Synergistic Research Galileo SX Ground Block

For many of us, it has been a process. Maybe a long and challenging process, but one with plenty of rewards and satisfaction. Can we call it a hobby, an infatuation, or is it something in between? Regardless, over time, we have learned that passion and new discovery can be a never ending joy. You might be able to relate to my own story.

I have hinted on much of this in earlier reviews. Growing up, music was very big at my home. Though an engineer by profession, my father came from a unique and talented family of professional musicians. His fondness and appreciation for music was extended into our own immediate family as we all grew up in a very creative and supportive environment. He loved to gather up his kids every Sunday morning after church for a nice brunch, to read the Sunday newspapers and the funnies, and to have us all listen to his favorite jazz, classical and pop LPs.

He also loved to build his own audio equipment. Invariably, there was always a new Heathkit amplifier or a pair of cloned AR speakers on the workbench. The smell of solder always seemed to be smoldering in the air. With seven kids and seven college bills confronting the family budget (five simultaneously at one point), this was his only affordable option when it came to home stereo. For his devotion to music and his affection for everything electronic, he was a huge inspiration and those days will always be remembered fondly.

With my father's guidance, my own personal membership began innocently with a small vintage Sony system—amplifier, turntable, and tuner. All functions were integrated within one box along with a pair of small Sony bookshelf speakers. In college, I took a huge step forward to a Marantz receiver, Advent speakers, and various Dual and Garrard turntables. I was clearly hooked—much to my father's delight. BTW, I also stumbled into a flavor of audio nirvana with two pairs of stacked Advents. Twenty years later this really became a thing in the audiophile world, and probably deserves its own article (which would be fun to dig into with the help of our readers).

Once I graduated from college, all hell broke loose. I moved on to Audio Research and Threshold separates, and a never ending stream of speakers from the likes of ADS, BIC, KEF, and B&W. The next wave included Joule Electra, Goldmund, Pass Labs, Magnepan, and Sonus Faber. I even cherished a pair of Magico speakers for an extended stay.

Why all this history and memories? I will continue to review all kinds of equipment and you never know what might change the course of inspiration, but now I am at the point where I am fairly committed to my current set of components. So, the next stage of enlightenment is, to some extent, more about nuance and refinement. Maybe this sounds familiar.

For this reason, I have been spending a considerable amount of time with cabling, power conditioning, room acoustics, and isolation—though these enhancements can sometimes be more of a revelation than just a subtle improvement. And despite the naysayers, it is becoming more clear than ever that these products should also be classified as components and nothing less.

This leads us to the new Synergistic Research Galileo SX Ground Block. As we all know, everything does matter when it comes to the very best sound quality. A properly grounded audio system is no exception. Ted Denney and his team at Synergistic Research have taken this essential design element to an exciting new level of execution and functionality. Based on their track record, I am no longer surprised by what comes out of Santa Ana, California. This is just another of many impressive success stories. One has to wonder what will be next.

Caveat Emptor

System synergy and personal taste are critical when evaluating high-end audio products. This review is based on my subjective requirements, my subjective ears, my specific system configuration, and my specific listening room. This combination is only one data point of many that exist out there for these components. Please consider my comments and analysis appropriately.

Review System

I have included a comprehensive list of all my components and a description of my listening room. Please click on my name in red above if needed.

The Basics - Ground

Proper grounding is a critical requirement for every component and system, though it is rarely given any type of priority by most audiophiles. Many assume that it is adequately supported through component design and power cables via designated circuitry and connections. Depending on the design and application, this is not always the case.

As required for many circuits to function properly, the term "ground" can be defined as a connection to the earth. When properly implemented, a ground connection can provide a safe path for the dissipation of electrostatic interference and buildup. This can avoid damage to both the component and the individual. It can also provide better management for both EMI and RFI issues.

Even beyond this, an inadequate ground system can allow for unexpected voltages to occur in the circuits of a component. This can then create incidental noise and distortion in the output signal and greatly impact the sound quality of the system.

The Galileo SX Ground Block provides an additional conductive path for this ground, separate from what is provided by your components and power cables. The Galileo SX is designed to provide a ground path with the least resistance, and can therefore take the primary role for most grounding needs.

There are many solutions for this in the marketplace—both passive and active in design. This includes connections to an internal copper water pipe or an external copper rod submerged in the ground. I strongly advise that you do your utmost diligence on this subject and have professional support if you pursue these options. Many times these are not even possible depending on available access and facilities. With the Synergistic Research Galileo SX, we have something new in an active design that takes this to a whole new level of technology and filter management.

Design Overview

It is often quite a challenge to properly describe and define the key design features of a new component. In this case, it is especially important to be fair and to get it right for both the manufacturer and the readers, as there are so many unique technologies and innovative filter implementations. For that reason, please see the narratives below taken directly from the Synergistic Research website. All are in italics.

What's New

The Galileo Active Ground Block is a top to bottom re-engineering of our award-winning Active Ground Block SE with technology originally designed for our Galileo SX PowerCell as well as new technologies expressly developed to make this the world's highest performance ground filter for your stereo.

We start with a new chassis machined from a solid billet of aluminum and carbon fiber to address unwanted vibration and chassis resonance that would otherwise lower your system's performance. We then re-engineered the internal Electromagnetic Cell increasing the number of active filters from one as found in our Active Ground Block SE to three Active EM Cells with Galileo SX PowerCell technology. This includes 2 x rolled EM Cells in carbon fiber housings to control resonance and one flat Carbon Fiber Electromagnetic Cell with a copper mesh Ground Plane as found in our Galileo SX PowerCell.

We then turned up the gain in a new ULF Generator for three times the signal strength of the Active Ground Block SE for a significant gain in performance. And since the Galileo Ground Block was developed in conjunction with our limited edition 2^nd Generation Galileo SX PowerCell it shares its ability to custom-tune the sound of the ground filter to complement your system and personal tastes by changing the bias frequency of the ULF signal generator.

By pressing a button on the back of the Galileo Ground Block you change the frequency that biases its three Active EM Cells and this changes the characteristic sound of your system. There is a default setting shared with our current Active Ground Blocks and three new frequencies that make your system sound more liquid or dynamic and holographic; the choice is yours.

And to make keeping track of which frequency you have selected easy, when you press the button, it changes the color of the light inside the unit, visible from the view window on the top of the unit. We also added new useful features like the ability to directly wire both your PowerCell line conditioner and Atmosphere Acoustic Field Generator to increase their performance.

Schumann Resonance

We engineered the Galileo SX Ground Block with a redesigned circuit that controls the heart of the ground conditioner; its Electromagnetic Cells. This new circuit includes new UEF Orange Capacitors built with the same technology as our award-winning Orange Fuses for a lower perceived noise floor and better overall musicality. The circuit itself has 3 x the output strength of the circuit it replaces to increase the filtration power of all the internal Electromagnetic Cells.

But perhaps the most exciting feature is the variable ULF signal generator so you can custom-tune your system's sound. Just press a button to select between four harmonics of the Earth's Schumann Resonance used to bias the Galileo SX Ground Block's internal Electromagnetic Cells. In the past, the Active Ground Block's ULF frequency generators had only one harmonic of the Earth's Schumann Resonance selected for its ability to compliment as wide a variety of systems as possible. Now you can choose the original frequency as default or select between three additional frequencies that run the gambit from a highly focused sound to a vastly holographic and enveloping sound, or choose a fourth frequency that splits the difference. The choice is yours.

Frequency Bias Options

Purple Frequency: Purple is the default setting for systems that have a Synergistic Research Atmosphere or FEQ Acoustic Field Generator. Choose this setting when you want a cross between the Blue and Red frequency's sonic balance.

Blue Frequency: Blue is the most focused sound option with strong dynamics and precise imaging with a more forward sound than the other options.

Red Frequency: Red is the setting if you want to maximum soundstage scale with a deep soundstage that also envelops your listening position. This setting works best when you also have Synergistic Research acoustic products like HFT's, Black Boxes, and Atmosphere or FEQ acoustic field generators.

Green Frequency: Green is the default setting if you do not have an Atmosphere Acoustic Field Generator in your system. Fun fact, Green is the default bias frequency for the original Galileo SX PowerCell / Active Ground Block SE.

Specifications

Construction: Aircraft Aluminum, Carbon Fiber
Dimensions: Height 3.5" x Width 17.5" x Depth 10.5"
Weight: 24 lbs.
9995% Pure 14awg Silver point-to-point wiring
2 each Internal Active UEF EM folded Ground Cells
1 each Internal Active UEF EM flat Ground Cells
New Galileo SX PCB with multi-setting ULF generator
UEF Orange Capacitors
44 mini BFA ports (allows for connectivity to 44 components)
Two dedicated ground ports for SR Atmosphere and PowerCell conditioners
View Window
Gold Tuning Modules
(4) 4ft and (2) 8ft standard ground leads for use with Atmosphere and Galileo UEF Cables.
Hand Built Time: 8 hours
New Multi-stage Quantum Tunnel treatment
5 Day Burn In: 2 Step Process

Check Out The Graphics

One last thing to help you understand the many layers of design and sub-components. Again, taken from the Synergistic Research website, the following video utilizes a three dimensional presentation of the Galileo SX Ground Block. The graphics really tell the story. I find this type of tool exceptionally helpful and I wish more manufacturers would use the same. Please click for the YouTube video entitled "The Making of Galileo SX Ground Block" (HERE).

Fit, Finish & Aesthetics

I thought it appropriate to add some words about fit, finish, and aesthetics. The design is that special and it should be highlighted. At a weight of approximately 24 pounds, there is a definite sense of quality and a feeling of substance when you pick this unit up and take a close look. I love the rounded curves and sleek profile of the aircraft aluminum and carbon fiber casing. The overall appearance is very contemporary and extremely high tech.

The icing on the cake is the top view window. Similar to the Galileo SX Powercell front view window, circuit and component layout is there for all to see. The lighting for the four different bias options takes it to still another level. If this is not built to military spec like standards, it sure does look like it. Industrial design of the highest order.

Ground Cable Connections

I do not have the latest generation of Synergistic Research cables and power cords which can utilize a ground connection for each. My trusty Synergistic Research Element cables still suffice for now and still provide outstanding results. My wife, for one, will not allow me to ever let these go even if I upgrade in the future. She is a huge fan. They will always be on the back burner if needed.

For this reason, I used various ground connections directly to each component in my system. Off the shelf standard and custom configurations are available for various connectors and lengths. For my needs, all cables had a BFA connector on the Galileo SX Ground Block end, and either RCA or spade connectors on the component end. I used RCA connectors for those components with a spare RCA input or output. I used spades for everything else and connected to a signal ground or chassis screw on the component.

Sound

When we talk about the impact of proper cabling, power conditioning, and ground, the discussion often turns to the "reduction of the background noise floor," or the "deeper more black soundstage." When done correctly, instruments and vocals can seem to just explode out of the soundstage with a three dimensionality and an eerie realism. The Galileo SX Ground Block clearly offers this kind of improvement, but there is so much more magic than that.

In my system, with the Galileo SX Ground Block in place, this incredible black backdrop also provided an improved sense of what I call "the big three"; tone, timbre and pitch. You would think that your speakers, or amplification, or front end would be the key drivers of these variables. This might be so, but do not discount what the Galileo SX can also provide.

Instantly, there is a new found sense of color and light that cannot be ignored. There is a harmonic purity and balance to the presentation that will raise the goosebumps. No need to pump up the volume to get additional detail and weight. There is a liquidity and ease that will have you leaning into the music and just absorbing it all—even at low listening levels. Instruments actually sound like the materials that they were made from!

Separation and air between instruments and vocals were presented in a seemingly perfect balance. Images were more locked in and tangible. There was an immediacy to the sound that literally raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Bass performance did not reach any further or deeper in my system, but was so much more detailed and physically realistic.

At the higher frequencies, there was a purity and natural bloom to the mids and highs that provided a beautiful arc of musical information to the entire presentation. In addition, there was a degree of improved micro and macro dynamics that made it all much more unconstrained and alive.

Nuance? No. Subtle? No. The improvements were not difficult to hear. All of the above makes me want to reiterate my earlier statement. The Galileo SX Ground Block is clearly a system component, and should not be classified as anything less.

Bias Selection

I did experiment with all the bias options described above. Early in the process, I purposely ignored the various descriptions and spent considerable time with each while never allowing anything but my ears to find a favorite. For my system, I preferred the Green frequency option. Afterward, I did go back and I did read the guidelines. The only logic that I can come up with beyond my personal subjective taste was the potential synergy with the Galileo SX PowerCell. Both are biased at the same frequency. I found that the Green bias provided a much more relaxing and natural presentation but with virtually nothing less than the improvements described for the Blue and Red options. Nice to have some flexibility!

Music

Leopold Stokowski, Rhapsodies. RCA Living Stereo (33 RPM LP)

This Classic Records reissue is a true testament to Stokowski and his personal style and imagination. Exciting, colorful and almost bombastic, this recording is easily one of the most fun and exhilarating in the entire RCA Living Stereo catalog. My favorite is the familiar Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which shows up in many movie and TV soundtracks.

With the Galileo SX in place, you get a true sensation of each individual piccolo, flute, and clarinet as they enter and exit the sound stage. Then you move from these high resolution snapshots to a grand sweeping wave of trombones, bassoons, and bass drums in the climatic swings. All are so much more defined and full bodied. Your fist will be pumping throughout—in synch and along with Stokowski and his baton!

Patricia Barber, Higher. (SACD Hybrid with 5.1)

Patricia Barber and her vast catalog have continued to grow and evolve. With this new reissue from IMPEX, the superb sound and production qualities of her past recordings have again been realized, but the new compositions and her interpretations of several standards are even more intimate, and almost poetic in nature. I listened closely with and without, but one thing really stood out for me with the Galileo SX in the system. Her voice.

That smoky, seductive, and textured thing in her vocals is so much more unleashed and pronounced. Warm and inviting, "Pallid Angel" is one track that really stood out for me. The romance and emotion is clearly all there on display. This lady can do it all—via both piano and voice. Not to be missed! Vinyl lovers beware as I have been told that an IMPEX LP release will also be available. I can only imagine.

Creedence Clear Water Revival, Absolute Originals. (45 RPM 8 LP Box Set)

I am surprised that this 2007 box set from Analogue Productions does not get more attention on the various vinyl community Internet sites. Asking prices on eBay and Discogs are now well over $1000. It should be noted, that this is the 45 RPM pressing of what is something like a greatest hits selection. There is also a 2004 box set from Analogue Productions with the same title that includes the entire CCR catalog at 33 RPM. As good as the complete set is, you have not heard the CCR classics until you hear them via 45 RPM and a Steve Hoffman/Kevin Gray remaster.

The Galileo SX takes this music to another level. For old timers like me, "Susie Q" is unquestionably a Rock n Roll classic. The song begins with the familiar slashing drum line, but now it so clearly defined and muscular that it almost feels like a different song. A cloudy layer of smear and strain is also stripped away from Fogerty's vocals and guitar. So much so, that both seem to just reverberate with a new found sense of timbre, tone, and reality. Come on Analogue Productions! The vinyl community needs a repress!

Final Thoughts

My apologies for some of the hyperbole, but along with the Synergistic Research Galileo SX PowerCell, the Galileo SX Ground Block is possibly the most impressive new product that I have reviewed in the last couple of years. I have mentioned many times that the PowerCell might just be the most important component in my entire system. Now, there is some definite competition. Though each have different functions, both can offer something similar in terms of impact. Both provide a rising tide that can lift all boats.

With the Galileo SX Ground Block in place, I stopped critiquing the sound and was able to just focus on the music. As a typical audiophile, this is always a challenge. Bottom line. The emotional connection and level of personal satisfaction has never been better in my listening room! That's the biggest compliment that I could ever offer. If you are seeking state of the art performance, the Galileo SX Power Block is a must audition. Innovative design. Superb execution. Wonderful results. Highly recommended.

Postscript

I spent a considerable amount of time comparing and listening to the Galileo SX Ground Block and the Galileo SX PowerCell on their own and together in my system. As stated earlier, each made a significant impact independently, but together there was a synergy that had me totally captivated. Note to Synergistic Research. These two were clearly born to be sold as a dynamic duo. I'm not sayin'. I'm just sayin'.

Galileo SX Ground Block

Retail: Bundled with $2999 Atmosphere Euphoria AC Cable