Confessions of an Audiophile Junky-I Got Center Stage With Pitch Perfect Sound

[steve williams]

No discount for long-time WBF members?

It’s fun to read about your new venture and enthusiasm; thanks Steve.

Thank you rbbert

As I said I was happily retired. This is so unique that Ron will have the hyperbole police after me. I’ve known Marty and Russ for decades and in audio matters their ears are amongst the best I know. For me as a CMS user it was critical that beta testers have good resolving systems, are not CMS users and who have good ears and would tell me if this was a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes. IOW I had to be sure that this was the real deal. Thanks to marty and Russ feedback to Joe, he learned a few things , did some thinking and made a change that is even better still.

I think for products such as this it’s word of mouth and personal use that tend to make a product known. With Center Stage it’s personal use. Plus they are easy to install.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hey Marty, how many women will I have to divorce if I invest in €6k per Stacore passive isoln AND these footers? LOL

 

[marty]

Hey Marty, how many women will I have to divorce if I invest in €6k per Stacore passive isoln AND these footers? LOL

First of all, if you are in a position of being married to more than one woman at a time, you have managed to figure something out that even Hugh Hefner did not.

Second, and more importantly, I would be very cautious about additivity. I've seen published data by TMC that they can get 2 log units of vibration isolation with their piezo devices and 3 log units when they add their pneumatic bases under piezo devices, but I've seen no data or have any experience as to the possible effects of adding these to any other isolation devices such as the excellent Stacore. I'll be most curious to learn those results from somebody more adventurous than me.

 

[adyc]

Steve,

Are you going to use these under your speakers? Are you going to produce some version with thread hole so that one can replace the original equipment footers directly?

 

[steve williams]

These all have an adapter hole because as I said we were going to provide adapters for components. Further testing showed no sonic difference with or without adapters so this makes the entire insertion process a matter of minutes

These are not meant for under speakers but one never knows what goes on the very clever mind of Joe

 

[DaveyF]

This is an interesting product, Steve.
Many years ago I was a beta tester for the Harmonix footers from Japan. I was at first skeptical that such a small and seemingly innocuous device could really add anything to the SQ. Boy was I wrong! Under digital products and under amps and preamps, these little footers were such a revelation that I refused to let them go and have owned several pair ever since. ( the increase in SQ was obvious from the first minute...no break-in required!)
The technology behind Harmonix seems to be as opaque as behind the Center Stages, but one listen is usually all it takes.
Might be interesting to 'AB' Harmonix vs Center Stage.

 

[steve williams]

First of all, if you are in a position of being married to more than one woman at a time, you have managed to figure something out that even Hugh Hefner did not.

Second, and more importantly, I would be very cautious about additivity. I've seen published data by TMC that they can get 2 log units of vibration isolation with their piezo devices and 3 log units when they add their pneumatic bases under piezo devices, but I've seen no data or have any experience as to the possible effects of adding these to any other isolation devices such as the excellent Stacore. I'll be most curious to learn those results from somebody more adventurous than me.

It's a simple A-B-A test to find outing simple to put in and take out. But you have to commit 2 weeks of torture before the clouds part

I find that interesting as Joe's CMS shelves can take weeks before they have settled so for me I knew there was a light shining at the end of that tunnel when I got there

 

[spiritofmusic]

Marty, I thought there were some States in the US where it was possible to have more than wife?
Maybe this is where the audiophiles mix their pricey isolation methods?

 

[Kingsrule]

How will they preform under my dac which sits on a Herzan TS140? I have a clock on top on dac...would I need them under that also?

What is the return policy?

 

[mauidan]

Good luck with you new gig Doc.

I'd love to try them, but if it takes "2 weeks of torture before the clouds part" and returns must be sent within 14 days, plus there's a 35% restocking fee, I think I'll proceed with the plan to get all active components out of my listening room into an acoustically sealed closet.

 

[steve williams]

Good luck with you new gig Doc.

I'd love to try them, but if it takes "2 weeks of torture before the clouds part" and returns must be sent within 14 days, plus there's a 35% restocking fee, I think I'll proceed with the plan to get all active components out of my listening room into an acoustically sealed closet.

thanks Dan


whatever floats your boat but this costs a whole lot less than active and knowing you, I would bet that you would be the first one to return them as no one to date has. BTW the effect of these on active components could very well be surprising

 

[Mobiusman]

Best of luck with the new venture Steve... would love to know why they have such a unusually big settling in shift in their nature over that first week. Sounds promising if they are imparting some of the qualities from the CMS racks as well.

Is their greatest strength in terms of sound stage and do you find they shift of bring other things out in the presentation eg viscerality, flow etc

In my comments, when I am referring to believability, what I really mean is that the entire presentation sound is much more real and cohesive, leading me to be quite sure that it is helping virtually everything. It is just that the sound stage is the most tangible.

 

[Mobiusman]

Good luck with you new gig Doc.

I'd love to try them, but if it takes "2 weeks of torture before the clouds part" and returns must be sent within 14 days, plus there's a 35% restocking fee, I think I'll proceed with the plan to get all active components out of my listening room into an acoustically sealed closet.

No torture for 14 days. The production version actually sound pretty good out of the box, or at least after an hour or so, to the point that you can listen. Each day it gets better and then really starts to open up on day 5 and blossoms on day 6. What I called V1 was a much more difficult break-in.

 

[mullard88]

Congratulations and good luck on your new venture Steve! I wish you all the best!

 

[steve williams]

In my comments, when I am referring to believability, what I really mean is that the entire presentation sound is much more real and cohesive, leading me to be quite sure that it is helping virtually everything. It is just that the sound stage is the most tangible.

Hi Sound Of Tao


To be specific, there is no change in the sound stage which is quite intact but rather where you are in that soundstage. I've said before that my analogy is that prior to using CMS racks I had what I thought was very good sound but towards the rear of the orchestra. When I went CMS racks I was then catapulted to the first 3 rows in the center BUT adding the Center Stage you are suddenly a part of the sound event as you will truly feel 'Center Stage'

 

[CKKeung]

Hello Steve,

Being designed by Joe Lavrencik of Critical Mass Systems, I have 100% confidence in the CenterStage footers!

CMS racks are well-known in Hong Kong and there are many happy CMS users.

I would like to know : can CenterStage be used together with CMS racks?
May Joe and you share with us your experience in comparing the performance of CMS racks with CenterStage, and tips in using them together on components and using them separately on diff components of an audio system?

Many thanks again!

CK

 

[steve williams]

Hi CK

I certainly agree with your comment about Joe. To me he has an amazing mind that is always going

I've said earlier in this thread that Joe never tested his Center Stage on his shelf but rather wood, glass, metal etc so that he could voice it for all users. He heard these feet for the first time on CMS racks in June. I feel there is a shorter break in time with CMS racks.

The end result is typically the same only takes longer to get there for some. My initial break in was 5-6 days. As to cause and effect I can only speculate but the Center Stage on CMS is a match made in heaven

HTH

 

[rockitman]

Please explain why these footers need to be broken in ? I’m a logical person and cannot understand why any inanimate object like a footer needs to break in ? How are these constructed (is it a proprietary secret) ? Other footers like stillpoints explain how they are made and what the damping/isolation scheme is. How about these ? An answer like secret sauce does not fly with me.

 

[steve williams]

Please explain why these footers need to be broken in ? I’m a logical person and cannot understand why any inanimate object like a footer needs to break in ? How are these constructed (is it a proprietary secret) ? Other footers like stillpoints explain how they are made and what the damping/isolation scheme is. How about these ? An answer like secret sauce does not fly with me.

It isn't secret sauce Christian. Read Joe's white paper. Joe won't divulge anything because his patent is pending but he does give ideas in his White paper with metals used as long as you understand the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics as that is what they are based upon

 

[JackD201]

Hello Steve,

Being designed by Joe Lavrencik of Critical Mass Systems, I have 100% confidence in the CenterStage footers!

CMS racks are well-known in Hong Kong and there are many happy CMS users.

I would like to know : can CenterStage be used together with CMS racks?
May Joe and you share with us your experience in comparing the performance of CMS racks with CenterStage, and tips in using them together on components and using them separately on diff components of an audio system?

Many thanks again!

CK

I'm in the queue for a full set. If the stars align they should be here with my full new sets of Maxxums, full loom of MB Ultras and the Ultra 11s towers. That means they can all settle in together. The SYNERGISTIC effect of CSFs used on CMS racks is reportedly almost akin to an upgrade from one model to the next. Essentially, they replace the interface discs on current CMS products and the dual material footers on legacy models. A Sapphire behaves like a Platinum, A Platinum like a Black Diamond, a BD like a Maxxum and a Maxxum like an Olympus. Not being able to afford 12 levels of Olympus given the annihilation of my audio savings account, I opted for the CSFs.

From a business standpoint, this will not cannibalize sales of filters and racks but will allow my existing clients to up their SQ without having to unload their filters and replace them (PXK and QXK owners). These just make sense. They also allow non CMS owners to get a taste of CMS and may actually, in time, entice non CMS users to make the investment in a full rack and filter system.

My only worry was that I could never take these to show because of the settling time required. Seeing as Mike (Thank you for your show report my friend, gotta say, your photography skills are impressive) has independently reported that it is indeed doable with the production models with settling times of "only" a day or two on CMS racks, the last of my worries are gone.

I've signed on as Pitch Perfects fulfillment station for the Philippines. Congrats Steve!

I'm looking forward to the speaker footers in the future as the CMS RiZE speaker footers are already great and do much of what the CSFs do.