Stillpoints Ultra Vs - Wilson X1/Grand Slamms

[rockitman]

Someone has been encouraging me to keep going on purity...across your experiences pursuing isolation...have you looked at Tripoint...namely their Troy product? Not physical isolation like Stillpoints...but grounding.

Interesting. I have not heard of this product before. I don't feel I have any grounding issues, no hum anywhere ect, but who knows ? I am still considering Eqi-tech rack mount Q1.5, which is 1500 watts max power output. I would get two and dedicate each to one mono block. I currently use PS Audio 1000 watt regenerators the same way. I am trying to determine if the Eqi-tech will sound better. maybe 500 watts of more headroom will be beneficial ? The p5's are used at 60% of capacity based on my amps Class A power draw.

 

[LL21]

Interesting. I have not heard of this product before. I don't feel I have any grounding issues, no hum anywhere ect, but who knows ? I am still considering Eqi-tech rack mount Q1.5, which is 1500 watts max power output. I would get two and dedicate each to one mono block. I currently use PS Audio 1000 watt regenerators the same way. I am trying to determine if the Eqi-tech will sound better. maybe 500 watts of more headroom will be beneficial ? The p5's are used at 60% of capacity based on my amps Class A power draw.

For fun...http://dagogo.com/tripoint-troy-power-conditioner-review

I have heard this myself, and know many who swear by them (and no, not all in Asia). Seems OTT, but the Troy did work in a system that already had completely dedicated power outlets, AC conditioning, etc.

 

[Frank750]

Interesting. I have not heard of this product before. I don't feel I have any grounding issues, no hum anywhere ect, but who knows ? I am still considering Eqi-tech rack mount Q1.5, which is 1500 watts max power output. I would get two and dedicate each to one mono block. I currently use PS Audio 1000 watt regenerators the same way. I am trying to determine if the Eqi-tech will sound better. maybe 500 watts of more headroom will be beneficial ? The p5's are used at 60% of capacity based on my amps Class A power draw.

I would be careful as to how you connect your XS 150s. When I first got my Pass amps I had a dedicated 240V line for my amps and used a Humongous Torus 60A, 7200w AVR conditioner. Obviously a unit that large could easily handle the Pass mono blocks. It sounded very good and I left them for about a month. After a month I plugged each amp directly into its own dedicated 20A, 120v circuit. Much better all around. Bass improved, soundstage was better defined, I just enjoyed the amps much more plugged directly into the wall. The Torus unit is now gone. A $7500 mistake.

Here's the unit I used. It's the 60A version.
http://www.toruspower.com/products/north-american-balanced-input/

 

[rockitman]

I would be careful as to how you connect your XS 150s. When I first got my Pass amps I had a dedicated 240V line for my amps and used a Humongous Torus 60A, 7200w AVR conditioner. Obviously a unit that large could easily handle the Pass mono blocks. It sounded very good and I left them for about a month. After a month I plugged each amp directly into its own dedicated 20A, 120v circuit. Much better all around. Bass improved, soundstage was better defined, I just enjoyed the amps much more plugged directly into the wall. The Torus unit is now gone. A $7500 mistake.

Here's the unit I used. It's the 60A version.
http://www.toruspower.com/products/north-american-balanced-input/

Very interesting. I am not hearing a problem with my ps audio regenerators. Prior to the PS audio PPP, the P-600 was a balanced power transformer design. If I could get a trial with the equi-tech q's that would be ideal. I could compare against ps audio. The ps audio, to me sounds better than plugged directly in the wall.

Your XS -300's are too big for regenerators IMO...they consume close to 1100 watts each compared to my xs 150's at 550 watts each.

 

[Frank750]

Very interesting. I am not hearing a problem with my ps audio regenerators. Prior to the PS audio PPP, the P-600 was a balanced power transformer design. If I could get a trial with the equi-tech q's that would be ideal. I could compare against ps audio. The ps audio, to me sounds better than plugged directly in the wall.

Your XS -300's are too big for regenerators IMO...they consume close to 1100 watts each compared to my xs 150's at 550 watts each.

I didn't say I had a problem. In fact, if I hadn't experimented and gone directly into the wall I would have been very satisfied with the Torus setup.

When you went directly to the wall was it into dedicated circuits?

 

[rockitman]

I didn't say I had a problem. In fact, if I hadn't experimented and gone directly into the wall I would have been very satisfied with the Torus setup.

When you went directly to the wall was it into dedicated circuits?

When you say dedicated do you mean a separate subpanel from the main panel circuit breakers ? If that is the definition of dedicated, then no. I have a separate circuit breaker that is for the amps alone.

 

[Kingsrule]

Rockitman

Thanks for the update

Still have your 996 GT3?

 

[rockitman]

Rockitman

Thanks for the update

Still have your 996 GT3?

I sure do...just a bit over 10k in mileage...

 

[Bruce B]

Just got my Stillpoints today. I'll give them a good listen tonight!

 

[LL21]

Just got my Stillpoints today. I'll give them a good listen tonight!

Hi Bruce, saw your other post on the Alexia thread. Congrats on the positive feedback and the new footers for your Alexias! Enjoy. Question is whether you are considering Stillpoints for equipment, or does your studio have all the equipment separately isolated?

 

[Bruce B]

Hi Bruce, saw your other post on the Alexia thread. Congrats on the positive feedback and the new footers for your Alexias! Enjoy. Question is whether you are considering Stillpoints for equipment, or does your studio have all the equipment separately isolated?

As with any studio, just about eveyrthing is rack mounted. I will eventually put some Stillpoints under the Pass amps and maybe the Playback Designs.

 

[LL21]

As with any studio, just about eveyrthing is rack mounted. I will eventually put some Stillpoints under the Pass amps and maybe the Playback Designs.

Thought so...look forward to hearing how the Stillpoints work (or not in your case given your professional racks) under the amps/PB. Thanks for the earlier observations under the Alexias. Enjoy.

 

[rockitman]

So today I installed stillpoints Ultra 5's under my Pass XS amps. I guess I should not have been surprised, but the improvement was spectacular. What it does for the frequency extremes is incredible. I expected a nominal improvement and got significant improvement. Unreal ! No more treatments left to do, unless I want to try them under my 600 lb X-2's. Since I am on carpet, I feel my spike diodes through the rug into the concrete slab is better. I suppose I could cut away the carpet around the speakers...

 

[LL21]

So today I installed stillpoints Ultra 5's under my Pass XS amps. I guess I should not have been surprised, but the improvement was spectacular. What it does for the frequency extremes is incredible. I expected a nominal improvement and got significant improvement. Unreal ! No more treatments left to do, unless I want to try them under my 600 lb X-2's. Since I am on carpet, I feel my spike diodes through the rug into the concrete slab is better. I suppose I could cut away the carpet around the speakers...

Congrats! Great news. On rugs, I have no experience with Stillpoints, though Turntable had his Maxx3s on carpet...and now uses Stillpoints Ultras under them on top of carpet.

As for me, I did find that putting Ultra 5s ON TOP of my subwoofer helped more than I expected...enough that I actually bought them. yeesh... but in speaking extensively with people off-line including Stillpoints...I have been adding weight to the top of the units, and it has made further improvements. I have ordered a 60lb slab of granite to place across the 3 Ultra 5s after placing freeweights on top and finding it continued to improve. It was good without weight...just better with weight on top. So now the Velodyne is 'sandwiched' between the Granite Slab-Ultra 5s on top and an Auralex isolation platform underneath.

I have decided to do the same with my Gryphon amp to surprisingly good results. Auralex underneath, an Artesania damper on top with some weight on top of the the Artesania. A fuzz around mid bass hits disappeared, and the intensity/depth of notes increased very noticeably. Guitar strings on things like Niels Lofgren have sharpened up in a good way, and as a result of losing just a touch of haze have now also sprung into 3D with a clarity of space I did not have before.

Fun stuff since the weights are not that expensive. I think iron ore is denser and cheaper...but felt the magnet in the sub, etc might have trouble with 60lbs of iron ore on top?

 

[edorr]

So today I installed stillpoints Ultra 5's under my Pass XS amps. I guess I should not have been surprised, but the improvement was spectacular. What it does for the frequency extremes is incredible. I expected a nominal improvement and got significant improvement. Unreal ! No more treatments left to do, unless I want to try them under my 600 lb X-2's. Since I am on carpet, I feel my spike diodes through the rug into the concrete slab is better. I suppose I could cut away the carpet around the speakers...

You are leaving the potentially biggest improvement opportunity unexploited. Stillpoints Ultra's under big speakers is right in the sweetspot. No need to cut carpet - just put them on the carpet.

 

[LL21]

So today I installed stillpoints Ultra 5's under my Pass XS amps. ...I expected a nominal improvement and got significant improvement. Unreal ! No more treatments left to do, unless I want to try them under my 600 lb X-2's. Since I am on carpet, I feel my spike diodes through the rug into the concrete slab is better.

When i spoke with the Stillpoints distributor about Ultra 5s, he said he'd not installed them in a single pair of speakers and had the owner ask them to be removed. So I put him to the test...install them under the X1s, let me audition...and if I don't like them take them out. He said no problem and came over for a number of hours on spec. naturally, they stayed, and I ended up buy the 3 for the sub plus one on top of CJ.

Perhaps your dealer would do the same under your Wilsons to let you try?

 

[LL21]

So today I installed stillpoints Ultra 5's under my Pass XS amps...the improvement was spectacular...No more treatments left to do, unless I want to try them under my 600 lb X-2's. Since I am on carpet, I feel my spike diodes through the rug into the concrete slab is better. I suppose I could cut away the carpet around the speakers...

You are leaving the potentially biggest improvement opportunity unexploited. Stillpoints Ultra's under big speakers is right in the sweetspot. No need to cut carpet - just put them on the carpet.

I will say having read the interviews and spoken with the Distributor as well as Stillpoints directly...these were originally designed for speakers, and they also recommend starting there first. Carpet, wood flooring, tile, etc.

 

[edorr]

I will say having read the interviews and spoken with the Distributor as well as Stillpoints directly...these were originally designed for speakers, and they also recommend starting there first. Carpet, wood flooring, tile, etc.

My understanding exactly. In fact, they probably thought the Vs would be used primarily under speakers and regular Ultra's under components, only to find out some wacko's actually started putting the Vs under components....

 

[LL21]

My understanding exactly. In fact, they probably thought the Vs would be used primarily under speakers and regular Ultra's under components, only to find out some wacko's actually started putting the Vs under components....

...guilty as charged. heck, I've committed the serious offense of using them on TOP of components with a slab of granite atop the Ultra 5s! For the sub and Gryphon, though, the isolation sandwiching of this with Auralex isolation platform underneath seems to be working really well. guess my wooden floor has a lot more vibration than I ever thought.

 

[rockitman]

I find that the ultra SS are perfect for rack components. V's for the heavy stuff like amps and speakers....perhaps the turntable if applicable.