I'll take 95% - 100% of the performance for 1/3 of the price. Unlike some on the forum, I'm budget constrained and look for price/performance optimization within my budget range.
Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams
- Thread starter steve williams
- Start date
I'll take 95% - 100% of the performance for 1/3 of the price. Unlike some on the forum, I'm budget constrained and look for price/performance optimization within my budget range.
It won't hurt to try. The only caveat is that once you unplug the Alpha Digital power cord from the Triton and plug it directly into the wall, the cable will need twelve hours or so of current to re acclimate and sound its best. Again, my Spectral player sounds best on its own line with only the Alpha Digital cable, but my Audio Research player sounds best having its Alpha Digital cable into a Triton/Typhon. It is all so equipment dependent, and costs nothing but a little time to try.
One of the things that I love about this forum is the good information disseminated by our members. I know that I have learned quite a lot from you guys. I have also learned that if one person comments on a piece of gear in glowing adjectives I often ask myself "could this be true?" However when member after member gushes about the same piece of equipment I then realize that they are onto something
As you know I have made what I feel are significant improvements to my system and once again I felt no changes were needed. However I have been reading with great interest everyone's reviews of Stillpoints and I must admit that I am fascinated. So as Michael Corleone in Godfather lll said "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"......
My impression from people's reviews is that the greatest bang for the buck comes when the Ultra 5's are placed under speakers, more so than under components. Well I have been away in Punta Mita Mexico for the past week and upon opening my mail my 8 Ultra 5's arrived for that very shoot out. I intend to evaluate them under my X2's and depending on results will keep them there and try other Ultra 5's under my components. However if they performance under my speakers is equivocal I will try them under components only.
Biggest issue right now is to get two able bodied men to help remove the speakers' spikes and get the Ultra 5's on. I am hoping my impressions will be similar to all others. Reading everything on Stillpoints here suggests they work best under speakers and under components the ultra 5's seem to work better than the other Stillpoints.
Stay tuned for my impressions
As you know I have made what I feel are significant improvements to my system and once again I felt no changes were needed. However I have been reading with great interest everyone's reviews of Stillpoints and I must admit that I am fascinated. So as Michael Corleone in Godfather lll said "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"......
My impression from people's reviews is that the greatest bang for the buck comes when the Ultra 5's are placed under speakers, more so than under components. Well I have been away in Punta Mita Mexico for the past week and upon opening my mail my 8 Ultra 5's arrived for that very shoot out. I intend to evaluate them under my X2's and depending on results will keep them there and try other Ultra 5's under my components. However if they performance under my speakers is equivocal I will try them under components only.
Biggest issue right now is to get two able bodied men to help remove the speakers' spikes and get the Ultra 5's on. I am hoping my impressions will be similar to all others. Reading everything on Stillpoints here suggests they work best under speakers and under components the ultra 5's seem to work better than the other Stillpoints.
Stay tuned for my impressions
This is exciting Steve, do you have any plans to compare the Stillpoints with the new Nordost Sort Footers? They have also optimized for ;heavy speakers.
Guido
Guido
Big news, Steve! No doubt as with everything you do, they will be installed 'perfectly'. Probably super-important given how discerning your system is.
As you no doubt have heard, one key is NOT screwing them in tight, but instead leaving a trace of space between Ultra 5 and the underside of your X2s. (Some have also found a slight adjustment of the speaker positioning may make things optimal...in my case, I left them so that I could understand their changes first. And then it was so good, I never bothered to ask people to come back to help me move them.)
Very exciting, and hope they work out well for you.
As you no doubt have heard, one key is NOT screwing them in tight, but instead leaving a trace of space between Ultra 5 and the underside of your X2s. (Some have also found a slight adjustment of the speaker positioning may make things optimal...in my case, I left them so that I could understand their changes first. And then it was so good, I never bothered to ask people to come back to help me move them.)
Very exciting, and hope they work out well for you.
I have not yet listened to them, but an Alexia owner has tried them and was really impressed - he immediately got them. But I doubt that Steve is wanting to try a comparison - as far as I know his room does not include a mobile crane ...
Hi Guido
So good to hear from you my friend
To be honest I am going with the Ultra 5's, hit or miss. Tough to escape expectation bias but I want to give it a go.
Stillpoints includes a little piece of paper with the footers explaining that.
I think the Nordost are much less expensive than the Ultra 5's (about half the price).
Hi Steve, perhaps after you invest in that aforementioned cryotreated Titanium audiophile-grade crane... *grins!*
Guido
Guido
Guido
Guido
Me too Lloyd
BTW, I was told that a credit card thickness between the bottom of the speaker and the top of the Ultra 5 was recommended
The distance doesn't matter.... Just as long as the ultra 5 doesn't make contact with the bottom of the speaker. I am looking forward to you eating some crow, given the skepticism of stillpoints you have expressed in the past
this is and always has been my thought as well.
I am still looking for some helpful hands to get the spikes off and the Ultra 5's on. What is convincing however is that these reports are coming from all all members.
One thought that always puzzled me in reading members' observations was how the positioning of the stillpoints under the component was important and members were placing them in all positions. Personally it has always been my feeling that if you use 4 under a piece of gear why not just buy 4 stillpoint adapters and screw them into each of the four spots where the feet of that component were originally placed, IOW at the four corners
As has been noted, there's a dearth of information available about using Stillpoints. From what I can gather, for speakers the first recommendation is as you describe, Steve. For other components, maybe not, since they may make more difference placed under or close to transformers, power supplies, motors, etc., than just at the four corners where manufacturers place their feet.
rbbert, you have always struck me as the voice of reason and tending towards the objectivist camp. As a result when I read your comments about them under your speakers I felt even more compelled to give these a try
Presently it is frustrating looking at these and not being able to install them until I find some help
Time to man-up big boy. Just lift the speakers with one hand and install the Ultra 5s with the other. Seriously, don't you have any young bucks in your neighborhood that you could round up to help you out?
Do your Wilson speakers have the jack that lets you switch from wheels to spikes? Will that work?
Dre
