.......your thoughts and sonic impression only to those who have purchased and still own these highly regarded platforms under their speakers. What did they do to the sound and were they worth it ? Thank you in advance....
I think it makes the sound, sound as if the speaker is floating in space - which I like. The irony is that the theory has the speaker properly grounded. I really don't understand any of it except the brass points are top notch in hardness and sharpness. It's a quality product that I've preferred enough to keep. Undeniably pricy, try to buy at 50% used.
bass became more natural sounding. music flowed more effortlessly. overall much more natural and relaxed type of sound. very worth it to me. (my rig is on a wood floor, suspended on joists, with crawl space underneath. best sound with these vs. when i had them spiked or on various isolation products.) if you are unsure of how/why they work, read the white papers at their web site. and if still confused or have questions, call and speak with robert. with me, he was always very willing to talk about the theories and practice of these devices.
I have been using Sistrum products (101s and apprentice stands) since around 2007 under a variety of components subs, speakers, amps, dacs, etc) and they have a profound impact. I have even incorporated their technology into my audio room design. Sonic impressions under speakers: better image focus, bass, speed, and air.....in other words more real or live sounding. Value? Not pricey considering that they typically will double your speakers performance and use raw materials and a fabrication process that is expensive unlike much of the cheap chifi masquerading as hi end. It's a no-brainer. They have multiple price points available....give Robert at SS a call....
These are keepers.Bought over 10 yrs. ago.Under my floor standers bass tightened up and became much more dynamic.The highs became more transparant.Inner detail improved to the point of hearing new things on on the recordigs.Stage is taller deeper and wider.Things have really come out of the box so to speak.Helps speakers dissapear.Added one more under my vandersteen sub,already great.Now timber rythem and pace have improved.String plucks are amazing,cymbles splash,midrange fleshed out too.Mine are not for sale!Pricy but a must have.When removed the whole stage collapses.Highly recommended.R.W.
I wouldn't know about any historic Star Sound products or internal disputes, so have no basis of comparison between the products of yore and the ones available today.
But I can comment on both the use of Audio Points and now the new Sistrum Apprentice XL Platforms under my Revel Salon 2s. Here is what I posted last July about the Audio Points:
"I'm not sure how they do it, but the affect is that the system has become both more precise AND more musical. The bass is tighter yet with significantly more prominence and slam - a superior foundation has been built. Microdynamics are better, treble is more detailed but even less fatiguing at concert levels, and imaging is both taller and deeper while being more precise, i.e. I can hear players in the soundstage RIGHT THERE.
And yeah, the apparent volume has increased too as Granny noted. The Salon 2s are not exactly an exemplar of efficiency so I've gone with high-current amplification solutions to make them hit hard when I want them to. It's nice to not have to draw so much juice out of the wall as I was before."
The Sistrum Apprentice XL Platforms arrived at the end of last month. They do take things to another level beyond what the Audio Points were doing. Players are more precisely placed in the soundstage with better proportionality, which makes them easier to follow. Bass remains meaty but has more texture and nuance. The attack of plucked strings is faster and more lifelike. Decays stretch longer into the acoustic and are more easily heard. There is more air around the notes. And there is more detail apparent; I am picking up new things on albums I've listened to for 40+ years that were previously buried in the recording.
To sum up,as I told Robert,
"They have settled in and the results are excellent. It feels as though the window into the music is even more clear, that a film has been stripped away making the illusion of actual musicians in the room even more compelling. This is important to me, as my pursuit has always been of the 'they are here' and not the 'you are there' variety, due to the fact that the room is not a highly dampened man cave but rather a room built specifically to enjoy views."
I have been using them under my audio equipment for several years and agree with all the positive accolades above. You simply don't want to believe that these things are as good as they are because they initially seem pricey but once you own them you will never remove them. Ironically, I happen to have planar speakers which don't allow the actual platforms to integrate with them but I do use an SP101 under my stereo amplifier and several of the "003 & 004" models under a pair of mono blocs, my pre-amp, and my Dac (all are tubed units BTW)as well as the Sistrum spikes under my main rack... and I will be buying a few more for additional equipment. They are addicting and considered essential once you hear what they do. Highly recommended
02-21-15: Garebear ... '' so how did the Sistrum SP 101's sound under the who ever designed and made them ; Caravelle speakers the original posted asked "' ?
The Caravelles had dedicated stands designed using similar principles: http://www.audiopoints.com/OLDSITE/whitecaravelle.html
I never heard them but have owned Dale's Pitcher's designs and if they resemble them in any way sonically (and I have heard they do: http://audiofederation.com/catalog/show-reports/RMAF-October-2004/index2.htm ), they should sound fantastic.
I was using some vintage Pioneer speakers as a surrogate while I was waiting for my Mosaic Audio Illuminations. I popped these $75 Craigslist speakers on the Apprentice stands, and a speaker designer friend who heard them said he had not heard many 10K speakers sound as good.
...how about this one as the original poster ; I do not give a crap at this point if Robert allegedly ''stole '' the company from this guy, and how does that happen and somebody not know it ..... all I care about is the sound of these under a pair of floor standing speakers ! I would like to hear from those people who have bought the SP 101's. Start your own thread on who stole the company or designed this or that speaker. Take it somewhere else.....
Now returning to the original question (with apologies for continuing the derailment...), I have a question of my own: with which speakers are you thinking of using the Sistrum Apprentice platforms?
To the extent that one of the common minor gripes about the Avalon sound is that it is a bit thin, I would think they would benefit plenty from the SP 101 platforms, in the form of a more dense, meaty presentation. A more solid foundation, if you will.
As for the non-responsive threadcrapping over who did what when, just consider it one of the hazards of any public forum. Usually if you ignore it then it goes away...but if you go away, the threadcrapper wins by silencing the discussion!
Agear, thanks re: the Symphonic Line compliments. All the glass in the room presents certain challenges, and the match of the SL amplification with the Salon 2s is impeccable: fast, dynamic, tonally pure and detailed without drilling holes in my eardrums via any overhyping or overetching of the upper registers. The Sistrum XLs add the frosting to the cake.
And as it so happens, at the moment I am waiting for another piece of the puzzle to be liberated from Customs so that it can join the other SL gear in my system. Likely my last significant purchase for a long, long time...
.... ""After hrs ""....really what is your problem ???? Take this somewhere else and get some professional help for this obsession of yours. Life really is too short !
02-25-15: Garebear .... ""After hrs ""....really what is your problem ???? Take this somewhere else and get some professional help for this obsession of yours. Life really is too short !
Garebear, I have nothing to add to the praise that everyone has heaped upon the Sistrum SP101 platforms. They are a groundbreaking, science based product that delivers more than it promises. I would NEVER again use a pair of floorstanding speakers without one of their platforms. Without them, you have not heard the capabilities of your speakers, plain and simple.
Thank you Agear - and needed to duck for awhile from the craziness of some people on this site. My goodness....I ended up buying the SP 101's and took me a few times to get my speakers '' properly '' situated on the stands. They do make a considerable difference. However, I am in the process of determining if I like the sonic changes they make and if I will stay with the stands, because as you know some changes are not fully realized until down the road. You have to live with them for awhile. Robert was great at Sistrum all through the purchase process and was very helpful. I will write back soon after I have had a chance for things to '' settle in ''. But right now .....yes I like what they have done to my Avalon's
Excellent news Garebear. I understand you pulling away for a respite. I have done the same in recent past due to the out and out pathology at large on many of these forums. I think you are wise to allow for that settle in and adjustment time. That phenomenon is real.
Robert is a gem and no sociopath or liar or crook. Quite the opposite. My first introduction to him was when I called SS to enquire about some used stands. He encouraged me to buy used rather than hustle me to buy new. That speaks volumes....
I've been using them for about 10 years now, and I still love them as much as ever. They were a great investment. They clarify music and make the speakers disappear as sound sources.
I have Audio Points underneath all my gear and have the Apprentice platform underneath my Pass XA 30.8. Without a doubt they have provided some of the biggest bang for the buck results of anything I've tried over the years. I'm saving my pennies now to get a full Sistrum rack. glory and garebear please keep us posted!
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