Incredible Stillpoints

[Steve williams]

Hi gents,

I have just accepted an invitation to replace Stillpoints U5s with U6s under my Zanden Transport PSU and Burmester 948 Ref Power Conditioner. I decided if I did not hear a difference in 30 seconds, they were going back in the box and off to the Distributor. Although I could trade in...it is expensive...and hey, how much better could a U6 than a U5 anyway? Subtle nuances were not where i wanted to focus time for something so costly.

I continue to learn about how important isolation, power, PSUs in particular are towards great, clear sound. The 8 U6s are staying.

HEALTH NOTE: I still use HRS Nimbus Couplers between the underside of equipment and the top of the Ultra 6s/Ultra Bases. That is a must-have for me in my system.

Nevertheless, improvements in bass and deep bass articulation...and when the bass notes get heavy...now, there is a lot less interference with the uppers and mids...the uppers and mids seem far freer of the bass hits which means you get clarity of both...particularly fun in deep house/electronic.

But equally, Glenn Gould gives a lot more balanced presentation in left hand and right hand on the pianos.

I am still finetuning placement underneath the Burmester as I found last time (and again now) that this matters a lot. But more than a pleasant surprise.

From what I recall when I used Stillpoints the Ultra 6!s were recommended only for under speakers

 

[LL21]

From what I recall when I used Stillpoints the Ultra 6!s were recommended only for under speakers

Hi Steve...man, you're quick on the response trigger at WBF! Actually, as I am told (and read) U6s are now their recommended reference under equipment...and now it seem U5s have been relegated for speakers.

 

[Steve williams]

I find that difficult to believe as the 6’s were much better under my speakers than the Ultra 5’s

 

[LL21]

I find that difficult to believe as the 6’s were much better under my speakers than the Ultra 5’s

Wow...when the Distributor comes over to help with the Gryphon...i will ask him. How did you set them up? 5 pockets facing down to the floor? Presume you did not use the Ultra Bases?

 

[ddk]

I find that difficult to believe as the 6’s were much better under my speakers than the Ultra 5’s

Yet, they're all gone now !

david

 

[rockitman]

I find that difficult to believe as the 6’s were much better under my speakers than the Ultra 5’s

when did you try U6's under your speakers ? I recall you had Ultra 5's for a while and then went back to spikes. I don't recall your thread explaining your demo of U6's under your Wilsons. Please point us in that direction. Thanks.

 

[LL21]

when did you try U6's under your speakers ? I recall you had Ultra 5's for a while and then went back to spikes. I don't recall your thread explaining your demo of U6's under you Wilsons. Please point us in that direction. Thanks.

Yes, I agree and would be most curious as to how you did that/what you found. Thanks for any insights, Steve.

 

[Steve williams]

when did you try U6's under your speakers ? I recall you had Ultra 5's for a while and then went back to spikes. I don't recall your thread explaining your demo of U6's under you Wilsons. Please point us in that direction. Thanks.

Have a look at my system blog. It’s all there. I used 4 Ultra 6’s under each speaker with the Wilson adapters I bought from Stillpoints. I was told at the time that the Ultra 6's were for under speakers. Came directly from Bruce at SP

 

[Steve williams]

I still have the Wilson adapters BTW if anyone wants to buy them.

 

[Barry2013]

Congratulations Lloyd.
Delighted to read the upgrade was a success.

 

[rockitman]

Have a look at my system blog. It’s all there. I used 4 Ultra 6’s under each speaker with the Wilson adapters I bought from Stilkpoints. I was told at the time that the Ultra 6!s were for under speakers. Came directly from Bruce at SP

is your stereo room floor suspended wood or are you on a concrete foundation slab ? Footers will interact differently with different types of floor material, construction.

 

[Steve williams]

My Ultra 6's were on wood however the subfloor was built to withstand a weight of 1500 lbs/foot whereas a typical home is spec'ed to 60-80 lbs/foot. IOW my floor is rock solid. I recall when the contractors were doing the build out they asked me what was going in as they had never seen a subtfloor built to such high specs. Plus on top of the subfloor I have an OEM product of my acoustician called Noise Out which also added to the strength of the floor

 

[LL21]

Have a look at my system blog. It’s all there. I used 4 Ultra 6’s under each speaker with the Wilson adapters I bought from Stillpoints. I was told at the time that the Ultra 6's were for under speakers. Came directly from Bruce at SP

I felt the same as you Christian. I did the experiment and listened both ways and truthfully with use of this rack there is absolutely no benefit for the Stillpoints under the components. Just my $0.02 but you should read about the shelves and the patents

BTW I still have Ultra 5's under my speakers. My buddy Marty will be here next week and the two of us will decide about spikes or Ultra 5's

Hi Steve...here is the last comment I can find about Stillpoints and your speakers...and in the next several posts...the U5s came out forever. because of the search function capability of the forum, i have not been able to find your posts about U6 going under your speakers.

Sorry to bother you...but do you think there is a faster way for me to find your experiment with U6s under your speakers? Your [unbelievably successful] thread at 51 pages long has proven a bit difficult to search. But i did find the above which is literally only a few posts before you took the U5s out. Thanks for any guidance!

 

[LL21]

My Ultra 6's were on wood however the subfloor was built to withstand a weight of 1500 lbs/foot whereas a typical home is spec'ed to 60-80 lbs/foot. IOW my floor is rock solid. I recall when the contractors were doing the build out they asked me what was going in as they had never seen a subtfloor built to such high specs. Plus on top of the subfloor I have an OEM product of my acoustician called Noise Out which also added to the strength of the floor

amazing...hi-bay industrial warehouses having a typical floor loading of 300lbs/foot.

 

[LL21]

Congratulations Lloyd.
Delighted to read the upgrade was a success.

Thanks. Fraser has not steered me wrong in general, though one does have to experiment very carefully. I am still finetuning the placement of the U6s/HRS Nimbus Couplers under the Power Conditioner.

 

[Steve williams]

You are absolutely correct and it is my mistake so my apologies to you and Christian as here is the post......I did exactly what Lloyd said and had them under my amps

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...l=1#post341753

 

[LL21]

You are absolutely correct and it is my mistake so my apologies to you and Christian as here is the post......I did exactly what Lloyd said and had them under my amps

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...l=1#post341753

Thanks Steve! Man, you are quick! I have asked my distributor about U6s under speakers just the same to see if it can be done and if perhaps he has even done it.

 

[LL21]

I have spoken with the Stillpoints Distributor here...you 'can' put U6s under speakers, and he has done it on the smaller Wilsons though not the larger ones. Sounds like there was not as much uplift in performance. Perhaps that is why Stillpoints website says, "The Ultra 6 is the best Stillpoint to date for electronics."

 

[LL21]

Have since upgraded 12 U5s for U6s + Bases. Going to piano (Glenn Gould Bach Goldberg Variations) was a wonderful improvement. With the dynamics of a piano at volume, sometimes notes seem to lose their grounding...a bit blurred, but more like the image is losing just that firmness of grip either due dynamics or distortion, or whatever...

...but it turns out that swapping the U5s for U6s...and then taking some of those U5s and placing them under the TA Opus Network boxes...really grounded, stilled the imagery even when Glenn Gould is pounding away on Track 6. Remarkable.

The final U6 set went under the Gryphons this past few days, and I have been surprised at how much I have to really think twice about this change from the U5s...because there a number of soundtracks, albums that sound really different. So different it is sometimes odd.

...in the end, my final decision was made by listening to roughly 20 albums i know very, very well...and determining that all of those did sound better, freer, more sure-footed and yes, much more detailed with greater upper mid and treble and low, low end detail/articulation that 'came out of nowhere' vs the U5s. No downsides (which sometimes you can have with U5s).

...and it is based on 20 such albums that I have decided that the other albums i know less well probably ARE in fact different with the U6s than the U5s...and i will by virtue of 'trusting those 20 albums' recalibrate to the 'newer, better version'. Fun...its like a new music collection.

 

[Barry2013]

What a very helpful post.
Thank you Llloyd .