Grand Prix versus Stillpoints

Tbg,

I read your review, that was part of my encouragement. That and previous experience with standard Stillpoints and the new Stainless Ultras.

The stands will be the new version, so I expect to be suitably impressed.

My listening will probably be interrupted before I come to any conclusion. I jet out for Salon Son and Image (Canada) the day before Press day which is two days prior to regular attendees.

Theaudiotweek, like written earlier,the rack is just a stating point. Without some additional hardware, either couplers or some vibration absorbing devices such as those from stillpoints and others you will not hear your system near it's best. Your vague inference about a rack plus platform only backs up my contention that a rack is just a starting point and to drain vibration from our audio units we need to contact the case of the units with a conduit for dealing with vibrations.

Isolation only exists in the absence of matter. If you design a product based on the false premise that isolation is possible in the dimensions in which we exist then you wasted your time and energy. The much more effective resolution is to design a pathway for resonant energy to pass to ground. Even in archaic and so-called isolation systems resonant energy will eventually find its way out and to ground but very slowly leaving vague musical memories of notes of the past. Much like an inferior capacitor distorts and blurs the sound stage. All of my components and boards, speakers, drivers....they are all assembled as a conduit to ground. No mud or rubber or carbon fiber in between. The racking system has been on the market for years...

Theaudiotweek, only you speak of isolation. I said a rack is a starting point and to hear your system at its best you will need some devices that control and dissipate vibration from the audio unit's (CDP,amp,pre,ect.) outer case in order to hasten the removal of the resonant energy and the vague musical memories you referred to in your thread. I use no mud, rubber or carbon fiber either so I am not sure why you mention that as we were discussing ultras and their ability to act as conduits for vibration with either hardhats against units case or attached as footers. You still do not mention which rack you use, but even in your thread you mention rack AND PLATFORM SYSTEM,not just rack. And that is my point, you need more than just a rack, so your comments about isolation seem misplaced as vibration control is where the subject was. Also your statement to design a pathway for resonant energy to pass to ground is exactly what the ultras do and what I have been saying is needed BESIDES a rack.

Theaudiotweak, I have another axiom-you cannot ever have too much isolation, or at least too many Ultra SSs. I have heard the benefits of Ultra SSs on the sliders on my StillPoints Component stands. A substantial improvement. I have heard also the benefits of Ultra SSs as the feet under this stand. Another major improvement. A friend reports the benefit of using an Accapella platform on the Ultra SSs on sliders above and with another layer of Ultra SSs on the platform.

Even with the "new technology" in my StillPoint Rack, I found major improvement with Ultra SSs under components on the acrylic shelves on the Rack. StillPoints even notes that putting the Ultra SSs directly on the rails of the Rack and not using the acrylic shelves is a major improvement.

What impresses me with all of this is how insidious vibration is. No one has mentioned the vibration of cables, but again I know all too well, that there is great benefit for isolating them from vibration.