Stillpoints Ultra 6 v's Critical Mass Systems Centre Stage 2

[Steve Williams]

Scot

The best way to know exactly what these do is for you to do an A-B-A test. Most people on ly do an A-B test. You should listen and then remove them from your system and listen to the same music once again and that will be evidence enough. I always have done an A-B-A test with mine

 

[PeterA]

Scot

The best way to know exactly what these do is for you to do an A-B-A test. Most people on ly do an A-B test. You should listen and then remove them from your system and listen to the same music once again and that will be evidence enough. I always have done an A-B-A test with mine

Steve, is your A-B-A test recommendation to listen to the system without them (A), then listen with the CS footers after the break in period (B), and then remove the footers and listen to the system again (A)? Or is it with footers (A), then without footers (B), then with footers again (A)?

After the suggested 7 day settling period, how long must one wait to hear them again once they have been removed and then replaced under the component? Is the time any shorter the second time?

 

[Steve Williams]

Steve, is your A-B-A test recommendation to listen to the system without them (A), then listen with the CS footers after the break in period (B), and then remove the footers and listen to the system again (A)? Or is it with footers (A), then without footers (B), then with footers again (A)?

After the suggested 7 day settling period, how long must one wait to hear them again once they have been removed and then replaced under the component? Is the time any shorter the second time?

peter

The settle in period is system dependent and not etched in stone so it can vary from 3-7 days to several weeks. None of us know why that is the case but it is. I seem to be one of the few who has been finding a shorter than expected settle in and my only explanation for that (and I only assume it to be the reason)is that my footers are all sitting on CMS racks

As for my A-B-A, either way is fine as long as you can do the "A " comparison

I do mine both ways but usually A-without the footers, B with the footers and A without the footers

 

[PeterA]

Thanks Steve. I thought I had read somewhere that once they are broken in, removing them and then replacing them again requires a bit less time the second and subsequent times. I may be mistaken.

 

[XV-1]

At least with Stillpoints you know the life of the product is long and a fully researched product, not a in testing product.
Centre Stage on version 3 now?

As a consumer, not good if u bought the discontinued old versions.

 

[thedudeabides]

At least with Stillpoints you know the life of the product is long and a fully researched product, not a in testing product.
Centre Stage on version 3 now?

As a consumer, not good if u bought the discontinued old versions.

Agreed but certain folks seem to disagree. I tried to point that out on another thread and received less than polite responses.

 

[sbo6]

Agreed but certain folks seem to disagree. I tried to point that out on another thread and received less than polite responses.

At least with Stillpoints you know the life of the product is long and a fully researched product, not a in testing product.
Centre Stage on version 3 now?

As a consumer, not good if u bought the discontinued old versions.

I also agree. You see this with certain speaker manufacturers but they still have a loyal following.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Change and improvement are addictive. Some of us (or possibly just at some stages in our lives) may require a more constant dosage or even rapid big injections of extreme upgrade gratification… it’s dependent on how we choose to nourish ourselves. So if there are ready finances and we are tuned to consider the return on investment with known or familiar (and so seemingly safe and predictable gear upgrades) then the constant releasing of new iterations can be exciting opportunities to move forwards.

Nirvana ceaselessly beckons But it can also become exhausting… it’s the uneven nature of change

 

[Steve Williams]

Nirvana ceaselessly beckons But it can also become exhausting… it’s the uneven nature of change

you know you’ve reached nirvana when all you want to do is listen

 

[sbo6]

Change and improvement are addictive. Some of us (or possibly just at some stages in our lives) may require a more constant dosage or even rapid big injections of extreme upgrade gratification… it’s dependent on how we choose to nourish ourselves. So if there are ready finances and we are tuned to consider the return on investment with known or familiar (and so seemingly safe and predictable gear upgrades) then the constant releasing of new iterations can be exciting opportunities to move forwards.

Nirvana ceaselessly beckons But it can also become exhausting… it’s the uneven nature of change

The addiction that audiophiles can't kick is also a pleasure and as you essentially said, availability of funds drives the addiction. There's no issue with that other than to say some companies capitalize on that addiction spending more on Marketing than R&D and laughing all the way to the bank.

Net - some companies release revolutionary products, others focus more on tweaks that older models (purposely?) can't upgrade to. In the computer industry customers wouldn't stand for it, in high end audio, the brand zealots evangelize ad nauseum and the checkbooks fly open. We all know the culprits.

 

[the sound of Tao]

The addiction that audiophiles can't kick is also a pleasure and as you essentially said, availability of funds drives the addiction. There's no issue with that other than to say some companies capitalize on that addiction spending more on Marketing than R&D and laughing all the way to the bank.

Net - some companies release revolutionary products, others focus more on tweaks that older models (purposely?) can't upgrade to. In the computer industry customers wouldn't stand for it, in high end audio, the brand zealots evangelize ad nauseum and the checkbooks fly open. We all know the culprits.

Ha yes. Very much about feeding the pleasure zone.

I’ve been stabilising back into music as primary focus ever since I switched over to the horn SET thing, but still the component urges hit and test my resolve as I cycle off into new thoughts and researching into alternate paths.

My current thoughts are looking to silver autoformers, folded open baffle subs and other horns and field coils. I am largely a lost cause I fear.

 

[thedudeabides]

The addiction that audiophiles can't kick is also a pleasure and as you essentially said, availability of funds drives the addiction.

It's a very simple question. How much is enough? I stopped asking that question several years ago. Can I afford to buy new gear? Yes. Do I want to? No. Like any addiction and how much you let it continue is a personal challenge. Self control is paramount.

 

[Cellcbern]

The Dalby Audio isolation feet are the best I've heard and are on a whole different level compared to any model of Stillpoints or Critical Mass Systems footer I've heard (I have the Dalby D7-LVSE Lignum Vitae feet under my Modwright-Marantz SA8005). The sound of Stillpoints (and every other metal footer I've heard) reminds me a little of the sound of Rhodium plated connectors - there is a slight hardness and clinicality to the sound. It appears from the posts at Audio Exotics and other Asian sites that the Dalby footers are considered by many Asian audiophiles to be the world's best. I have heard nothing (including isolation platforms) that comes close. The ASI Topline Feet (which I also have) are my 2nd choice. I have heard raves about the Harmonix TU666 Maestro footers but have not listened to them.

FYI: https://audioexotics.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/9807/dalby-audio-design/p1

(Below) Dalby Audio D7 Lignum Vitae SE isolation feet on top of last generation Townshend Seismic Sink air platform.

 

[Ricardo007]

Dalby feet look like an expensive copy of shunmook diamond resonators which exist since the 90s...

 

[Cellcbern]

Dalby feet look like an expensive copy of shunmook diamond resonators which exist since the 90s...

From the side - yes. But with the Shun Mook the component sits directly on a large ebony wood surface, while the Dalby footer contacts the component only through three small ceramic spheres (see photos). My ears tell me that the Shun Mook do more tuning of resonances than the Dalby while the Dalby do more draining of internal component resonances than the Shun Mook. To my ears the Dalby feet are a clear winner over Shun Mook and everything else I've heard. Retail prices between the Dalby and Shun Mook are pretty similar.

 

[bonzo75]

Dalby is more expensive. Their record weight is better though they have different ones and some sound not as good.

I don't know about the feet, never heard, shun mook is great, there is one guy here, hi5harry who has both

 

[allvinyl]

Cellcbern - I have had trouble researching either the Dalby or ASI Topline isolators. Do you have links? I see there is some ASI chatter on Facebook but I don't do social media. TIA...

 

[matakana]

Cellcbern - I have had trouble researching either the Dalby or ASI Topline isolators. Do you have links? I see there is some ASI chatter on Facebook but I don't do social media. TIA...

I have a set of ASI Topline I could move on, half price , if interested PM me.

 

[Argonaut]

For my part, in studying the design of the Dolby footers I feel that given the minimalist contact area of the metal spike and ceramic hemispheres that they gravitate more in the direction of resonance control through de coupling that the Mook design methodology in that the latter enhances harmonic resonance and thereby bring a somewhat fuller , more texturally dense, liquid projection of the recording than cleaning those harmonics up, tone controls if you will, tho highly organic and satisfying.ones.

 

[Cellcbern]

Cellcbern - I have had trouble researching either the Dalby or ASI Topline isolators. Do you have links? I see there is some ASI chatter on Facebook but I don't do social media. TIA...

FYI:

Dalby Audio Design | Audio Exotics

www.audioexotics.com

ear acute

Top Line (Set of 3)

Top Line (Set of 3) - The Cable Company carries Acoustic System acoustic treatments, interconnects, speaker cables and various audio accessories.

www.thecableco.com

https://www.technologyfactory.eu/en/acoustic-system/acoustic-feet/g-10001176

monk audio phono