Aesthetix Io On Active Isolation Platform?

853guy · Jan 24, 2017

LL21 said:
Guillaume...i agree with your comments indirectly, since i own Ultra 5s...you have to be very, very careful in my system. I found that using HRS Nimbus Couplers on top of the Ultra 5s...and THEN placing the component on top was 'ideal' in my system. We got the density of tone back which went missing slightly and became 'unlistenable' as a sacrifice i was not prepared to make...and yet i have to admit the clarity and definition that the Ultra 5s brought in instrument separation and bass clarity, depth and detail was ALSO something i was not prepared to sacrifice once i'd heard those benefits.

Since you have HRS...which i also use quite a lot of...M3 Isolation platforms and plenty of HRS double-thickness damping plates...you might just be able to experiment.

My experience with Finite Element Pagode racks and Ceraballs and Cerapucs wasn't too dissimilar. Initially it was all "ooh" and "aah". But ultimately, it was only "ooh" and "aah". I don't mind a bit of "ooh" and "aah", if I'm honest, but not at the expense of flow and touch and nuance.

Too much of a good thing is still too much.

Live and learn.

LL21 · Jan 24, 2017

853guy said:
My experience with Finite Element Pagode racks and Ceraballs and Cerapucs wasn't too dissimilar. Initially it was all "ooh" and "aah". But ultimately, it was only "ooh" and "aah". I don't mind a bit of "ooh" and "aah", if I'm honest, but not at the expense of flow and touch and nuance.

Too much of a good thing is still too much.

Live and learn.

Agree! Definitely a lot of learning! I will say in my case, the oooh and ahhh DID last...and now i would NOT do without the COMBINATION of Ultra 5s + HRS Nimbus/Couplers.

spiritofmusic · Jan 24, 2017

Bruce, if you speak to Ked he may well inform you Mooks Giants are not appropriate under yr cdp
They were stellar under mine in London, but I must have been wrong LOL
What this is telling me is that all tweaks and additions to systems are v dependent on circumstances
So in London, my acoustic and power was so compromised that radical changes like Mooks under my cdp were a kind of shot to the system
In my new space in the country, w spectacularly impvd (no exaggeration) acoustic and purest of power, the Mooks are proving to be coloured enhancing some lower frequencies and muddying micro dynamics
The Symposium pucks which were ineffective in London are now gently enhancing w no tipping up of sound like Ultra5s, and no thickening lower down like Mooks
No doubt had I stayed in London I would have bankrupted myself Mooking out my rig, the new setup favours Symposium Rollerblocks at a quarter of the price
Reintroducing Entreq was v interesting
In London the effects of it was radical and undeniable, in my new room, now on balance still positive but more subtle in its effects
Next on the list are the 6 Oyaides dedicated lines and 8kVA transformer I'm having installed tmrw and chance to reintroduce my Sablon Reservas PCs
This I'm really curious about

853guy · Jan 24, 2017

LL21 said:
Agree! Definitely a lot of learning! I will say in my case, the oooh and ahhh DID last...and now i would NOT do without the COMBINATION of Ultra 5s + HRS Nimbus/Couplers.

Hi LL21,

To be fair, it's not like the Finite Element stuff didn't "work", it did. It's just that with my particular set of components and compromises the benefits only manifest themselves along a narrow spectrum of variables, rather than raising the total level of performance in an equivalent manner (much tougher to do). That, and the fact that the learning curve for me was still fairly steep since racks aren't things one can swap in-and-out easily for A-B comparisons like most other components. It's either all in, or all out. In the end it was all out. But having accumulated a few more data points along the way.

I think that's why blanket recommendations for these sorts of (necessary) peripheries are so difficult. It's a bit like cake making. We may agree we both like chocolate cake but with how many grams of sugar exactly? How many eggs? It depends on whose taste the cake is being engineered toward. And I say this, embarrassingly, having only ever made one chocolate cake in my life. Pfff. I mean, c'mon, what would I know?

BruceD · Jan 24, 2017

Ha!--Surely Spirit as Ked is the resident WBF Globetrotter!

I bet the non believers in Tweaks/footers--they know who they are!

are rolling around their Lairs with guffaws at us looneys that stick doo dahs under and over the Gears

!

Ah well keeps bored minds occupied I suppose nevertheless I've been repeat offender--but settled to what I find has settled the/my "playing field" to a seemingly satisfactory position--so--

I like the Minus K under the TT

Marigo Mystery Feet under the Tubes VPI Bricks on all Trans

Mooks under the TT + Mook TT Puck

Mooks under the CDP

All above on Mapleshade 4" Blocks Brasspoints thru carpet

No racks

Mapleshade Brass Feet under the CDP PSU topped with VPI Bricks and Power Regen'

Out went

Stillpoints/Brightstar sand bases--but still recommend same with Goldmund cones--they ARE good would use again/Aurios/Tiptoes/ Avalon Cones/Harmonix Feet and TT Puck/

AQ Sorbothane feet/Mission Isoplats/Walker HDL's/Mana Tables--these work for Naim and Linn--nothing else!/ Sound Org Tables-- duuhh!! too old to remember any more

BruceD

spiritofmusic · Jan 24, 2017

Gosh Bruce, you HAVE been thru the wringer on all this
Mooks 12 months ago were due to be my new obsession based on stellar results under my cdp and bpt
Now, the impvts wrought are diluted, and I'm dubious of the changes here
Symposium is proving a better synergy

bonzo75 · Jan 24, 2017

BruceD said:
Ha!--Surely Spirit as Ked is the resident WBF Globetrotter!

I bet the non believers in Tweaks/footers--they know who they are! are rolling around their Lairs with guffaws at us looneys that stick doo dahs under and over the Gears!

Ah well keeps bored minds occupied I suppose nevertheless I've been repeat offender--but settled to what I find has settled the/my "playing field" to a seemingly satisfactory position--so--

I like the Minus K under the TT

Marigo Mystery Feet under the Tubes VPI Bricks on all Trans

Mooks under the TT + Mook TT Puck

Mooks under the CDP

All above on Mapleshade 4" Blocks Brasspoints thru carpet

No racks

Mapleshade Brass Feet under the CDP PSU topped with VPI Bricks and Power Regen'

Out went

Stillpoints/Brightstar sand bases--but still recommend same with Goldmund cones--they ARE good would use again/Aurios/Tiptoes/ Avalon Cones/Harmonix Feet and TT Puck/

AQ Sorbothane feet/Mission Isoplats/Walker HDL's/Mana Tables--these work for Naim and Linn--nothing else!/ Sound Org Tables-- duuhh!! too old to remember any more

BruceD

Bruce, you have both minus K and Mooks under TT? What are the benefits?

Which CDP do you have?

853guy · Jan 24, 2017

BruceD said:
Out went

Stillpoints/Brightstar sand bases--but still recommend same with Goldmund cones--they ARE good would use again/Aurios/Tiptoes/ Avalon Cones/Harmonix Feet and TT Puck/

AQ Sorbothane feet/Mission Isoplats/Walker HDL's/Mana Tables--these work for Naim and Linn--nothing else!/ Sound Org Tables-- duuhh!! too old to remember any more

BruceD

Hi BruceD,

I remember when "Mana" was short for "mandatory", especially if you had an LP12 in front of your olive bumper stuff.

You stack one, adjust, stack another phase, adjust, and now adjust the first level, and then add the third phase, adjust, realise you've tightened the bolts "too tight" despite only tightening them "finger-tight" and re-adjust, stack on the fourth phase but realise the screws for the spikes are too loose now, so re-tighten, and then find the table isn't level on one corner, so re-adjust, "tune" the glass shelf through knocking and more adjusting of the screws - finger tight remember, no tighter - and finally - around 1am - stick your LP12 on top and play a record. By this time however, the suspension of the Linn would now be out of tune with the rack, and so you'd have to strip the deck down and rotate the springs and grommets. You'd be lucky if you got one song into an album before falling asleep at 4am.

If you visited your dealer to have a bit of whinge how much of an unbearable faff it all was, you'd be informed "Don't worry..." Naim had released a new power supply for your pre and Linn a new improvement in the Cirkus for your sub-chassis and the Trampoline 2 for your base board. Lucky lucky you that you were part of an exclusive clique in which further inconvenience and greater expenditure was simply the invitation to a higher level of musical enlightenment. Nirvana was only another couple of upgrades away. But, of course it was.

The best upgrade I ever made during that season was selling everything and travelling North America on the proceeds. Still, could have been worse. I could have gone Musical Fidelity.

BruceD · Jan 24, 2017

spiritofmusic said:
Gosh Bruce, you HAVE been thru the wringer on all this
Mooks 12 months ago were due to be my new obsession based on stellar results under my cdp and bpt
Now, the impvts wrought are diluted, and I'm dubious of the changes here
Symposium is proving a better synergy

A fool and his money is easily parted--just ask my 3 ex wives

!

BD

BruceD · Jan 24, 2017

bonzo75 said:
Bruce, you have both minus K and Mooks under TT? What are the benefits?

Which CDP do you have?

Hi B,

I have tried both my Shindo 301 and Dr.F /Kuzma setups and found the best is/was

Minus K on the dedicated M k Stand

Top consists of

4" Maple shade Block placed on 2" Silestone slab(NOT Granite)

3 Mooks on the MS Block-- 2 front 1rear

TT's on Mooks-- the rotation dots at 7 and 5 o'clock ( Mookies will understand this :

The Mooks replaced Stillpoints-- not good I found under TT's--appeared to enhance a hardness--dissappeared with the Mooks.

I have set of Harmonix TU-210X feet that were almost as good sonically as the Mooks--also much superior to the Stillpoints I found.

Voila

I have Naim CDX2.2 /555PS previously Sondek CD12 and TLO+AudioNote Dac5 Sign --but the damn drives would not play my CD-R's

BruceD

BruceD · Jan 24, 2017

853guy said:
Hi BruceD,

I remember when "Mana" was short for "mandatory", especially if you had an LP12 in front of your olive bumper stuff.

You stack one, adjust, stack another phase, adjust, and now adjust the first level, and then add the third phase, adjust, realise you've tightened the bolts "too tight" despite only tightening them "finger-tight" and re-adjust, stack on the fourth phase but realise the screws for the spikes are too loose now, so re-tighten, and then find the table isn't level on one corner, so re-adjust, "tune" the glass shelf through knocking and more adjusting of the screws - finger tight remember, no tighter - and finally - around 1am - stick your LP12 on top and play a record. By this time however, the suspension of the Linn would now be out of tune with the rack, and so you'd have to strip the deck down and rotate the springs and grommets. You'd be lucky if you got one song into an album before falling asleep at 4am.

If you visited your dealer to have a bit of whinge how much of an unbearable faff it all was, you'd be informed "Don't worry..." Naim had released a new power supply for your pre and Linn a new improvement in the Cirkus for your sub-chassis and the Trampoline 2 for your base board. Lucky lucky you that you were part of an exclusive clique in which further inconvenience and greater expenditure was simply the invitation to a higher level of musical enlightenment. Nirvana was only another couple of upgrades away. But, of course it was.

The best upgrade I ever made during that season was selling everything and travelling North America on the proceeds. Still, could have been worse. I could have gone Musical Fidelity.

Ha!-so very true--"but I was so much older then I'm younger than that now

"-- though still susceptible to Snake oil damnit!

Even so Watson had a point with the Mana--the damn things worked with the Lp12 (and Naim)---as did the flimsy ringy Sound Org!

Still both in oblivion now but interestingly I sold my Mana set to a "Linnie" with full house LP12--I went to hear it --

WTF?--my Mana Tables were relegated to the garage he had the TT on his brand new NAIM FRAIM stand --looked real sharp--ah yes?--the sound was Blech--I told him so--much gnashing of teeth

Begrudgingly we lugged the Mana stuff back and set the TT back on the Mana stands-- the system transformed and played as a property setup Linn can do

Go figure

Ah yes you dodged a bullet with avoiding Musical Fatality

-- pathway to hell!

BruceD

spiritofmusic · Jan 24, 2017

Gosh, the Mana Mania of the 80s/90s
I remember well the absolute frenzy Linn and Naim crazies went for all this
It was a real religion, maybe the first time I became aware of tweaks being a whole upgrade in themselves, not just bring a simple inexpensive add on
All that steel and glass...
Musical Fidelity? Just how many changes to a product line could a company hope to promote? Whatever the number, Anthony could promote more

LL21 · Jan 24, 2017

853guy said:
Hi LL21,

To be fair, it's not like the Finite Element stuff didn't "work", it did. It's just that with my particular set of components and compromises the benefits only manifest themselves along a narrow spectrum of variables, rather than raising the total level of performance in an equivalent manner (much tougher to do). That, and the fact that the learning curve for me was still fairly steep since racks aren't things one can swap in-and-out easily for A-B comparisons like most other components. It's either all in, or all out. In the end it was all out. But having accumulated a few more data points along the way.

I think that's why blanket recommendations for these sorts of (necessary) peripheries are so difficult. It's a bit like cake making. We may agree we both like chocolate cake but with how many grams of sugar exactly? How many eggs? It depends on whose taste the cake is being engineered toward. And I say this, embarrassingly, having only ever made one chocolate cake in my life. Pfff. I mean, c'mon, what would I know?

Totally appreciate that. It's all in the mix...

853guy · Jan 25, 2017

BruceD said:
Ha!-so very true--"but I was so much older then I'm younger than that now?"-- though still susceptible to Snake oil damnit!

Even so Watson had a point with the Mana--the damn things worked with the Lp12 (and Naim)---as did the flimsy ringy Sound Org!

Still both in oblivion now but interestingly I sold my Mana set to a "Linnie" with full house LP12--I went to hear it --

WTF?--my Mana Tables were relegated to the garage he had the TT on his brand new NAIM FRAIM stand --looked real sharp--ah yes?--the sound was Blech--I told him so--much gnashing of teeth?

Begrudgingly we lugged the Mana stuff back and set the TT back on the Mana stands-- the system transformed and played as a property setup Linn can do

Go figure

Ah yes you dodged a bullet with avoiding Musical Fatality?-- pathway to hell!

BruceD

spiritofmusic said:
Gosh, the Mana Mania of the 80s/90s
I remember well the absolute frenzy Linn and Naim crazies went for all this
It was a real religion, maybe the first time I became aware of tweaks being a whole upgrade in themselves, not just bring a simple inexpensive add on
All that steel and glass...
Musical Fidelity? Just how many changes to a product line could a company hope to promote? Whatever the number, Anthony could promote more

LL21 said:
Totally appreciate that. It's all in the mix..

Hello gents,

Before I take this thread even more off topic than I already have - apologies, Ron - let me quickly say I actually thought the Mana stuff worked best with the olive bumper generation, while the Fraim worked best with the 500 series; I loved my Tim de Paravicini-designed Musical Fidelity A1 (y’know, before it melted its electrolytics - great styling though); and yes, like sex, drugs, alcohol, politics and religion, often experimentation is the only way to know if something’s truly to your liking.

Be well.

853guy

XV-1 · Jan 25, 2017

spiritofmusic said:
Gosh, the Mana Mania of the 80s/90s
I remember well the absolute frenzy Linn and Naim crazies went for all this
It was a real religion, maybe the first time I became aware of tweaks being a whole upgrade in themselves, not just bring a simple inexpensive add on
All that steel and glass...
Musical Fidelity? Just how many changes to a product line could a company hope to promote? Whatever the number, Anthony could promote more

I still have a mana 3 tier reference under my LP12 - sounds wonderful with the LP12.

spiritofmusic · Jan 25, 2017

That's what it's all about
Ie pick your poison

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Aesthetix Io On Active Isolation Platform?

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