My last shipment of CenterStage footers has been burning-in for almost two weeks; I am now in position to add a few words about their effect in my system.
These last footers allowed me essentially to stabilize my system – if such think is possible. Besides other components, I am mainly currently trying to evaluate what should become my preferred preamplifier – the GAT or the REF40.
When I got the CenterStage footers they went under the GAT – and after sometime the GAT became the preferred, as it got a better feeling of being there and immediacy, that surpassed what I could get from the REF40. However the more recently arrived two sets went under the REF40, one under the power supply, the other under the preamplifier itself.
I used mainly orchestral music for the listening – Russian classic concertos and symphonies, mostly Shotakovithc and prokoviev. I already had some experience with “smaller” acoustic music, I wanted to check the big hall performances. Sometime during the “burn-in” it was not easy to listen – the balance of the orchestra was not adequate for their enjoyment, seeming too “raw” and focused on particular sections. But now the balance is correct, with the addition of more delineated space and presence. Shostakovithch 8th density was enhanced since last time I listened to it, and Haitink refined vision of the small detail was better served with the footers. Dynamics had not lost anything – the Aleggro non tropo was as brutal, incisive and melodic as ever, more focused but not smaller, the depth of the stage was exceptionally delineated. The drama and tragedy of the sang solos of 14th were now more alienating, due to the enhanced focusing, but enveloped in the orchestra.
Prokofiev piano concertos allowed me to focus on the main instrument performance – the piano was able to survive in the 2nd with great presence, never being submerged by the attacks orchestra with proper scale. Bass and scale are great.
A quick digression through Ligetti chamber music also confirmed that with both preamplifiers on footers, the choice became difficult again. But I must choose one, one set of Center Stage footers must soon go under the DCS Vivaldi transport ...
A side note. I have read that some people reduced listening level after entering the footers in their systems. During burn-in I also did it, as more detail was showing and some harshness and chaos was apparent, and my listening levels (usually not loud) were reduced by a couple of dBs. Fortunately, in order to carry fair comparisons, my system is calibrated and I have quickly reestablished my usual listening levels – I was losing a bit listening at a lower level.
BTW, the shelves I am using are nothing special – just a sandwich of MDF and plywood with a damping component layer. I have been thinking if a more adequate shelve would accelerate burn-in.
