Herzan Active Platform on Critical Mass or Harmonic Resolution Shelf and Rack

[Ron Resnick]

Congratulations, Joe, on a fantastic review!

 

[JackD201]

Wow, time has really flown hey Joe? I can't believe we've been working together this long. Seems just like yesterday when I hit you with a cold call. Grateful to remain on the same ride with you my friend. Your success is indeed well deserved.

The new Maxxums are a real treat I might add. I don't know exactly what you do or exactly how you do it but please don't stop! After experiencing the new Maxxum amp stands, I will be migrating to an all Maxxum rack system by the end of the year.

 

[joelavrencik]

Congratulations, Joe, on a fantastic review!

Thank you Ron!

 

[spiritofmusic]

I do find it fascinating that audiofools w more cash than sense will gravitate either to traditional high spec and pricey rack systems like this one, or go down the active isoln route, maybe for each component if pockets deep enough
For my part, common sense suggests to me strongly that a strong inert rack w potential to house a Herzan or Stacore Advanced or Minus K per tier/component, at kind of similar budget to these SOTA passive racks, is the clever choice
Certainly if the €5k active v €2k and €3.5k passive isoln platforms trial I'll be doing soon on my tt proves to be stellar and hard to ignore, I'll certainly consider running to individual platforms for cdp, linestage and psu, monoblocks X 2, all on a bulletproof inert foundation rack like €1.5k Rogoz

 

[joelavrencik]

Wow, time has really flown hey Joe? I can't believe we've been working together this long. Seems just like yesterday when I hit you with a cold call. Grateful to remain on the same ride with you my friend. Your success is indeed well deserved.

The new Maxxums are a real treat I might add. I don't know exactly what you do or exactly how you do it but please don't stop! After experiencing the new Maxxum amp stands, I will be migrating to an all Maxxum rack system by the end of the year.

Hi Jack,

I was really amazed to read David's review mention that he and I started over a dozen years ago. Man, time flies. And, it is I who thank you for choosing to work with CMS! You've been there from the beginning............

The MAXXUM MK3 is effectively the MK2 version X's 3. I think it's impossible to miss the affect of the top-to-bottom noise reduction. The degree to which audio component technology has evolved is truly amazing and we're thrilled that we can help reveal this.

The further good news is that Munich will see the introduction of a new top-of-the-line product called OLYMPUS that is effectively MAXXUM MK3 noise reduction x's 2. This one is our "Masterwork". There is nothing in the world like it. Nothing is missed with respect to aesthetic and/or performance. I think it will outlive me......and I plan to live forever.

Thank you again for all of your support over the years!

 

[Steve Williams]

I do find it fascinating that audiofools w more cash than sense will gravitate either to traditional high spec and pricey rack systems like this one, or go down the active isoln route, maybe for each component if pockets deep enough
For my part, common sense suggests to me strongly that a strong inert rack w potential to house a Herzan or Stacore Advanced or Minus K per tier/component, at kind of similar budget to these SOTA passive racks, is the clever choice
Certainly if the €5k active v €2k and €3.5k passive isoln platforms trial I'll be doing soon on my tt proves to be stellar and hard to ignore, I'll certainly consider running to individual platforms for cdp, linestage and psu, monoblocks X 2, all on a bulletproof inert foundation rack like €1.5k Rogoz

Marc

perhaps you might want to audition this rack first before you make bold statements about that which you know not

 

[spiritofmusic]

Steve, not going to happen
I never audition stuff I have zero chance of affording
I was only thinking out loud
It's really time for someone, anyone, to do a comprehensive a/b trial of a SOTA rack like this versus a cheaper inert bulletproof rack w zero design features other than sheer weight and solidity w various active and passive platforms on each tier, so we could get an interesting comparison as to which approach is most positive
Sadly, ain't gonna happen
And so the high end crowd will split btwn those fans of SOTA racks v active isoln proponents
For me, the ability to in effect upgrade one active or passive platform per component at a time is another reason I'm likely to go in the Minus K/Herzan/Stacore Adv direction

 

[Steve Williams]

Marc for things others audition and purchase you are suggesting they (we) are audiofools. I guess that one struck a nerve Marc

 

[spiritofmusic]

Steve, audiofools is a term of endearment for all of us, myself included
I've gone thru 3 whole analog rigs, heavily modified one of those tts, have busted a valuable cart, gone thru half a dozen digital front ends, SS to tubes, busted a bunch of valves (2nd minor op under local anaesthetic to remove pieces of GE '48 NOS from my thigh), a handful of changes of amps, put my back out lifting a 160lb transformer up the 40 spiral steps of the chapel here, given my electrician hell on bespoke pwr feed, and spent a stupid amount of money on my hobby
I am an audiofool indeed
Maybe insanity can be graded?

 

[JackD201]

I'm ok with Marc's skepticism. If I take exception to anything it would be the the have, have not political spin on the issue. Maybe some people are after bling or bragging rights but really, even if they were, I'm pretty sure that racks are low on the list of the "look at me, I'm rich!" set. "Look at my rack!" I firmly believe is NOT in the male lexicon. LOL

 

[spiritofmusic]

Jack, it's not skepticism
It's just that there are active platforms that measure better than anything for it's intended purpose, that is a direct alternative to audiophile racks, and for the sums being asked for by CMS or HRS
A direct comparison would be great
It won't happen

 

[Steve Williams]

I guess for me the overall change these racks made in my system was something so profound and unexpected that when Jack told me last year that CMS was his best kept secret I never knew what he meant until I put my entire system on CMS. In fact I have ordered 2 more Black Diamond filters for my horizontal rack that will be for a new DAC and a new server.

Jack I can only imagine what going from Black Diamond to Maxxum will do (except put me in the poor house) for your system. The silence in my room from the drop in the noise floor is the most noticeable feature of these racks

 

[Steve Williams]

Jack, it's not skepticism
It's just that there are active platforms that measure better than anything for it's intended purpose, that is a direct alternative to audiophile racks, and for the sums being asked for by CMS or HRS
A direct comparison would be great
It won't happen

There's different paths to audio nirvana Marc

I truly appreciate devices such as Herzan however I look at my system as every single component is isolated on its own dedicated filter....sort of like having all my components on a Herzan rather than all of my components stacked on a Herzan.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Steve, I don't really want to come across as an uninvited guest on this thread
I don't own CMS, haven't heard Herzan
But in the UK at least, there is the availability of equivalently performing active isoln platforms, that a 5 tier inert rack supplemented by active platforms equate to ballpark price of top of the line CMS and HRS in the UK
This would mean 5 components each individually active isolated
And now I'll bow out, finally asking if any of you guys out there w more means than me have ever done a comprehensive a/b of individual active for multiple components v SOTA passive rack equivalent?

 

[microstrip]

Jack, it's not skepticism
It's just that there are active platforms that measure better than anything for it's intended purpose, that is a direct alternative to audiophile racks, and for the sums being asked for by CMS or HRS
A direct comparison would be great
It won't happen

The question is what is technically the intended purpose? How can you measure it?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Micro, yr point is the one Jarek of Stacore made to me
His stated position is that lab grade passive and active isoln ie Minus K and Herzan are great at their designated purpose of isolating microscopes etc, but audio gear requires so much more, hence his own passive platform incorporated broadband isoln etc
If this truly is so, then by all means audiophile solutions like the CMS and HRS and the Stacore will provide more benefit than lab grade isoln
If it's just about the specs, then nothing can beat a Minus K, good down to 0.5Hz
If it's all about instantaneous reactivity to vibrations, then active Herzan can't be beaten

 

[Mike Lavigne]

There's different paths to audio nirvana Marc

I truly appreciate devices such as Herzan however I look at my system as every single component is isolated on its own dedicated filter....sort of like having all my components on a Herzan rather than all of my components stacked on a Herzan.

until you listen to stacked gear on a Herzan (or any truly active device within appropriate designed weight parameters) take your own advice and keep your mind open to things you have not heard. I cannot quibble with personal aesthetic priorites, but performance is another matter.

and stay tuned for further (remarkable) developments.

I respect all the experts (not me---I'm just an observer of apparent cause and personal percieved musical effect) in this thread who espouse their particular dogma. the proof is in the pudding. I'm guessing every one of these approaches benefits the listener to a significant degree. so it's all good.

YMMV, just my 2 cents, and all that.

 

[spiritofmusic]

There is a real need for a heavywt shootout of inert rack w say five Minus Ks v same w five Herzans v maybe same w five Stacore Advanced v dedicated five tier top of the range CMS and/or HRS
And a repeatable rig of tt, phono, cdp or dac, pre and pwr to take up these five tiers

 

[adyc]

and stay tuned for further (remarkable) developments.

Can you give a hint what developments are coming?

 

[adyc]

Micro, yr point is the one Jarek of Stacore made to me
His stated position is that lab grade passive and active isoln ie Minus K and Herzan are great at their designated purpose of isolating microscopes etc, but audio gear requires so much more, hence his own passive platform incorporated broadband isoln etc
If this truly is so, then by all means audiophile solutions like the CMS and HRS and the Stacore will provide more benefit than lab grade isoln
If it's just about the specs, then nothing can beat a Minus K, good down to 0.5Hz
If it's all about instantaneous reactivity to vibrations, then active Herzan can't be beaten

For these passive platforms, I would like to see videos to show their vibration isolation effectiveness. Videos from Herzan and Accurion are remarkable.