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Stillpoints Ultra6 reference vibration controlers?

Category: Amplifiers

I started to work in audio in july 1998. I remember that the first day I started I had a blocknote with me. I started in room 1 of the loudspeakers. Here it all started to write down properties of each individual tool. For a long time I was addicted to audio. I was busy with audio for 80 hours a week. It was never enough for me.

Almost 17 years later I have done thousands of tests in audio. From the mid level till highend. I became aware that I could judge and understand audio a lot more easy than all my collegues. But I never understood why. Untill in 2012 I became aware that I have a photographic memory in sound. I trained this part of my brain for a long time. Every single audition I can recall. So a second audition I see in front of me and the first one is on the left side. Within a few tenths of a second I know already the difference between them.

When you are aware of all the properties of each individual 'tool' you will see and understand the patterns between them. And you will understand the connections between them. This means you understand how the stage and overall sound has been created. I can see 3-4 steps further than other people in audio can.

I judge every single tool on what I call Total Sound. Total Sound is like a blue print of the original sound. When I audition sets from 'new' clients, at shows or at another audio shop in almost all situations it is what I call 'incomplete'.
In most 'new' sets I need to bring in parts of Total Sound to make it complete. At the end it is so much more addictive to listen to any set I 'repaired'.

Parts of Total Sound:

- Soundrealism: you want and need an instrument to sound like
in real. I use Pass labs amps to the max for this. It is the
focus on sound of each different instrument and voice. For
example: you want to hear the difference between 2 acoustic
guitars of a recording. I always want to hear the full
pallet in the mid freq. The timbre is an essential part
of listening to music

- 3 dimensional soundstage: this is the most exiting part of
audio in general. This sets your beloved music in full 3D
in front of you. During listening you can focus on each
individual part of a recording.

- Intimate sound: instruments and voices are very small in
dimension and very direct in sound. You want a realistic
proportion of instruments and voices. Intimate sound has
a very big influence on our emotion.

- Blacks: The space between the instruments and voices with
their acoustic information during the recording. This is
level of physical appearance. You want to touch every single
instrument and voice of the recording. Germans use the word
'darstellung'.

- timing and speed: it is a very important part for authority
and control of the overall sound. Better timing will give
you less acoustic limitaions. But also a more natural sound.
Biside this you also can reveal more layers of the low freq.

- Resolution: you want to hear all details of the recording.
And it needs to be physical apparent.

- Air: This part gives the instruments and voices the freedom
during listening. Separation makes your music so much more
appealing.

- A big freq. response: When your system goes deeper in freq.
response you will hear more information of a recoding. This
also has a big influence on our emotion. People can hear
till maximum 20 khz. But...the freq. response above it
influences our brains.

- articulation of voices: how clear you can hear word
endings, breathing of singers and moving lips.

- heights: When I received 2 sets of the Audioquest Wel
Signature xlr's it became more clear than ever. It makes
listening to music different and even more appealing.

I wanted to tell this information first before I start with the review of the Ultra 6. Because it makes it much more easy to understand how I work. By using tools for their properties you always will reach a superior endresult in sound. For a perfectionist like me you always go to the max. There is no room for error.

When you have done thousands of tests like me, you are aware of how important and unique the working of Stillpoints are in your set. I am a stillpoint dealer and use many of them in my set. They are an 'essential' part for the absolute sound. Why? Because they can add 'new' qualities I could not create with other tools.

At this moment we speak I do a lot of research with new tools and systems. I call it creating a new 'statement' in sound. Because I want to reach a higher endresult than ever before regardless price in audio. It is a higher level of accuracy and realism than before.

Without Stillpoints I would not be there were I am at this moment. When you compare the Ultra 6 against the other Stillpoints you know how much better they are.

I put them under my Pass labs X350.5. They operate in a different league. They even bring your set into a new zone. Like it puts your set into pause and it sets your music free. Your stage becomes wider and deeper and you get more air around all instruments and voices.

The mid freq. becomes more involving than before. Also the authority and control of the mid freq. is more precise.

When you compare amps or sources which have a huge difference in price ( 2000 dollar against 10.000 dollar+) you will never have this difference in timing the Ultra 6 gives to you. It is mindblowing in what it does with the speed and timing. It becomes so much more accurate and refined.

I noticed that the sound of a piano and cello becomes so much more natural sounding.

In the high freq. you will reveal more details. And again the control and authority in the high freq. gets to a much higher level.

The low freq. go deeper than before with a much higher level of authority again. You hear more layers but beside this the natural sound of a bass drum has never sounded this 'real'.

I am the first person who bought then in the Netherlands. And I am thrilled to own them. They are a crucial part of my set. They will have an important part for me to be able to create a new 'statement'in sound.

When you ask me the question; are they expensive? You know they are even rather cheap for the quality and level they bring. I'll love them till death!

Sound&Vision Consulting 16-2-2015
128x128bo1972
bo1972's avatar
bo1972 OP
2,789 posts
 
The best sound in audio wil be chosen by each person. When you work by Tru-Fi, you are able to create a much higher level in emotion.

We are emotional human beings, we prefer the sound what creates the most emotional feeling.

Tru-Fi is how music sounds in real. There are so many things what influence the sound before it reaches your speakers.

When you test each part of a set after time you will understand how you can improve it. And how limitations in sound can be solved.

When you visit an audio shos in most situations the results are limited. They always blame the room. I don't have this problem anymore. This gives a huge advantage over any other company.

Even the companies who create acoustic pannels work by absorbing frequencies. This means less information.

With S.A.P. you solve the acoustic limitations but you will keep much more details and information of the music and movies you play.

Shootouts against highend pre amps like the Pass labs XP-20 and Audioresearch Ref 5SE showed how much informattion they loose in the low, mid and high frequencies.

These differences are huge and unacceptable!!
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"Even the companies who create acoustic pannels work by absorbing frequencies. This means less information."

Actually that’s not really true, well, it could be true if one was all thumbs and put the panels in the wrong place, but ordinarily the panels absorb *unwanted* sound, e.g., echoes or first or second reflections or standing waves. Acoustic effects that interfere with the primary signal. That means more information, not less information. Comb filter effects are not a good thing under any circumstances. Same goes for resonators like those cute tiny bowl acoustic resonators. They could hurt the sound if put in the wrong place but when used as directed there is more information, not less.

bo1972's avatar
bo1972 OP
2,789 posts
 
I visited several people with highend sets who also spend a lot of money on acoustic pannels. They still were not satisfied and still had a lot of acoustic limitations.

S.A.P. is first of all much more effective. Beside this is is a lot cheaper. Many acoustic pannels are not the best looking. Maybe they are a lot better looking than 10 years ago. But they are still not that pretty.

Beside the acoustics there are so many parts where you loose quality. At the end people are only able to get a very low % out of the capability of a speaker.

The knowledge in acoustics is very poor for most people who work in audio. The same you see about electricity and smog. I work togheter with companies who are speciallized in these things.

I did a lot of research and testing with different tools regarding electricity and also smog. And you create a lot of improvement in these areas even for low prices.

We also do a lot of modifications to amps and sources and again the improvements are huge for reasonable prices. You are not able to create a higher level by spending the same amounts on new speakers, amps, sources or cables.

I still love to test and always looking for new improvements. As a perfectionist you are only interested in creating the best results for the lowest prices.

We want to create improvements for the best prices. So we can give all our clients the maximum for their money.

The biggest limitation in audio is trial and error. Each set created by trial and error tested by Tru-Fi is always incomplete. And I can explain to these people what is missing. And I never heard any one to dissagree.

Tru-Fi works by parameters you judge sound for. It has nothing to do with taste. But is based on essential parts which need to be there for the absolute sound.

That is why I want audio/highend to work by parameters. Because now audio is a free world with a lot of bullshit and it is based on nothing.




mewsickbuff
237 posts
 
Besides Pass Labs, Onkyo and Monitor Audio, which other brands of amps and speakers do you find have the ability to meet your high expectations in music reproduction?  Which would you recommend to someone "shopping" for new components or just starting out and who is limited to a mid-fi budget?
bo1972's avatar
bo1972 OP
2,789 posts
 
The thing is that you cannot copy me. I can explain this very easily.

When you are not able to think and work in properties, you will never understand why the sound and stage is what you hear.

Each part in your set including the acoustics influences the stage and sound what comes out of your speakers.

It even does not make sense to use the same brands and stuff I use. In the past I have many examples for this. When I left a company, it stopped selling Platinum loudspeakers.

It is the way how I use all the parts. This is information I will never explain. I use many new products and I use them all a special way.

I have proven that I can create about 300% more quality than other companies for exactly the same money.

You cannot copy my brains and insight. It is important to see the patterns in each room and situation. It will be different based on the room and also the components.

The biggest limitation in audio is that by far the most products are 2 dimensional. This means their d.n.a. is not able to create more than 1 metre of depth.

The d.n.a. alway will be the limitation. This cannot be changed. This is why over 99% of all the sets in the world are 2D.

We only sell and create 3D sound. S.A.P. is an importnt part for our quality and sound. But without understanding the d.n.a. of each part in a set it is a lot less effective.

The older Onkyo is the only stuff I know for normal prices what is able to create depth. You will go higher in prices to find it in other brands.

When you judge speakers on stage depth and width you will hear that most speakers are 2 dimensional. This means they are only able to create more than 1 metre of depth maximum.

When you want a 3D stage, you need an amp, source, speakers and even cables who are good in creating it. Each part of your set needs to own the d.n.a. of creating a deep and wide stage.

When you are not able to think and work by Tru-Fi you will not understand the d.n.a. of each part in your set. So you need me!
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