Groundbreaking Approach to Noise Reduction

Designer Caelin Gabriel created the ALTAIRA to be the absolute state-of-the-art solution for controlling ground-plane noise in home entertainment and pro-audio systems. The ALTAIRA is a centralized grounding system that eliminates inter-component ground-loops while reducing ground-plane noise that is known to cause audible humming, buzzing and other undesirable distortions. Electrical grounds are often contaminated with various types of electromagnetic interference, including radio, television, microwave, wifi and cell tower frequencies. The ALTAIRA System uses patented technologies that significantly reduce these types of noise and distortion.

ALTAIRA is based on an expandable and scalable hub style architecture. ALTAIRA hubs combined with Shunyata Research’s purpose-built CGC/SGC ground cables provide the means to create a high performance grounding system for professional or personal use. A single six-terminal ALTAIRA hub is all that is needed for small to medium sized home entertainment systems. For pro-audio systems or for very large home entertainment systems, a more complex ground system that consists of multiple interconnected ALTAIRA hubs may be installed.

The ALTAIRA hubs reduces chassis and signal ground related noise to a degree that will astonish even the most critical music enthusiast or recording engineer. It strips away multiple layers of noise, revealing previously hidden musical detail and micro-dynamics while improving dynamic scale, tonal accuracy and timbral definition with an expanded sense of spatial dimensionality. The bass foundation has added weight, grip, and articulation. Video content has improved image resolution, Dmax, and color saturation.

The sheer degree of improvement in resolution in both audio and video performance must be experienced first-hand to be fully appreciated.

Two Unique ALTAIRA Hubs

There are two ALTAIRA models available. Both have six terminals, each with their own dedicated zones of isolation. The ALTAIRA Chassis Hub is ideal for simple systems that have fewer than six components. The filters at each zone of isolation are tuned to the frequencies most commonly found riding the chassis-grounds of components.

For more complex systems, the ALTAIRA Signal Hub may be used to segregate and isolate certain types of components. For instance, separating the digital components from the analog components will provide a higher levels of performance. Filters are tuned to reduce frequencies that most commonly ride the signal ground of components.

Adding an ALTAIRA grounding hub to your system requires some process and deliberation. We have created a series of documents to support your considerations.

Awards & Reviews

“Shunyata’s ALTAIRA System is a revelation, not only taking my system’s performance to the next level of sound quality, but also in revealing the effects of ground noise on musical realism."

"It has become an essential part of my reference system” 

~ Robert Harley, Editor-in-Chief, The Absolute Sound, Issue 334

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