"I heard no difference with the Koda K-10 between the third up shelf and the fourth up".
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How an audio rack can enhance your amp/pre
Just thought I would share my recent experience with upgrading my sound star technologies rack to the new rhythm rack.
Every now and then, I have a visiting audiophile who really appreciates my system…and traditionally asks – “wow, what makes it sound so good?” My typical answer is it all makes a difference, even down the equipment rack, which can and certainly should be considered a component…but in many cases is overlooked…
Star Sound introduction
About 10 years ago, I was introduced to Star Sound Technologies Sistrum platforms and Audio Points. Audiopoints has always been known for its manufacture of well-designed and beautifully manufactured brass cones used under equipment and as an integral part of an audio stand. This ultimately led to the design of stands designed to transfer vibrations out of components and down to ground. What I didn’t know at the time was how good the Sistrum platforms ‘sounded’. So, I bit the bullet and tried several Sistrum Platforms - what intrigued me about the stands was the design of the Sistrum Platform which allowed a pre-determined pattern of energy, known as Coulomb Friction to develop and dissipate via a high-speed calculated conductive pathway to earth's ground. Which made sense…how do you deal with airborne energy dissipation? I know you could put cones to reduce vibrations from the ‘ground up’ so to speak, but how could you eliminate airborne vibration? We’ve all held our hand on our equipment when music is playing only to feel the equipment vibrate, so how do you deal with it? Draining it quickly to ground made sense, but at the end of the day, all I really wanted to know was…does it improve the sound?
To say I was shocked is an understatement - the Original Sistrum Platforms offered – smoother sound, better transients, dynamics and a lower noise floor. And, the cool part is that you could turn up the sound and the music would flow with greater ease…well worth the investment. Robert at Star Sound was extremely helpful in guiding me through which racks made the most sense for my system.
Rhythm Platforms
Which brings me to 2015…it had been a while since I last spoke with Robert curious as to what his engineering team was up to…which led me to check out the ‘new’ model of Sistrum Stands – the Sistrum Rhythm Platforms.
These new platforms / shelves were substantially heavier, with a nicer overall finish than the original stands, with more grooves allowing for substantially more options to place points in various places under your equipment to refine the sound even further. In addition, the shelves were engineered to deal with resonances in a more efficient manner…The brass cones at the bottom of the rack were substantially bigger in size - 3 inches and quite heavy. The brass cones under the equipment were attached with nicely crafted screws that could be hand tightened and no longer required a screw driver… a nice feature making it both easier to put together but also the amount of tightening could influence the sound. The brass and platform rods are modular, making it easier to put together and painted in a beautiful black finish – in combination with the brass I would say the improvement in the WAF factor is significant – the stands are really impressive to look at. As for structure, these things were a solid as could be – and heavy! Not going anywhere, even in an earthquake!
My system includes VAC equipment, preamp, amps, DAC and a transport. As well as power supplies. Most of which now rested on the new Rhythm Platform.
Listening Impressions:
My first impressions were clearly a lower noise floor with enhanced dynamics, while also being able to hear deeper into the soundstage, which now extended well outside of the speakers. Tempo was faster, due to better-defined, leading edges. The high end was ‘cleaner’, with more sheen and decay on symbols and hi hats. Brass had that right bite to it, without over doing it…Bass lines were tighter which led to better ‘rhythm’ … and best of all, I could crank up the volume and the dynamic range seemed to extend effortlessly, which was a nice surprise.
One thing I noticed, that was true of my initial experience with Sistrum Platforms, is that the newer Rhythm Platforms sounded progressively better after 3 days of ‘settling’ and reached full potential after about 1 week. So some form of break in is required.
Over the years, I’ve tried different racks and various cones under equipment, whether if be soft, hard, ceramic, rubber (or some variation of ‘absorbing material’ etc.) you name it. All of which ‘altered’ the sound, but nothing came close to the Sistrum Stands holistically; while the new Rhythm stands, just take it all to a higher level…
While I cannot expound eloquently on science of Coulomb’s Friction, I can tell you that whatever they are doing at Star Sound visa vie their racks, it works…and it’s not subtle. This is a very audible improvement in your listening experience. If you want your system to perform at its highest level, I would suggest that you maximize your investment in your equipment by letting it do what it does best and put it on a Sistrum rack that will allow it to perform at its best. And if you want the best, I would strongly recommend the Rhythm Platforms.
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Got my 2 shelf Rhythm Rack yesterday and installed it. An all day affair requiring me moving everything but the speakers. Moving the amp from Apprentice platform to the second shelf of the Rhythm. The improvement was so absurd it was like having a new system. So much more “live”, real, being there. So much more inner detail and info I’ve never heard before. Unbelievable space and shape. Lifelike soundstage, much wider and deeper. Then I moved the 3 piece DSD system from an Apprentice platform to the bottom shelf . New realms of awesome. We could not stop listening on into the night. So much more recording venue information, revealing vocal clues to the emotion of the artist. Purity, effortlessness, and clarity I couldn't have imagined. Totally analogue sounding. Piano now exhibits it's amazing complexity like never before. I can hear the interplay between strikers, strings, harp and cabinet like standing next to a Grand. And this is after 10 hours of playing time . They improve for at least 3 days to several weeks. As you may recall, I reported hearing The Apprentice platform ($500) sound way better than 3 Ultra sixes ($2700). I bought 5 Apprentice platforms and have really enjoyed their superiority over other types and brands of platforms and feet (over 30 years of experimenting with such devices). Well, the Rhythm ($1500) totally knocks the fine Apprentice in the dirt. On both speakers and equipment. I would never expect that a rack or platform could make such amazing and dramatic an improvement. IF you haven't heard them, I bet you would never expect their miracle improvements either. There is a lot of blah, blah, blah on this thread about nothing in particular, but those actuality interested in this topic, welcome and congratulations!! I'm happy for those who will actually try these Star Sound Goodies. |
Ddraudt, I have had the time to do only one experiment and it was at the top of my four shelf Rhythm rack. I heard no difference with the Koda K-10 between the third up shelf and the fourth up. As you may recall I have the music server o the bottom shelf as it needs no direct line of sight nor any hand operation. I do understand the idea that the lowest shelf can get the vibrations to earth fastest. Maybe that is better for you as you are on the ground floor. |
TGB, since I have neither space, nor long cords, The 2 shelf Rhythm rack will help me. The difference between shelf one and two, when compared to the difference between having Rhythms and not having them, is insignificant. IMHO Shelf 2 sounds better than any other rack or platform I've heard in decades. But maybe I'll end up covering the floor with Rhythm platforms. Time will tell Great thing about Star Sound is that I can always trade the bars (or anything) back in for different stuff. (as long as I haven't munged it up). D |
Agear, what "cliches" are you referring to? I try to make my snappy retorts utterly original! I guess some have a low threshold of assault and are seemingly sensitive when it comes to being called out for inanity, but Robert's "offer" that he "may" loan me some of his pointy items is hardly sincere, and the hastle of taking my currently great sounding rig apart (other than to dust it from time to time) doesn't interest me
unless he plans to ship me the stuff as a gift and not a loan, for which I will gladly review it (this could force me to dust my gear more thoroughly). My system consists of well vetted items that provide exactly the sound I desire (as pretty much everybody else's stuff likely does), in a great sounding room (luck), and as a live sound technician I deal with LIVE sound
another point you missed. Although my live "desk" feeds to recording media have been used on albums here and there I tend to share those only with people I like. So Agear, look elsewhere for somebody to push around, and enjoy your continued fellating of Robert as it does seem like a mutually enjoyable arrangement. |
Is there a "burn in" service for racks? Maybe put them under your refrigerator for a week…leave them in the trunk of your car…you simply cannot expect unseasoned brass to perform its magic without having time to "settle in." Little story: I was in the late Lars Friedell's (yes THAT Lars…part of friends in CT) listening room right after the Sun Mook dudes had installed Mpingo disks everywhere (even on their proprietary leetle stands…so cute)…we had a good laugh about them until a good long listening session ensued…then we had another laugh at the fact that anybody would buy the damn things…P.T. Barnum indeed. |
In my experience the star sound stands change in sound as they settle in for a month or more. The newer models are much better sounding because Star Sound continues to test for better performing designs. Like most companies who care. I had a lot of Still Points, they sounded great until I compared them to the SS Apprentice platform. The $500 Apprentice beat 3 ultra sixes by a wide margin in that system and in mine. The sp are gone now. I have 8 SS platforms now and hope to move all equipment to Rhythm Racks n platforms. |
After a week acclimating to the SS Rhythm RP-5 rack I'm starting to tweak. At Starsound's suggestion, I moved the K-01X CDP from the top shelf down one shelf in order to bring it inside the rack. This is a surprising improvement-- uncanny timbres, increased spaciousness, more and better bass. The Esoteric is finally revealing potential commensurate with its price. Just as with the initial improvement I heard after adding the RP-5, this latest step feels more like a component upgrade than a tweak. Hearing such improvement after moving the component nearer to the grounding points suggests that draining vibration generated from within the component may be more significant than insulating it from low frequency earth-born vibration. |
Geoff, Every product you have mentioned at length is a transducer..a converter of one energy form to another energy form. All transducers have loses and yes that's (what you want) and (how you think). The Star Sound products are not based on that same old tune. Our products are not energy converters but energy directors. Materials matter. The impedance of the material matters. The velocity of sound thru the material matters. We carefully choose our materials for their sonic influences and character. We determined that the speed of our chosen materials when direct coupled to most hardwoods or concrete that all of these materials have much the same velocity. On the other hand if you take a steel or brass rod and attach it to a pile of rubber the difference in the sound velocity thru those same materials will have a differential of over 50 times. If those same hard materials terminate into Sorbothane the ratio would be even greater and worse for sound. And then you have these same materials at rest re terminated to a wood or concrete floor. It's rush hour stop and no go! Not much moves but it does backup because the rate of conversion at one end is much slower than what the pipe end is being feed from the other end. We terminate our designs Directly into the much greater mass of the floor surface on which they rest. As I said the floor surface material velocity and that of the steel and brass we use are very similar and will provide energy thru put unreachable by any model you have ever mentioned or described. Tom. Star Sound Technologies |
Discwasher made an anti-vibration damping platform in the 1970s. Ampex recognized that vibration was a problem in the late 1950s and esoterically mounted their circuit boards in their 351 electronics as a result. I saw the first Sound Anchor stands about 1987. Bob Worzella came up to St. Paul and installed them at House of High Fidelity. At first they were just speaker stands but by 1989 he was building equipment stands too- complete with anti-vibration platforms. |
Thanks for the history lesson Geoff. I wondered why you were hovering, and now I know why. As a manufacturer, I suggest you get one of your followers to start another thread, or send your products out for a formal review. Otherwise, coasting along here in SS's wake stains your cause. http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1200367194.jpg Maybe that dude could aid your cause.... |
It all started about 20 years ago as far as vibration isolation goes, sorry if I seem disagreeable, with Townshend Seismic Sink, Vibraplane and Bright Star, I guess I'd throw Mana in the mix and yours truly when I introduced the first 6 dregree of freedom Sub Hertz Nimbus isolation platform. There are any number of vibration management products,mas you call them, that to back even further, like Mpingo discs, Marigo dots, Harmonix dots, etc. Perhaps you were spacing out. Lol |
Vibration management hardly seems to have a clear gospel, and its application in audio is relatively recent. Just take a gander at old reviews in the audio mags, and you will see things plonked on chairs and the floor despite Dickson's seminal article: http://www.stereophile.com/reference/52/ |
Sorry, the vibrations is not trapped. The isolation disallows vibration from entering the component according to the low pass mechanical filter characteristics. The damping of the top plate dissipates the vibration that the component might produce as well as extraneous vibration that makes it through the low pass filter of the iso device. Of course if you employ crap damping materials or techniques it won't be effective. There's a right way and a wrong way to accomplish all of this. I'm a little surprise you're arguing so strenuously as all of this vibration isolation stuff is well documented, even in audio since Shannon Dickson published Bad Vibes in Stereophile twenty years ago, outlining the plan for the future of high end audio. |
With the Case closed as you indicated the vibration is trapped. Coming in from all directions. And the beat goes on in a fashion. Damping slows the release and decay of energy, there is no fast pass thru only more buildup of noise and friction. Another mouse trap built upon dissimilar materials and shapes. Only one transfers and directs energy the other impedes and restricts the exit point. Tom |
08-05-15: Geoffkait On what exactly do you base this supposition? Do you make stands we can demo? |
theaudiotweak, you are half right. You must isolate the component using mass on spring or negative stiffness or whatever iso technique AND spike the component to the iso device AND spike the iso device to the floor. and the spikes must be points down. Now, I'm not saying spikes are not better than nothing. but spikes simply don't address very low frequency structureborne vibration. period. |
"Why not make your organic acoustic comb filter more reactive and beneficial especially if grounded by having it residing in a container made of the metal of music?" I just realized you metallurgy guys have been going about this all wrong. Instead of spiking the gear, you need to spike the listener! And no, Agear, I don't mean with what's on the side table... |
08-04-15: Geoffkait But the natives grow things that can, using brain chemistry, bypass those pesky vibrations.... |
Here is another take on room construction from an audio luminary and elder statesman Winston Ma: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue3/maroom.htm |
and with that thought.. Pot this, a palm tree in a brass container mechanically grounded to the floor with Audio Points or a small Sistrum Platform. Why not make your organic acoustic comb filter more reactive and beneficial especially if grounded by having it residing in a container made of the metal of music? I have my deep cycle marine battery on a Sistrum Platform and that improved the sonics of my hybrid Altmann DAC. Previous I had the same platform on carpet and then on audio points. Improved grounding can improve a chemical process that can be heard. A 60 lb. battery pushing a 1 lb. dac. Better listening with the ways and means of better chemistry. Tom |
Pity the poor folks who live by the ocean or on an island like Hawaii. The waves pounding the shore produce bad vibes. Vibrations thus produced not only travel quite far but have extremely low frequencies, like about 2 to 10 Hz. Just the sort of thing even really good isolation systems can't deal with very effectively. |