That's a good list of non-components that can really effect the sound of a system. I would add the importance of a proper speaker/listener/room relationship. In my case, this has far outweighed the importance of the other three. If you are sitting in the correct spot in the room and the speakers are set up for the smoothest and most natural response, then you will have a much better chance of realizing the potential of other changes to your system, IMO. This presumes that you have bought the right speakers for the room.
Incredible Stillpoints
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That's a good list of non-components that can really effect the sound of a system. I would add the importance of a proper speaker/listener/room relationship. In my case, this has far outweighed the importance of the other three. If you are sitting in the correct spot in the room and the speakers are set up for the smoothest and most natural response, then you will have a much better chance of realizing the potential of other changes to your system, IMO. This presumes that you have bought the right speakers for the room.
Last night I had the opportunity to hear Stillpoint Ultra 5s in another system. I went over to my good friend Ian's (MadFloyd) house. The original intent was to compare his Pass Labs XA160.5 to the new XA160.8. There were four of us there and we had a blast listening to great music. I posted a review of that comparison here:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12689-Pass-Labs-8-Series!/page5
As you know, my own experience with the Ultras has been mixed. They sound great in my friend David's system, but they were compromised in my system due to implementation, system dependence, taste or a combination of all three. But in Ian's system, it was another matter.
After the four of us had a good sense of the differences between the amps, we had dinner and then Ian suggested we install the Stillpoints under his Wilson Alexias. Given the difficulty he had the first time he tried this a week ago, I had my doubts about the ease of installation, the stripped threads under his speakers and my own past experience. I was not overly optimistic.
Well, how wrong I was. Ian removed the top sections of the Alexias and tipped the speakers over on their sides. One guy unscrewed the Wilson spikes while another inserted the adaptors into the Stillpoints. Ian and I then installed the Stillpoints into the bottom of the speakers. To my surprise, all eight screwed in easily. No force was needed. We left a tiny sliver of space between the devices and the bottom of the speakers. Ian then tipped up the speakers and reinstalled their top sections, positioned them in the same locations and turned on the music.
We had just previously listened to one of my acid-test LPs, the Sheffield Drum Track, through the system having settled on the superiority of the Pass XA160.8s. This is one of the same LP that I listened to in my system with fellow member Ack when we auditioned the Ultra 5s under my Magico Mini 2s. The result was very different. The new amps added a control and clarity to Ian's Alexias which elevated the performance to a point where it really sounded excellent. Tight, controlled, great dynamics, wonderful detail. In fact is was the best this LP had ever sounded in his system and it was, in all honesty, actually starting to sound like what I hear from this LP through the Magicos in my system.
With the addition of the Stillpoints, the performance reached another level. Everything seemed to improve. Dynamics were even more explosive. The kick drum had real impact. The great variety of sounds from that drum kit were clearly distinct and clean. Transients on cymbals were fast and clean and had great ring and decay. The brush work and hand tapping on the snare drums had a definition I had not heard before in Ian' system. I am still surprised that the performance was so similar in his large, open room with full range ported speakers to what it is in my small, closed room with sealed limited range speakers. Prior to the .8 amps, reconfigured cables and Stillpoints, this LP track had always sounded a bit soft, slow, smeared, and somewhat boring. (Sorry Ian)
I would say the new amps (with the reconfigured Transparent cables and new Shunyata PCs) contributed most to the improvement of the sound of this LP, BUT the Stillpoints boosted the realism a even more. To my surprise, everything sounded better. We then listened to some of the other jazz and classical music that we had been listening to earlier during the amplifier comparison, and we all agreed that the Stillpoints did clearly improve the sound of Ian's system. There was an overall ease and clarity to the sound that was not there before we installed the Stillpoints.
I have an ever increasing understanding of how certain components and tweaks perform differently in different system contexts. And I now have a better appreciation for the benefits of what Stillpoints can bring to a system. In my experience, which has been pretty well documented on this thread, I've had different results from these devices. But last night in Ian's system, they really improved the sound and I think are worth the investment in his system context.
Congratulations, Ian and thanks for a very enjoyable evening.
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12689-Pass-Labs-8-Series!/page5
As you know, my own experience with the Ultras has been mixed. They sound great in my friend David's system, but they were compromised in my system due to implementation, system dependence, taste or a combination of all three. But in Ian's system, it was another matter.
After the four of us had a good sense of the differences between the amps, we had dinner and then Ian suggested we install the Stillpoints under his Wilson Alexias. Given the difficulty he had the first time he tried this a week ago, I had my doubts about the ease of installation, the stripped threads under his speakers and my own past experience. I was not overly optimistic.
Well, how wrong I was. Ian removed the top sections of the Alexias and tipped the speakers over on their sides. One guy unscrewed the Wilson spikes while another inserted the adaptors into the Stillpoints. Ian and I then installed the Stillpoints into the bottom of the speakers. To my surprise, all eight screwed in easily. No force was needed. We left a tiny sliver of space between the devices and the bottom of the speakers. Ian then tipped up the speakers and reinstalled their top sections, positioned them in the same locations and turned on the music.
We had just previously listened to one of my acid-test LPs, the Sheffield Drum Track, through the system having settled on the superiority of the Pass XA160.8s. This is one of the same LP that I listened to in my system with fellow member Ack when we auditioned the Ultra 5s under my Magico Mini 2s. The result was very different. The new amps added a control and clarity to Ian's Alexias which elevated the performance to a point where it really sounded excellent. Tight, controlled, great dynamics, wonderful detail. In fact is was the best this LP had ever sounded in his system and it was, in all honesty, actually starting to sound like what I hear from this LP through the Magicos in my system.
With the addition of the Stillpoints, the performance reached another level. Everything seemed to improve. Dynamics were even more explosive. The kick drum had real impact. The great variety of sounds from that drum kit were clearly distinct and clean. Transients on cymbals were fast and clean and had great ring and decay. The brush work and hand tapping on the snare drums had a definition I had not heard before in Ian' system. I am still surprised that the performance was so similar in his large, open room with full range ported speakers to what it is in my small, closed room with sealed limited range speakers. Prior to the .8 amps, reconfigured cables and Stillpoints, this LP track had always sounded a bit soft, slow, smeared, and somewhat boring. (Sorry Ian)
I would say the new amps (with the reconfigured Transparent cables and new Shunyata PCs) contributed most to the improvement of the sound of this LP, BUT the Stillpoints boosted the realism a even more. To my surprise, everything sounded better. We then listened to some of the other jazz and classical music that we had been listening to earlier during the amplifier comparison, and we all agreed that the Stillpoints did clearly improve the sound of Ian's system. There was an overall ease and clarity to the sound that was not there before we installed the Stillpoints.
I have an ever increasing understanding of how certain components and tweaks perform differently in different system contexts. And I now have a better appreciation for the benefits of what Stillpoints can bring to a system. In my experience, which has been pretty well documented on this thread, I've had different results from these devices. But last night in Ian's system, they really improved the sound and I think are worth the investment in his system context.
Congratulations, Ian and thanks for a very enjoyable evening.
He did, and he destroyed the adaptors in the process. But he ordered new ones and tried the Stillpoints again for us last night. I only heard them once in his system, so I can't comment on how they sounded before.
So Steve and rockitman, have you taken a look at this review?
http://www.hifi-advice.com/Stillpoints-review-1.html
http://www.hifi-advice.com/Stillpoints-review-1.html
I have, and I have been saying similar things ad Nauseum about ultra 5s under components in my own system...I love the clarity of the ultra 5s in my system and refused to give it up because nothing else could match it, not quite even the mighty HRS M3. However, I lost lower treble weight...exactly as the author observed, piano became electronic keyboard, and it killed me. That for me is sacrosanct, and I obsessed for 2 days about how to fix it.
That is, until I placed HRS nimbus couplers on top of the Ultra 5s and THEN placed the Components on top. All the tonal weight came back...but all the clarity stayed. The best of both and I have never looked back.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I read it. Only place I have Stillpoints is under my speakers and this made a big improvement. This review involved under amps and front end components
Interesting review. I use mostly ultra SS under every component except the amps, speakers and one turntable. The SS seem to be the sweetspot financially and perhaps sonically when it comes to lighter rack components.
Good to know the more expensive Ultra 5s do not work better under lighter components.
It looks clearly like the speaker and stand are integrated together as one design. The stand does not appears simply to be something for height and stability. I am no techie, but the tilt of the speaker seems deliberate, and (this is as complete guess) the curvature of the stand and the placement of the 3 feet underneath the stand certainly suggest a transfer of vibration along the back of the stand straight down into the back foot, and along the curve directly into the front 2 feet.
The question is if this is the case...do you place the Ultra 5s under the 3 feet to see if the transfer of vibration straight down into those 3 feet is even more reduced by having the balls then drain into the Ultra 5s? Just a thought.
At the moment, the main observation is from PeterA who has (and I deeply respect this) not found success on placing the Ultra 5s directly under the stands...but openly acknowledged their strong merit under MadFloyd's Alexias.
The question is if this is the case...do you place the Ultra 5s under the 3 feet to see if the transfer of vibration straight down into those 3 feet is even more reduced by having the balls then drain into the Ultra 5s? Just a thought.
At the moment, the main observation is from PeterA who has (and I deeply respect this) not found success on placing the Ultra 5s directly under the stands...but openly acknowledged their strong merit under MadFloyd's Alexias.
Here's the original Stillpoint patent claimed to be protecting all of their products. It's conceivable that once you immobilize the Ultra 5s in the horizontal plane, any vibrations are converted to heat - to various degrees - a la original Stillpoint.
off-track..will get it back...
rbbert - did you change your speakers to Acoustic Zen? (just saw your avatar....)
Changed a few things
Check my profile, and a couple of pictures in this threadhttp://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?13900-How-big-is-your-room-W-x-L-x-H/page6
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