venom-X speaker cables I use for my GR-Research X-LS Encores, and a V-x clock cable I use to connect the AfterDark Master Clock to EtherREGEN. In my direct experience, this product line punches quite a ways above it's price point, and are fully competitive with cables selling at mutiples of their price point. I also own a coupla pair of the Alpha V2 RCA ICs that I used with my CJ amp and First Sound preamp, but I actually use Venom-X XLR ICs for my Constellation Inspiration integrated as the Inspiration prefers XLR to RCA.

At an IC "shootout" we had for the SF Audiophile Foundation in Healdsburg, CA in late 2022, the Venom-X was 1 of the top 3 cables preferred by the audience of 30 or so attendees, and were fully competive with Cardas Clear Beyond ICs selling for 4.5X their price.

The Venom-X clock cable was a great choice at it's price point for my AfterDark Queen master clock, and it provided a significant improvement to the performance of the clock compared to the stock, generic clock cable.

Nice findings Pumacat. Is Gemini coming in an EU/Schuko version as well?

Originally Posted by Crion

Nice findings Pumacat. Is Gemini coming in an EU/Schuko version as well?

I would imagine so, but I would check with your local dealer as I don't know, specifically.

It’s been 6 months since I own one and just want to say Altaira should be the product of the year.

Originally Posted by kzhtoo

It’s been 6 months since I own one and just want to say Altaira should be the product of the year.

It is, from TAS for 2022; also won Editor's Choice Award for 2023.