The Best Isolation/ Vibration Footers per component - what's your experience?

From what I’ve researched, the Critical Mass Center Stage 2 seem to be the best by a significant amount. For most positive reviews I’d expect perceivable, good, very good, and the very rare great, after around 10 days of declined performance, the system settles to a WoW (sorry, had to choose some descriptor)! Now I equate their descriptions as at least to the level of a major component upgrade. At say around $1k per set, is the component upgrade worth it? At $5k for 5 component upgrades, some would say this is a bargain.

Yeah, I know for some of you this may sound like abstract dribble, but if you get what I’m trying to communicate, then maybe you’ll benefit... or not ...

+1 for AVRoomService EVTs. Jim Smith knows what he's talking about. If I hadn't already bought some other iso products for most components I would have many more than the 8 I purchased. The effects were instantly recognizable.

I use a combination of isolation for my system. Under server: Stillpoints Ultra 6's / amp: Critical Mass Black Diamond shelf & Center Stage footers (4) / Under speakers: Nordost SortFut / REL subs: Arya Audio RevOpods / Under conditioner, grounding station and other conditioning products: Ultra 6's and Nordost SortKones (TC).  

I have mixed and matched all of the combinations possible with these products and have my preferences.  

I find the SortKones (TC) and the RevOpods equally effective with the RevOpods being warmer and the SortKones (TC) being a little more detailed. SortKones are tall and components tend to slide around a lot. RevOpods are much shorter but also have a hard surface on the narrow end (component side) so components will slide around if pushed or not handled carefully. If space (height) is an issue, the RevOpods will be more accommodating .

The Stillpoints Ultra 6's and the Center Stage footers were far more effective than the above. The Ultra 6's are extremely detailed, focused and somewhat analytical. The center Stage footers (1" & 1.5") are just as detailed but add a warmth and realness that the Ultra 6's don't. The holographic layering of the soundstage with the CS footers is spooky good. After talking with other Critical Mass owners and dealers I decided to add a Critical Mass shelf to the mix. Using the shelf in conjunction with the CS footers was cumulative and by far the best I have ever heard under a component. I plan to add 1 more CM shelf and 4 more CS footers.....Critical Mass is ridiculously expensive but nothing comes close to what their products can do for your system.  

I use a combination of isolation for my system. Under server: Stillpoints Ultra 6's / amp: Critical Mass Black Diamond shelf & Center Stage footers (4) / Under speakers: Nordost SortFut / REL subs: Arya Audio RevOpods / Under conditioner, grounding station and other conditioning products: Ultra 6's and Nordost SortKones (TC).  

I have mixed and matched all of the combinations possible with these products and have my preferences.  

I find the SortKones (TC) and the RevOpods equally effective with the RevOpods being warmer and the SortKones (TC) being a little more detailed. SortKones are tall and components tend to slide around a lot. RevOpods are much shorter but also have a hard surface on the narrow end (component side) so components will slide around if pushed or not handled carefully. If space (height) is an issue, the RevOpods will be more accommodating .

The Stillpoints Ultra 6's and the Center Stage footers were far more effective than the above. The Ultra 6's are extremely detailed, focused and somewhat analytical. The center Stage footers (1" & 1.5") are just as detailed but add a warmth and realness that the Ultra 6's don't. The holographic layering of the soundstage with the CS footers is spooky good. After talking with other Critical Mass owners and dealers I decided to add a Critical Mass shelf to the mix. Using the shelf in conjunction with the CS footers was cumulative and by far the best I have ever heard under a component. I plan to add 1 more CM shelf and 4 more CS footers.....Critical Mass is ridiculously expensive but nothing comes close to what their products can do for your system.  

Hi @ron17, thanks for sharing your feedback with us.

Some interesting things you mention there. I am going for best sound quality and for me that is realism and making the speakers and all components disappear as much as possible. Sometimes that mean maybe less detail or more or less warmth for instance.

You are saying that the Revopods sound warm and what I could find online is that Hifi + is saying "Irrespective of the component they're holding up, the Revopods give the soundstage extra depth and definition. Voices are more resonant and more like the real thing. The individual instrument sections in an orchestra are more clearly defined an delineated." Would you say you agree with these findings? Could you also share with which components you used them besides the sub and what you heard?

For Centerstage 2 footers PF mentions "The resultant stillness this afforded, by way of a darker, starker, background, was just intoxicating, adding a power and persuasiveness to everything I played, allowing me to be informed as much by the silence between musical impulses as by the effortless drive and pace of the musical gestalt itself. Instrumental tone colors, including their textures and verve, had bloomed. There was a newfound effortlessness and neutrality to every aspect of the music I played now" Also here, would you agree with these findings and under which components did you try them?

It's interesting, it seems that on more Western forums (e.g. whatsbestforum) they tend to lean towards the Centerstage 2 footers as best performers. Whereas on Eastern forums (e.g. Audio Exotics) they say that Revopods bested the Centerstage 2 footers. 


 

@richardhk

I got the RevOpods specifically for my 2 REL subs. I couldn't find a footer with the screw size that would accommodate the thread of the REL. I wanted to use Nordost SortFut (I use them on my main speakers) but Nordost didn't have a screw size to fit the REL's. I thought about Stillpoints Ultra 5's (they had the correct screw size) but I didn't want to spend that much on 8 footers (2 subs). A dealer who I have been working with for years had just become an Arya Audio distributor/dealer and was begging me to try them. He sent me a set to demo not only on my sub but he wanted me to try them on every component. My Innuos ZENith mk2 se music server is the most sensitive component I own and most telling of power cord, USB and footer changes, so that was the component I did my testing on. I tried 4 different footers under it for 5-10 days (each footer set). Nordost SortKones (TC) / RevOpods / Ultra 6's / Center Stage2 footers.

First of all I found each one of these footers improved the focus, imaging, detail and soundstage. In my system I preferred some over others. Every system is different and has different tuning needs. The quotes on RevOpods and Center Stage2 footers sound like what I heard in my system. 'Intoxicating' would be an accurate word to describe the Center Stage2 footers. In my system I thought the SortKones and the RevOpods were equal with slightly different tonal characteristics....SortKones being a little more detailed and the RevOpods being a little warmer.

I found the Ultra 6's and Center Stage footers a class above the RevOpods and SortKones. If your system is warm and tube like I could see you preferring Ultra 6's. If your system is neutral I could see one preferring Center Stage2's....again what you prefer will be based on your room, components, musical taste and what tonal qualities you desire.

One brand of footer might work well in my system and not be ideal in yours. I recommend finding a dealer that will let you borrow a set or two to demo in your system. Good luck finding a Critical Mass dealer that will let you do that (I couldn't find one). If you PM me I will give you the name of my dealer who sells Nordost, Stillpoints and RevOpods. You might be able to demo a set of RevOpods in your system.