Herzan/Table Stable "Active" Isolation table.

[Mike Lavigne]

another whole subject that has been uncovered with the Herzan TS-140 is the judgment of record pressings.

you might have an opinion about particular MFSL pressings having boomy bass because that is what you are hearing. but the Herzan will expose that what was happening was that the full proper bass on the MFSL was causing feedback thru your speakers into your rack and muddying up the bass. once your tt is properly isolated and the feedback eliminated the cleaned up bass is wonderful. so be suspicious of any pressing with boomy bass. don't blame the pressing for your bass feedback.

is the pressing bass boomy thru headphones with the speakers muted? likely not.

what about clarity on musical peaks? a pressing issue? a cartridge or set-up issue? the Herzan will expose the truth of that. I've been learning a lot these last few days about true cause and effect.

it's humbling to realize how for off my assumptions have been on many things.

 

[NorthStar]

Wow, this is quite a revelation Mike! ...I wish we can make our own TT stable active platform for a "little" less than twelve grands.

But, only the truly well healed have the opportunity to hear the 'truth'. :b

 

[rockitman]

another whole subject that has been uncovered with the Herzan TS-140 is the judgment of record pressings.

you might have an opinion about particular MFSL pressings having boomy bass because that is what you are hearing. but the Herzan will expose that what was happening was that the full proper bass on the MFSL was causing feedback thru your speakers into your rack and muddying up the bass. once your tt is properly isolated and the feedback eliminated the cleaned up bass is wonderful. so be suspicious of any pressing with boomy bass. don't blame the pressing for your bass feedback.

is the pressing bass boomy thru headphones with the speakers muted? likely not.

what about clarity on musical peaks? a pressing issue? a cartridge or set-up issue? the Herzan will expose the truth of that. I've been learning a lot these last few days about true cause and effect.

it's humbling to realize how for off my assumptions have been on many things.

I'm finding that the line is starting to blur between RTR and vinyl. No doubt the TS-140 makes the most dramatic improvement in the bass region. The bar has been set high for my arriving AF1...which will start off it's life on the HRS TechDAS passive shelf to get my baseline. Down the road I will try it on the TS-140.

 

[rockitman]

Orchestral music is being reproduced at a level that can only be described as "live"; RCA's, Mercury's, Everest, ect.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

when i get the info from the technical engineer i will pass that along.

today i did recieve this message back from Reid regarding their technical engineer's perspective on the 'power off' question.

I have spoken with our technical team and although the TS Series does provide reliable and consistent performance over long periods of time, it is recommended to turn off the isolation system when being unused to maximize its longevity (as with all electronics). I wouldn’t place too much worry on accidently leaving it on and there being an issue, but the lifetime of the sensors and electronics of the table will be extended should you use the table as long as you may need it.

i will turn my TS-140 off when i'm not using it for extended times.

 

[rockitman]

Thanks Mike, I will follow suit and turn off the green main power switch when not in use. Have you listened to much classical ? other than the big orchestral stuff that now explodes with life, I find gary karr adagio d albinoni impex 45 rpm bringing me literally to tears with the TT on the Herzan. Highly recommended listening.

 

[microstrip]

today i did recieve this message back from Reid regarding their technical engineer's perspective on the 'power off' question.
i will turn my TS-140 off when i'm not using it for extended times.

Mike,
Do you know what type of actuators they use in their servos?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike,
Do you know what type of actuators they use in their servos?

Piezoelectric Sensors

6 of them. i have no idea whether there is more than one source, or the size or spec.

 

[microstrip]

Piezoelectric Sensors

6 of them. i have no idea whether there is more than one source, or the size or spec.

Thanks, but I was asking for the actuators, not the sensors ... Are the actuators also piezo?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks, but I was asking for the actuators, not the sensors ... Are the actuators also piezo?

i'm relatively clueless on technical issues, sorry.

i really have no idea about the actuators. based only on the speed of the adjustments, it's likely the fastest kind of actuator....whatever that might be.

if that is a 'piezo-actuator' then that is likely it. but i'm just guessing. i'll try to ask that question with my next communications to Herzan.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks Mike, I will follow suit and turn off the green main power switch when not in use. Have you listened to much classical ? other than the big orchestral stuff that now explodes with life, I find gary karr adagio d albinoni impex 45 rpm bringing me literally to tears with the TT on the Herzan. Highly recommended listening.

i've done lots of Classical and it's heavenly. Classical gives you more acoustic precision to work with so displays the advantages of active isolation wonderfully. i've especially loved the String Quartets, Cello and any Piano.

great suggestion on the Karr Adagio, i'll listen to it tonight.

oh and btw; ZZ Top's 'La Grange' is to die for!!!

hear the bass as god intended you to hear it.

it's a classic, but not classical

 

[rockitman]

i've done lots of Classical and it's heavenly. Classical gives you more acoustic precision to work with so displays the advantages of active isolation wonderfully. i've especially loved the String Quartets, Cello and any Piano.

great suggestion on the Karr Adagio, i'll listen to it tonight.

oh and btw; ZZ Top's 'La Grange' is to die for!!!

hear the bass as god intended you to hear it.

it's a classic, but not classical

I like your style Mike....Rock to Classical. On that Karr LP...wait till you hear the deepest registers of the organ come alive....so clear like never before.

 

[rockitman]

another whole subject that has been uncovered with the Herzan TS-140 is the judgment of record pressings.

you might have an opinion about particular MFSL pressings having boomy bass because that is what you are hearing. but the Herzan will expose that what was happening was that the full proper bass on the MFSL was causing feedback thru your speakers into your rack and muddying up the bass. once your tt is properly isolated and the feedback eliminated the cleaned up bass is wonderful. so be suspicious of any pressing with boomy bass. don't blame the pressing for your bass feedback.

is the pressing bass boomy thru headphones with the speakers muted? likely not.

what about clarity on musical peaks? a pressing issue? a cartridge or set-up issue? the Herzan will expose the truth of that. I've been learning a lot these last few days about true cause and effect.

it's humbling to realize how for off my assumptions have been on many things.

I just listened to my first Japan press MFSL of Waiting for Columbus. I agree, the mud and bloat is gone. Now it's deep, defined and dynamic. My MFSL vault is back in rotation.

 

[Frank750]

I just listened to my first Japan press MFSL of Waiting for Columbus. I agree, the mud and bloat is gone. Now it's deep, defined and dynamic. My MFSL vault is back in rotation.

Why don't you two get a room :b

 

[Bruce B]

Why don't you two get a room :b

Or you can save yourself $12k and either listen with headphones or at a lower volume!

 

[rockitman]

Why don't you two get a room :b

My order of most significant sound improvement with the same components/speakers..
1) Herzan for the TT
2) MIT MA-X SHD (speaker only)
3) Stillpoints Ultra 5's under monoblocks
4) Stillpoints Ultra SS/LP1's on all other components.

makes me think about dual Herzan's under the Monoblocks. I bet it's worth it...

 

[microstrip]

My order of most significant sound improvement with the same components/speakers..
1) Herzan for the TT
2) MIT MA-X SHD (speaker only)
3) Stillpoints Ultra 5's under monoblocks
4) Stillpoints Ultra SS/LP1's on all other components.

makes me think about dual Herzan's under the Monoblocks. I bet it's worth it...

You will have to try it in order to know. But I would not be so sure that for all electronics isolation this is the way to go. Some electronics use their feet to create a path to dissipate mechanical energy created by the transformer and other components in the amplifier to ground. Breaking this path can lead to poor results - think about the Goldmund mechanical diode. Turntables, cd transports and tape machines are a different story - here we can see clearly the advantage.

Unfortunately we do not have the option to try the Herzan in a money back option in Europe - I have to learn a lot more before committing.

BTW, looking at your ordered list the Herzan was a bargain!

 

[PeterA]

makes me think about dual Herzan's under the Monoblocks. I bet it's worth it...

That sounds expensive.

However, I was really surprised at how much improvement I heard when I placed a Vibraplane under each of my Pass XA160.5 monoblocks. Each unit has a 130lb steel ballast plate to preload it so that the ballast plate plus the weight of the amp (130lbs) is close to the Vibraplane's maximum design load of 275 lbs. This lowers the isolation frequency. So, including the weight of each Vibraplane (150lbs) that gives a total of 280 lbs of steel under each amp. Any internal vibration from the transformer should exit and sink into that mass. And the Vibraplane isolates it from resonances coming up through the ground and floor. So I think it works to both drain and isolate, that is up and down, in both directions.

A similar effect occurs under the SME 30/12. Internal vibrations are drained down through the four legs on steel ball footers into the 280lbs of black steel below the turntable and the Vibraplane isolates the turntable and motor controller from vibrations coming up through the rack from the ground. Or at least this is how I think things are working. I don't think the Herzan has this 280lbs of steel mass into which vibrations can drain. So its effectiveness is probably based on something different.

How much does the Herzan weight?

The improvement with the amps was not quite as dramatic as with my turntable, but it was significant nonetheless. It would certainly be worth trying the Herzan under electronics, but that is an expensive proposition.

 

[rockitman]

Hi Peter,

The TS-140 weighs about 70lbs. Supports up to 300lb. No preload weight needed. I know they will improve the amps. Putting Stillpoints Ultra 5"s (passive device) made a big difference. That's an upgrade I can look forward to down the road.

 

[Audiocrack]

I am not familiar with the Herzan products but do have a lot of experience with various Halcyonics products. Using a Halcyonics micro 40 under my Zanden transport en various Halcyonics vario devices under my wooden racks. Not only turntables (in my case the Forsell table) benefit enormously but also preamps (in my case Kondo m1000), phonostages (in my case Lyra) well as digital (the Scarlatti four box cd-player in my situation). I consider them to be essential devices in my hifi set ups and I am very happy that I made the Halcyonics jump after talking extensively with Sam Laufer, the USA distributor of Halcyonics. Leaving aside technical aspects as for example better dynamics, better transparency and a lower noisefloor I would put it in this way: the music flows much more naturally, that is you giving you the impression (of course it is only an impression because there is still a large gap between (unamplified) live music and our home systems) that you are not listening anymore to your equipment.