Stillpoints record weight

[rlw3]

Has anyone tried this $500 accessory? How did it sound?

[Wasatch]

I just read about this a couple of days ago. Should work great on a VPI. For my Rega, no.

[Whart]

I have it, have experimented with it and can write a summary at some point when I get the time. Bottom line- if your vinyl system is good, it can change the sound of the system to a degree that is an improvement if you are willing to make other adjustments in the system set up to accomodate what it does. I'm not sure spending money on expensive tweaks makes sense until you get the basics right, though.
And for what it's worth, it does double duty as a damping device on amplifiers, CD players, etc. I am using it for its intended purpose, however, in lieu of the factory screw down clamp on my turntable.

[rlw3]

Originally Posted by Whart

I have it, have experimented with it and can write a summary at some point when I get the time. Bottom line- if your vinyl system is good, it can change the sound of the system to a degree that is an improvement if you are willing to make other adjustments in the system set up to accomodate what it does. I'm not sure spending money on expensive tweaks makes sense until you get the basics right, though.
And for what it's worth, it does double duty as a damping device on amplifiers, CD players, etc. I am using it for its intended purpose, however, in lieu of the factory screw down clamp on my turntable.

What other adjustments are you referring to? i understand that if the weight is heavier than my timeline i will have to add some weight to the timeline when setting speed. Even my vpi tnt's speed is influenced by weight differences which surprised me given its heft and torque.

[Whart]

Alright, i have a few minutes now- in the midst of the hurricane, unless we lose power. By 'other adjustments in the system' i meant how the change in using the Stillpoints affects the overall tonal balance of the system, and what you may need to do in terms of relocating speakers, adjusting crossover points, levels (volume settings) to make the system 'lock in' for the best overall system balance once you've made the change. Think of it as changing a component and how that changes the sound of your system. It's not just plug and play- you may have to do some fiddling. Here's what I found, in my system, using the LP1.
My table (a big Kuzma which weighs about 160 lbs without the base or additional mass loading), came with a heavy screw down clamp as part of the factory supplied package. Changing to the Stillpoints weight, without adjusting things, the following happened: the system was less loud, there was less 'thwack' in the upper bass and overall the system seemed a little less propulsive. To me, this was not a good change at first, but then I found that by (1) raising the gain of the system, (i.e. turning up the volume) (2) adjusting crossover point and level, easy enough to do on my speaker but something you could also effectively do by moving the speaker position at it affects bass performance,
the system is now more relaxed sounding, the 'bass thwack,' while impressive, was an anomaly, which I tried to address through room treatment to a degree. While my original impression before 'adjustments' was a 'lighter' presentation, what's really happening, I think, is that there's less distortion, and that enables me to hear even more, overall, in the midrange (and my system is no slouch in the midrange, keep in mind that with the Avantgarde Duo, there is no crossover whatsover- you are running straight from the amp to the horn). The tonal balance that made it seem 'light' was simply a matter of giving the woofers a little boost, and experimenting with the crossover point where the woofer kicks in.
I think you get the idea. My original point was twofold: not to spend money on expensive tweaks until the basics are right (and that may be inexpensive tweaking that involves correct set-up, mechanical isolation, etc.) and second, be prepared to readjust as I described above, various other system parameters and set up to get the most out of the device. I would be surprised if substituting it for a factory weight, you noticed an immediate improvement, but I guess that depends on the table. Franc Kuzma actually likes his ebony weight which he sells as an accessory . Both the Stillpoints and the Kuzma ebony weight are lighter than the factory clamp for the XL, which is not only heavy but screws down. I've never been entirely comfortable with a screw-down clamp simply because there is too much potential variation in torque settings when screwing it down. (And yes, that varies both by how hard you screw it down as well as the particular thickness of the record you are clamping).
Hope you find this helpful.

[shindostevesan]

Very thorough and well explained.

Do you have any experience with the Stillpoints Ultra footers?

[Whart]

I am using them under the tube-rectified power supply to my phono stage. I did a comparison of various footers on another site, but summarized it here, a couple days ago as follows:

I did an extensive comparison of various footers for the tube power supply of my phono stage that is posted on another site. It included, starting from cheapest: Herbie's Footers (too soft sounding); Vibrapod plus cone (actually very good, particularly given how cheap they are); aurios (wonderful in clarity, bass tightening, but a harshness that could not be tolerated); HRS Couplers (did no harm, possible improvement but nowhere near as pronounced as what the aurios did right); custom rollerblocks (kind of 1/2 as good as the aurios, without the downside harshness, and different types of 'balls' change the sound); Stillpoints Ultra SS- what I am currently using- gives the clarity, not quite as pronounced as the aurios, but no trace of harshness. I gather they actually work most impressively under speakers; I have Grand Prix Apex footers with nitride balls under the horns right now, and am too lazy to change them out, given that I'll be breaking down the entire system soon. Once I relocate, I'll experiment with different footers under the speakers as well.

[shindostevesan]

Interesting comparison.

Do you use three or four of the Stillpoints under your power supply and are they screwed into the footer threads of the unit?

[Whart]

three, and no not screwed into the component base-
it is very evident the difference in sound caused by these footers, what is surprising is that we are talking about the power supply, not the component passing the audio signal--
but since amplification at a certain level is listening to the power supply, maybe it shouldn't be so surprising.

[rlw3]

Wharton,
Thank you for the review. good luck with Sandy.