Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Sorry guys. The Mojo is playing in the background. Benjamin had said it was well
broken in but had some parts upgraded before he sent it to me. I’m a pathologic believer in extended burn in to give everything its best performance. So it’s cooking. And I lost over a week of no power from the storms. I also, admittedly, needed to do this footer/shelf shootout as some of the gear is on short term loan from some local dealers who need it back. I’m listening one more time to the Symposium and HRS this Wednesday and then giving the Mojo a nice long listen. First impressions were very good. I’ll Report more shortly. Sorry. 

Benjamin also said he’s trying to get me his server. I’ll keep you updated on that as well. 

Thanks for the update Matt, keep that system burning!

WARNING, this post is GOING to piss people off!!! I am sorry. The opinions I am about to state are mine and mine alone. Please don’t tear me a new you’know’what or start flaming. I am just stating my opinion heard in my room, with my related accessories, on my system....

You have been warned!

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My friend came over today. We listened again; just compared Symposium shelf/footers and HRS shelf/footers . Used many different styles of music, spent quite a bit of time. Switched between the two several times (what a PITA, but worth it!). The combo shelf/footer has clearly proven to surpass the performance gains of any footer only system.

I definitely prefer the Symposium system (Ultra Platform and double stack roller blocks). It’s clean, neutral, fast, gives amazing attack and decay and the soundstage and imaging are holographic. And I’m not sure how, but it significantly lowers the noise floor. The HRS does not lower the noise floor, in fact I think it’s adding to it. It didn’t strike me until we switched back from HRS to Symposium for like the 4th time.

I think that’s what makes the HRS sound like it’s giving “more” in comparison, I think it’s coloring the sound. It’s “more” because it’s adding “more” to the reproduction. I think that the HRS footers, on their own, are a better solution then with the shelf. I think there is too much rubber if you add footers and shelves, to be quite honest. The sound HRS gives is big, bold, dynamic, MORE!!! Sounds awesome with anything punchy and dynamic. HRS sounds great on everything to be honest (the rack/shelf/footer equivalent of really good horns), but the purity and neutrality in combination with the blackest background I have ever heard, from the Symposium, was what finally uncovered what I hear the HRS was doing. I think Peter from Symposium may be right (he hates any rubber in a rack/footer/shelf system). A touch of rubber may be ok, but HRS REALLY relies on it heavily. The Symposium makes my system sound the best it ever has, and my friend today was the one who said it.

I juts ordered a set of elusive ShunMook Giant footers, touted by many to be the best of the best. I am also trying to arrange to audition a set of Magico Qpods. Of course, both would be implemented on the Symposium Ultra shelf or on the Osiris rack, as I’m leaning heavily in that direction. I will play with a few footers on that shelf to see what’s best, but the combo of Symposium Ultra shelf and double sandwich rollerblocks has impressed me most thus far.

On the inexpensive, holy cow are they good and they are only HOW MUCH, category is the IsoAcoustics Gaia and Orea. If you are looking for 95# of the performance for practically nickels on the dollar compared to the expensive stuff, you can NOT do better then IsoAcoustics!!!

Hello Matt,

I have to say I am not surprised by the HRS vs the Symposisum.

We did a shoot out of the HRS Damping plate $1,800.00 which is the actual shelf of the HRS stands vs a Stillpoints spider platfom which cost $800 and we had the exact same experience. The Stillpoints seemed to make everything more in focus and improved the micro dynamics over the HRS.

So for years we were working with the Stillpoints products, now it seems that there racks have gone up in price so much we are looking at alternatives

We are looking to add an Osris rack to our reference room as it seems to be one of the best designed racks out there and the price seems reasonable compared with some of the other reference racks so we should talk.

Just got our Davinci 2 and are burning it in, wow, is it incredible.

Love to catch up.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

Also totally agree with you on the Isoacoutics stuff, just amazing for the money. 

Did an initial test of three pucks at $60 for the entire set vs a set of the older Stillpoints which were over $300 and we thought the Isoacoustics were just as good if not better.

We were telling people about these findings months ago. 

The pucks under a set of bookshelf speakers too a set of ATC and Elac to another level.

It amazes us how some people on these forums think vibration isolation doesn't or can't make a difference on anything other than a turntable. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ