I’ll begin this review by stating that I’ve been using Critical Mass Systems (CMS) footers for several years under various products. I began with the CMS Center Stage 2 under source components and eventually the 2M under source and all components. The 2M offered a nice step up from the 2 and was making a significant impact with the overall sound of my system. Next, I was encouraged to try the Ultra TT (CMS first height adjustable foot) that they work well under all components and not just turntables. So, I tried a set under my Taiko Extreme server. Wow, Ok.. these are really good. As with CMS' previous footers, they bring about more of the preferred attributes audio lovers describe as air, broader soundstage, better imaging, PRAT, etc. To my mind and ears, these TT’s brought nearly component level improvements each time I tried them under an additional component (replacing the 2M’s). An additional point with CMS, when new footers are introduced, the increase in retail price is negligible yet the performance from the new product is quite noticeable. I still use the Ultra TT’s under all my components, except for my loudspeakers where I again was encouraged to try the CMS Ultra LS 2.25. My speaker at the time was the Rockport Atria 2. I had the TT’s under them and was told that the LS are designed for Loudspeakers (2.25 the width and height in inches) and should be a nice improvement over the TT’s.
The LS was a different look and shape of footer from the TT. Also again, not a significant price increase from the TT, so I gave them a try. I thought I had heard most all that was possible from the Atria 2's but I was in for a surprise. These Ultra LS 2.25’s were the real deal. I was hearing positive differences in the sound from my audio system that I had not experienced previously. With songs that I was very familiar with, enhanced details, soundstage, and imaging was evolving from the speakers that I hadn’t heard before. Because of my history introducing CMS footers slowly into my system and slowly upgrading them over time, I was familiar with what to expect from a new footer from CMS. The Ultra LS’s brought even more of that improvement in sound quality (SQ) than I was expecting. It was even recommended to try them under my Taiko Extreme, after what I’d heard from them being under the speakers I had to try, right? Similar level of improvement brought about from the LS under the Atria’s. It wasn’t a fluke - these are the real deal. CMS provides a lot of details on the science that goes into their products / footers but most of us aren’t scientists, we just want to know if the product performs as advertised. I can tell you that all of these do in my system.
I’ve provided the above as a context to this review - the Critical Mass Systems Ultra LS 2.75. I’m told by CMS that this is their latest footer and will be the flagship in the CMS footer lineup. As a little backstory, I recently upgraded my speakers to the Rockport Cygnus, this is a much larger and heavier speaker than the Atria. After getting the Cygnus installed in my dedicated room, I left the stock footers on for the first few weeks to see how they should sound as Rockport designed them to. It was an improvement over the Atria, however because the Atria’s had the LS 2.25 feet under them, it wasn’t as obvious an upgrade as I had expected. Now the stock feet on the Cygnus are 4” wide with a 1/4” surface area around the under perimeter of the foot. This seems to me to be a lot of surface area touching the floor in the four locations of each speaker. The CMS Ultra LS (whether 2.25 or 2.75) are height adjustable, don't require a shim, and have most of the mass by design in the upper region of the foot, with only minimal surface of the foot touching the floor. Now yes, I do work in Aerospace and am familiar with engineering but I’m certainly no scientist and even I can tell that this minimal amount of surface area touching the floor must have something to do with how these feet perform.
The LS was a different look and shape of footer from the TT. Also again, not a significant price increase from the TT, so I gave them a try. I thought I had heard most all that was possible from the Atria 2's but I was in for a surprise. These Ultra LS 2.25’s were the real deal. I was hearing positive differences in the sound from my audio system that I had not experienced previously. With songs that I was very familiar with, enhanced details, soundstage, and imaging was evolving from the speakers that I hadn’t heard before. Because of my history introducing CMS footers slowly into my system and slowly upgrading them over time, I was familiar with what to expect from a new footer from CMS. The Ultra LS’s brought even more of that improvement in sound quality (SQ) than I was expecting. It was even recommended to try them under my Taiko Extreme, after what I’d heard from them being under the speakers I had to try, right? Similar level of improvement brought about from the LS under the Atria’s. It wasn’t a fluke - these are the real deal. CMS provides a lot of details on the science that goes into their products / footers but most of us aren’t scientists, we just want to know if the product performs as advertised. I can tell you that all of these do in my system.
I’ve provided the above as a context to this review - the Critical Mass Systems Ultra LS 2.75. I’m told by CMS that this is their latest footer and will be the flagship in the CMS footer lineup. As a little backstory, I recently upgraded my speakers to the Rockport Cygnus, this is a much larger and heavier speaker than the Atria. After getting the Cygnus installed in my dedicated room, I left the stock footers on for the first few weeks to see how they should sound as Rockport designed them to. It was an improvement over the Atria, however because the Atria’s had the LS 2.25 feet under them, it wasn’t as obvious an upgrade as I had expected. Now the stock feet on the Cygnus are 4” wide with a 1/4” surface area around the under perimeter of the foot. This seems to me to be a lot of surface area touching the floor in the four locations of each speaker. The CMS Ultra LS (whether 2.25 or 2.75) are height adjustable, don't require a shim, and have most of the mass by design in the upper region of the foot, with only minimal surface of the foot touching the floor. Now yes, I do work in Aerospace and am familiar with engineering but I’m certainly no scientist and even I can tell that this minimal amount of surface area touching the floor must have something to do with how these feet perform.
