MC Audio’s Return To Zero (RTZ) passive signal grounding device can help your audio system achieve a natural, open, fluid and articulate relaxed and involving sound. Banish those digital blues with the MC Audio RTZ’s system, to help you closer to obtaining your sonic desires.

For over eighteen years Coherent Systems have been associated with highest quality cabling, which among many traits demonstrates high electrical noise rejection characteristics and a low noise floor. Our cables can deliver sounds that allow more information to be clearly and repeatably detected in a great many audio systems.

Taking this concept further, within the context of a quality audio system, we have long felt there are many outside electrical influences detrimental to the pursuit of sound quality. In that interference can be present inside the audio equipment itself as well as transmitted by mains electric.

Electrical pollution can be present in the following ways via; high frequency noise (harmonics), common mode (the grunge) and DC offset (DC voltage present on the AC supply) contained within the incoming AC power supply and mains earthing. Aftermarket mains conditioning and filters can remove some of the issues we have cited in the above, but not all. High frequency noise generated by switch mode power supplies found in TV’s, cordless home phones, WIFI routers, PC’s, tablet’s, phone chargers and set top TV boxes etc. All these devices and others all produce unwanted high frequency noise and unfortunately dumped back into your mains supply.

Along with these unwanted components you also have electrical noise RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) generated by the equipment itself, by devices such clocks (Crystal timing oscillators) in dacs, streamers, routers and NAS (Network Audio Storage) and CD players (sometimes they have multiples clocks), switching power supplies, dc-dc converters, switching and fly-back regulators even operational amplifiers. In essence this all adds up to a far from perfect situation for owners of digital and analogue playback systems with all this much high frequency energy flying about your audio system!

So signal grounding is important then? surely the engineers that designed my equipment have taken this into consideration when designing the equipment in the first place?

Most digital audio engineers pay careful attention to ripple current rejection, total rail decoupling and isolation (cross talk) of the +/- rails, but signal ground no. Possibly they feel any frequency another over 20Khz the audible spectrum (our hearing frequency threshold at 20 years old) is not relevant. Since our journey began with the RTZ project back in 2012 we felt otherwise based on investigations we were performing with digital (PWM) amplifiers at the time.

Drawing from our digital system integration and aerospace backgrounds where electrical noise is sensitive to measuring and test equipment, these areas are actively and rigorously controlled to ensure accurate operation and correct measurement data integrity.

Our experience and testing over the last six years has shown our findings to suggest that signal grounding need to demonstrate extremely low impedance values. During this extensive testing we found that even the smallest increase in signal ground impedance can equate to detrimental effects on sound overall quality. These traits can include, a much less relaxed sound and upper frequency unevenness, and an increased noise floor and a smearing of the cherished Pace Rhythm & Timing all of which can add up to a decreased enjoyment of your audio system.

The RTZ product range could improve your system in following areas: Dynamic interpolation both micro and macro, improved three dimensionality and stage depth, background quietness, solidity, instrument separation, improved note spatiality, transparency. Also, the tonal accuracy of the sound gains more credence. This is system dependent however customer feedback has indicated it to be true

Our solution to this problem is the MC Audio RTZ (Return To Zero) passive grounding system which simply converts any unwanted (and undesired) high frequency energy to heat which can be dissipated through the case. The RTZ connects in to each of your audio devices, therefore it does not change/limit or effect the equipment it is attached to other than greatly lower the high frequency noises in the device.

The RTZ is extremely effective with mains earth noise due to a zero-impedance increase, zero impact on electrical design and workings of the equipment. Industry thoughts in this area would indicate a more than respectable reduction in HF noise from all of the signal grounds attached to the device.

MC Audio’s RTZ  devices have multiple connections options, RCA, XLR, BNC, USB, RJ45, Spades etc to ensure to manage to eliminate as much of the RFI (Radio refequency interference) as possible from all possible sources contained within your audio system. We have various grades of cables available all designed to complement systems of varying performance.

There are currently two models in the RTZ range  RTZ 2 with twelve (12) connections and the Reference RTZ3 model with eighteen (18) termination points for those wishing to fully exploit their audio systems true potential. We also undertake bespoke commisions we have designed and constructed 42 outlet RTZ devices whch are design and built here in the UK

Our suggestions for use would be on unused analogue outputs on CD players/Streamers/Network Bridges, followed by digital outputs on devices such as USB ports and RJ45 (Ethernet) inputs and outputs also on NAS devices too.

Next would would recommend using the analogue pre-amplifier inputs and outputs, we have had great customer feedback with multiple ground connections on pre amplifiers/dac’s/CD players and Streamers.

We advise strongly against connecting both signal ground of an audio component and mains earth together using the same Ground Control device would be to suggest against this directly connecting signal ground to earth could produce an increase in the very noise results you are trying to counteract. Our customer feedback has given mixed results on this method, as some equipment is manufactured with different philosophies regarding earthing and grounding techniques

Check out Coherent Systems Customer feedback for genuine customer thoughts on our own products

Specifications

RTZ Model Two  up to 12 grounding cables                     W x 22cm D x 23cm H x 8cm Weight 7.2Kg  £1800

RTZ Model Three Reference version up to 18 cables   W x 22cm D x 31cm H x  9cm Weight 14.8Kg  £3000

RTZ BD versions custom tailored *Call for details & pricing*

MC Audio grounding cabling solutions

RTZ C1 a very good all round starting point offering potential quality results  from £250 per 1.2m

RTZ C2 taking a step up in potential overall performance terms above the RTZ C1 version £450 per 1.2m

RTZ CR excellent grounding cable potential to deliver some of the best grounding sounds available.  £600 per 1.2m

RTZ BD top performing grounding cable potential to deliver some of the very best grounding sounds available.  £995 per 1.2m

Our cabling options are also designed to bring the very best out of other manufacturers systems, especially Entreq, CAD and Vertex however they will work on just about any grounding device ask for details.