It's very simple Ron and it applies to any piece of equipment. Unless and until someone has had the experience of auditioning something like CS feet in their system, their comments IMO are based on false or zero knowledge.
I've just finished reading Greg's review of the CS2 feet, and I have to say he went through a thorough and logical process of comparing the old and new feet, including removing the CS1 feet and resetting for several days - then installing a full set of CS2 feet of identical size initially for comparison. Although not strictly an a-b-a comparison, imho Greg did a very good job of descrbing the areas and level of improvement in his system vs the original feet, then again with the larger size feet. As a potential buyer, I for one found it a very helpful review.
It's very simple Ron and it applies to any piece of equipment. Unless and until someone has had the experience of auditioning something like CS feet in their system, their comments IMO are based on false or zero knowledge.
Congratulations Joe in discovering just what these feet do. They take you further into the music. You become immersed. Hence the name Center StageI thought that this would be a good time to write about my experience with the CS2 footers. I have been intrigued by these footers for awhile due to the claims made about them and my experience as well as that of others in our area audio group have had using damping material inside of our Yggy 1 DACs. We found that with the damping material, we heard a quieter DAC, which enabled better low level detail coming through, better separation more of the room with live recordings. Not a huge improvement to be sure, but a noticeable one. Of course, the damping material had to be removed when the DAC was returned to Schiit to be upgraded to the Yggy 2. When that returned, the sound was so much better that I thought there was no need try the damping material again.
However, I was still intrigued by the footers.
It was not until my good buddy Doug White of The Voice That Is informed me that he was now a dealer, that I was able to try a set of 4 under my DAC. Much to my surprise, they worked. I heard the same type of improvement that I heard with the damping of the original Yggy only more so. After placing the footers in place, I ran music through the DAC 24/7 for over a week, listening each day to see if I heard a change. I heard a gradual, if slight, improvement each day until about a week in. It sounded like I could hear further and deeper into to the sound stage. There was more low level detail, for want of a better expression, a blacker background. There was greater separation of the instruments which also sounded more life like. Instruments like horns had more of a distinct place in the soundstage. Bass was deeper and tighter. You could hear things like a finger sliding up and down an upright bass string better. Kick drums especially live jazz recordings had more of a you are there sound. I did not hear a wider soundstage. I did not hear instruments or vocals sound like they were in front of the speakers. What I did hear was more of the recording and more of what I love about the sound of my room. A soundstage laid out before you with depth, punch and finesse and a very natural sound.
Yes, the footers are not inexpensive. They did not transform my system. Maybe they would if I had them under everything. Who knows. That will not be happening though. What they did do was improve the sound of my room. Doug did not get the loaner set back. Many thanks to Doug White for the opportunity to hear the footers in my system. This is a tweak which actually works. Well done to the folks at Critical Mass Systems.
I thought that this would be a good time to write about my experience with the CS2 footers. I have been intrigued by these footers for awhile due to the claims made about them and my experience as well as that of others in our area audio group have had using damping material inside of our Yggy 1 DACs. We found that with the damping material, we heard a quieter DAC, which enabled better low level detail coming through, better separation more of the room with live recordings. Not a huge improvement to be sure, but a noticeable one. Of course, the damping material had to be removed when the DAC was returned to Schiit to be upgraded to the Yggy 2. When that returned, the sound was so much better that I thought there was no need try the damping material again.
However, I was still intrigued by the footers.
It was not until my good buddy Doug White of The Voice That Is informed me that he was now a dealer, that I was able to try a set of 4 under my DAC. Much to my surprise, they worked. I heard the same type of improvement that I heard with the damping of the original Yggy only more so. After placing the footers in place, I ran music through the DAC 24/7 for over a week, listening each day to see if I heard a change. I heard a gradual, if slight, improvement each day until about a week in. It sounded like I could hear further and deeper into to the sound stage. There was more low level detail, for want of a better expression, a blacker background. There was greater separation of the instruments which also sounded more life like. Instruments like horns had more of a distinct place in the soundstage. Bass was deeper and tighter. You could hear things like a finger sliding up and down an upright bass string better. Kick drums especially live jazz recordings had more of a you are there sound. I did not hear a wider soundstage. I did not hear instruments or vocals sound like they were in front of the speakers. What I did hear was more of the recording and more of what I love about the sound of my room. A soundstage laid out before you with depth, punch and finesse and a very natural sound.
Yes, the footers are not inexpensive. They did not transform my system. Maybe they would if I had them under everything. Who knows. That will not be happening though. What they did do was improve the sound of my room. Doug did not get the loaner set back. Many thanks to Doug White for the opportunity to hear the footers in my system. This is a tweak which actually works. Well done to the folks at Critical Mass Systems.
I'm sure Mr. Weaver wouldn't mind getting a loaner pair of Ultra 11's to find out!I'm sure they are an improvement - but it doesn't do a service to your product to claim a set of feet is equivalent to a $325,000 upgrade in this hobby.
Would Mr. Weaver think a set of feet is a bigger improvement than Ultra 11s? I highly doubt it.
I'm sorry Greg doesn't like constructive criticism. But I don't deal in personal attacks - to which his post was littered so much with them I have multiple messages about how unfair they were. This post was so PeterB by nature - the whole separating the wheat from the chaff by the ones who "really know."
The sad part is that if Greg knew me in person he would never have written that post - maybe he can start by reading my recent speaker search thread if he thinks I'm a simple troll. I love this hobby - and love the people in this hobby including the numerous industry types, designers, dealers, and manufacturers I know personally. But just as I told a reviewer friend that his Wilson Alexia review read like the Robb Report or when I gave Steve Williams constructive criticism in his own room - in Danville and OC, or a dealer friend on a certain brand of cables, I felt the need to comment on a review. Perhaps after 4 decades, Greg might realize that's a positive not a negative.
What is clear:
1. Greg didn't feel the need to compare footers despite an extensive break-in period (ps. the equipment list is on his own reviewer page - not exactly digging deep)
2. Greg never removed the feet from his system afterward, or the "A-B-A test" that the distributor recommends and reinserted his prior references
Steve: Honestly, I'd rather have you over for a session (which unfortunately, you have never done despite invite) then selling me feet. A common friend was interested but you required to bring over a set of feet for every component instead of a simple quad as you felt that was more optimal. I was actually going to join him for a subsequent session. I don't have the budget anyways for 20 feet which if I'm not mistaken would cost me $9k.
My point:
Feet can most certainly make a difference. But all the synergy in the world can't equate what a speaker does to dominate the room. There is no confirming review or post on any forum of these feet that would say it's the equivalent upgrade of a $300,000 speaker upgrade. And yes, I've talked to people who have heard the feet! So I'm sorry, I found the following review statements and others like it hyperbole:
"It was as if my linestage, mono amps, and sources, even my loudspeakers, had all been replaced by components that were at least two to three times more expensive!"
"I honestly don't believe that I could reap this significant a sonic improvement if I were to double the total invested price of my system, maybe even if I were to triple it!"
To conclude:
I'm going to politely bow out of this thread as it stirred emotions that I don't prefer to dwell on. Greg, if you're in the LA area sometime look me up and come for a session - we can chat about music, not feet.
Steve: Honestly, I'd rather have you over for a session (which unfortunately, you have never done despite invite) then selling me feet. A common friend was interested but you required to bring over a set of feet for every component instead of a simple quad as you felt that was more optimal. I was actually going to join him for a subsequent session. I don't have the budget anyways for 20 feet which if I'm not mistaken would cost me $9k.
I'm sorry Greg doesn't like constructive criticism. But I don't deal in personal attacks.
Its not just the Forums its the whole world! Everyone is an expert and has no tolerance for anyone else even when that person or company has years of experience and superior knowledge. It seems to me that people forget that there was civilization before the internet and the cell phone.What’s with all the fighting in hi end audio forums ? This hobby is supposed to be fun....not like the tribal nasty politics we are experiencing today.
Thanks Steve, I went back and edited my earlier post to correct my misunderstanding...And yes Greg did do an A-B-A test
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