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

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
The 1.5’s take your system to a whole different level Jack. What they did in the improvement of my deep bass in my system when placed under my amps and power supplies was something totally unexpected. They improved it so much I sold my pair of JL Audio F113 subs.

Jack I’m trying to get out all the orders of the 1.5 purchasers in today’s mail
 

Leif S

Industry Expert
Feb 13, 2015
770
166
180
California
www.vonschweikert.com
I'll forego using the tall boys and go directly on Maxxums this weekend Stevie. I'll just wait for my 1.5s. I'll use the tall boys in the bedroom system instead.

Big Blues in the house!!!
 

Leif S

Industry Expert
Feb 13, 2015
770
166
180
California
www.vonschweikert.com
The 1.5’s take your system to a whole different level Jack. What they did in the improvement of my deep bass in my system when placed under my amps and power supplies was something totally unexpected. They improved it so much I sold my pair of JL Audio F113 subs.

Jack I’m trying to get out all the orders of the 1.5 purchasers in today’s mail
These footers are the BOMB!
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
Scheduled this Saturday Leif. I think you know since you've been in touch with Neil :D

Saturday, everything goes ALL-IN!
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,349
5,460
2,810
Manila, Philippines
Scheduled this Saturday Leif. I think you know since you've been in touch with Neil :D

Saturday, everything goes ALL-IN!

All in and all out, Jack. :D Finally, the long, long wait is over. At least it's not 3 years. :D
 

Audiophilehi

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2017
18
2
110
Forgive me if this has been asked before...How does the Center Stage compare to Stillpoints?

Thanks
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi Paul

IMO there is just no comparison and this is coming from a guy who was heavily invested in Stillpoints. I loved them and could hear no wrong until one day I removed them and it was as if my system had changed completely for the better.
I loved the blackness from which sound emerged and disappeared however it wasn't until I took them out that I realized there was a total loss of ambient sound and hence there was no sense of presence or being there

I heard the Center Stage footer last June when Joe was at my house after the LAOCAS. This was a product never intended for the consumer but rather was meant to be an OEM product for manufacturers. IMO there are countless different footers in the market today but none of the caliber of Center Stage. There is no coloration or distortion with a feeling of being up close to the music. As everyone here has stated there are a few days of painful listening until these feet settle in and do what they were designed for. I named the product Center Stage as that is the feeling I got when listening to the product under my components. I can say that I have countless users of CS who were using Still points in their systems and now with CS they have ordered from me on as many as 6-7 different times until their entire systems are on Center Stage. Recently Leif from VSA has them under his entire system and has posted a review here recently

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-Perfect-Sound&p=516661&viewfull=1#post516661

BTW Paul I have many Von Schweikert users who have Center Stage under their entire components.
 
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Audiophilehi

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2017
18
2
110
Hi Paul

IMO there is just no comparison and this is coming from a guy who was heavily invested in Stillpoints. I loved them and could hear no wrong until one day I removed them and it was as if my system had changed completely for the better.
I loved the blackness from which sound emerged and disappeared however it wasn't until I took them out that I realized there was a total loss of ambient sound and hence there was no sense of presence or being there

I heard the Center Stage footer last June when Joe was at my house after the LAOCAS. This was a product never intended for the consumer but rather was meant to be an OEM product for manufacturers. IMO there are countless different footers in the market today but none of the caliber of Center Stage. There is no coloration or distortion with a feeling of being up close to the music. As everyone here has stated there are a few days of painful listening until these feet settle in and do what they were designed for. I named the product Center Stage as that is the feeling I got when listening to the product under my components. I can say that I have countless users of CS who were using Still points in their systems and now with CS they have ordered from me on as many as 6-7 different times until their entire systems are on Center Stage. Recently Leif from VSA has them under his entire system and has posted a review here recently

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-Perfect-Sound&p=516661&viewfull=1#post516661

BTW Paul I have many Von Schweikert users who have Center Stage under their entire components.

Thanks so much Steve. Time to start saving!:cool:

Where’s the best place to start? See my signature below with my system.

Thanks again!!
 

Audiophilehi

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2017
18
2
110
I'd suggest you start under either the DAC or phono stage depending on which you listen to more. Then the preamp, then your Oppo and then your amps

Thanks again Steve!

Can they also go under my VSA VR-5 Anniversary MK II speakers?
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
No!!!

There is some talk on Joes part that he might release a center stage foot for speakers. I can tell you that some members are using the 1.5’s under smaller book shelf speakers with great results
 

Audiophilehi

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2017
18
2
110
No!!!

There is some talk on Joes part that he might release a center stage foot for speakers. I can tell you that some members are using the 1.5’s under smaller book shelf speakers with great results

Thanks!
 

Leif S

Industry Expert
Feb 13, 2015
770
166
180
California
www.vonschweikert.com

Leif S

Industry Expert
Feb 13, 2015
770
166
180
California
www.vonschweikert.com
Scheduled this Saturday Leif. I think you know since you've been in touch with Neil :D

Saturday, everything goes ALL-IN!

I'm on pins and needles dammit!!! LOL
 

Audiophilehi

Well-Known Member
Oct 23, 2017
18
2
110
Paul your going to love these footers

Thanks Leif! I’m sure I will. I’ve read nothing but great things about them. Just need a little time to save.:cool:

Loving my VSA HR-5 Anniversary MK II’s :cool:
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
Okay so I set up the system and all CS footers are in. Serendipity had the 1.5s for the amps arrive the same day so in they went as well. Here is how to make your CMS racks and CS footers settle in no time. No women, children or animals were hurt LOL


Much tuning to do over the next week or so but this is already the least painful break in process in my 30 years in the hobby.
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,349
5,460
2,810
Manila, Philippines
Okay so I set up the system and all CS footers are in. Serendipity had the 1.5s for the amps arrive the same day so in they went as well. Here is how to make your CMS racks and CS footers settle in no time. No women, children or animals were hurt LOL


Much tuning to do over the next week or so but this is already the least painful break in process in my 30 years in the hobby.

I can see what you mean, Jack. There is no 'before' phenomenon, so all is like an 'after' since the speakers and some things are brand new. They will all settle in, break in, burn in, whatever in, together. :D
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
Time for an upgrade on the status of the 1.5 Center Stage footers. My system for the last two weeks has been stable - DCS Vivaldi , Lamm's and SoundLab's - except for the entrance of the 1.5's under the Lamm L2 Ref that have been using the .8. It is now one week since I put them in service and again the system improved - a more enjoyable sound, more bass articulation, leading to a more clear sound, but never etched or artificial. My first warning was a few days ago listening to Nat King Kole Hirez files. I always had the feeling that these recordings needed analog to sound good, but they sounded clear and with greater presence and detail than I expected being delivered by Roon. Strings were sweet and wavering in rhythm - with a delicious nostalgic tonal balance.

Playing the usual suspects in the DCS Vivaldi transport - Savall recordings, Mercedes Sousa Missa Criola and a few Harmonia Mundi Manuel da Falla recordings confirmed my findings - bass seemed deeper and more defined and everything was more separated from speakers with the 1.5 CS.

Now for the only negative - these new footers are significantly taller than the .8 and at first sight the equipment looks like chickens on the perch until we get used to them. But once we listen to them we do not want to go back to the .8's ...

Congratulations Joe!
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I have the 1.5's under my amps and I can tell you the biggest change was in the deep bass.

I agree about how they look under your components as they are so tall however I would encourage you to think about putting them under your amps as well as under the power supplies for your amps
 

joelavrencik

Industry Expert
Nov 15, 2016
331
60
158
Chicago
www.criticalmasssystems.com
Announcement of Center Stage2

First, I want to thank everyone who has been so kind and generous as to share their experiences with Center Stage. It was gratifying for me to watch the growing trust and acceptance of Center Stage in those who took the initial leap of faith.

Now, I’m very pleased to announce the release of Center Stage2. To review, Center Stage enjoyed its original release about 1 year ago. Over that year, many music lovers joined the Center Stage family to realize the tremendous benefit Center Stage brings to audio systems. CS delivers the one thing we all want; that leap toward reality.

Center Stage was designed to reveal the tremendous engineering already inside your audio components, buried in there by poor performing audio feet, and to reveal the previously unheard engineering hidden in recordings. We said Center Stage was revolutionary compared to other products. Now, we can say the best has just gotten better.

To understand how Center Stage2 has been improved, it might be helpful to review why the original version was groundbreaking. Center Stage was designed to exacting specifications using material science and 1st Law principles that rely heavily on the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics to meet its performance objectives. Many references to this can be found in this thread.

Applying physics in new ways to audio playback proved that new thinking applied to age old listening room problems could result in groundbreaking advancements. We focused on 3 things. Firstly, CS used impedance mismatching and 1st Law methodologies to greatly reduce vibration moving upward from the floor. Secondly, a new methodology was developed that virtually eliminated the noise inherent to the materials used to fabricate the foot. Eliminating the thumbprint of the device is a devilishly difficult prerequisite to preserving the individual DNA of each component and achieving the class-leading performance of Center Stage. Finally, a new-for-audio application of the 2nd Law was developed to transfer entropy out of the component. Testimonials and reviews tell us that the precise execution of these critical elements can make an unexpected leap toward realism in playback.

Center Stage2 has been improved in all 3 of these areas. Better has become better yet. But, there is even more to announce.

The shortest foot, CS2 0.8, is audibly improved over the original version. There are no trade-offs; nothing is left behind or lost, there is quite simply an audibly improved revelation of the engineering capability of your components. You hear more of what the designer engineered into the circuitry and this takes you another step closer to realism in your listening room.

The medium height foot, CS2 1.0, is audibly improved over the original version, AND it is audibly improved over the CS2 0.8 foot. This is a new achievement in the Center Stage2 product line. The performance improvement is not small. Speaking strictly in terms of high end audio playback, the performance of this foot exceeds the performance of some active and passive industrial isolation systems across the audible spectrum. This is a major accomplishment.

The tallest height foot, CS2 1.5, is better than the CS2 1.0 foot and improved over its original version. It is simply in a class by itself.

Additionally, we are expanding the number of distributors and dealers through which Center Stage is available.

HiFi+ will publish the first review of Center Stage2 in its September issue. Other CS2 reviews are planned. Also, we’re going to circle back with Greg Weaver and Dr. David W. Robinson, both of whom allowed the first version of CS into their system. Thankfully, they’ve agreed to experience CS2 and perhaps render comparisons.

Of course, improving the performance of an already excellent product is not a simple task. There is an increased cost. Accordingly, Center Stage pricing has increased. I know this isn’t a popular thing to read, but we are offering a limited time introductory offer on the CS2 0.8 of buy 3 and get the 4th at no additional cost.

Please don’t feel like you must read a new review before you purchase CS2. I will say without equivocation that the latest version is better in every way than the original and the value received exceeds their cost. Center Stage2 is a tremendous audio investment.

Thank you!

All the Best,

Joe
 

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