Stillpoints in chessman's system

[chessman]

Some of you know that I talked about adding Stillpoints Ultra 5s under my Wilson Sophia 2s and then did. That thread is here: http://www.audioaficionado.org/wilso...illpoints.html

Tonight I added Stillpoints Ultra SS feet under my Balanced Audio Technology VK-600SE amp, which is 120 pounds if it's an ounce. I also added Stillpoints Minis under my Shunyata Hydra 6 power distributor, which is maybe 8 pounds.

I have been following thus far the standard Stillpoints advice: first speakers, second power distributors and amps, and then sources. I already had "floated" the CD player (the proverbial component level improvement) and the tube preamp (a subtle, but clearly discernible improvement) with Symposium gear.

I have playing music for about an hour and the sound is still settling in. That may be due to speaker cables and power cords being moved when I moved the amp and the power distributor. It may also reflect the thick carpet and pad under the power distributor. Experience tells me it takes a bit for the carpet to compress, which helps the Stillpoints load the weight IMHO, which seems to be a key to how they work. The Ultras under the amp are between the amp and a white maple stand, which is itself on spikes, in effect instant weight loading.

The improvements have been definite: lower noise floor, more natural decay, sharper attack, more visceral bass. The improvement with the speakers was stronger than with the power distributor and the amp.

That just leaves the active cross-over and the turntable to be floated. I have a feeling I know how that is going to evolve.

[Masterlu]

Randy... Nice report; I know first hand that everything the Stillpoints touch simply improves the sound.

[chessman]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Randy... Nice report; I know first hand that everything the Stillpoints touch simply improves the sound.

These things are, of course, system dependent, but they work positively in so many instances they really should be auditioned if one is doing vibration control. I have been listening for a couple of hours now with a big sloppy grin on my face. I had thought the improvements would top out with the speakers, so I was very pleasantly surprised to hear tonight's gains.

[Olskool]

Hi Chessman and Masterlou

Its been a while since I've chatted and have missed doing so. I'm on the road and working quite a bit. I'm still glad to know StillPoints are making waves. Since my last chat with you I've added Ultra SS' to my speakers and as you just mentioned it was the most impactive results overall. Bass control and extension, decay, wider stage, bloom all became obvious. I'm looking to put mini's under my Q4 power distribution and Ref 2 phono so I'm really interested to hear your results. My discussion with the folks at StillPoints say the mini's are a great value for equipment in the lighter weight category. Let me hear from you as you get them settled.

Larry "Olskool"

[chessman]

Hey, Larry, nice to hear from you.

[Olskool]

Good to hear from you as well. How's life and music from the Bat Cave?

[analog brother]

i was very happy with minis under hegel hd-25 dac for quite a while.
it's only a small component, so i never bothered trying some ultra ss (which i had), but the difference is astonishing. put them in a few days ago; much deeper controlled bass, greater transparency, and smoother mids and highs.
they are staying right there!
this is in a system though, where the rack shelves are wood.
in the other system, stillpoints did not at all get along with the glass shelving.

[John49]

Originally Posted by analog brother

i was very happy with minis under hegel hd-25 dac for quite a while. it's only a small component, so i never bothered trying some ultra ss (which i had), but the difference is astonishing. much deeper controlled bass, more transparency, and smoother mids and highs. they are staying right there! this is in a system though, where the rack shelves are wood. in the other system, stillpoints did not at all get along with the glass shelving.

I had a similar experience with Stillpoints on glass shelves. When I changed to a new all oak rack, things were much better. I must try SS under my Marantz SA-7S1 instead of the Minis I currently have there, to see if I get a marked improvement. Thanks for the tip.

[analog brother]

cool, definitely worth trying.
can't believe i didn't try it for a year.
i thought i was going mad about the glass shelving issue, but there you go, there may be some sense in it. stillpoints did absolutely nothing on that rack. on the wooden rack, they are providers of pleasure!!!

[j3brow]

Originally Posted by analog brother

cool, definitely worth trying. can't believe i didn't try it for a year. i thought i was going mad about the glass shelving issue, but there you go, there may be some sense in it. stillpoints did absolutely nothing on that rack. on the wooden rack, they are providers of pleasure!!!

Very interesting observation. This past summer, I switched out of a Billy Bags McPro Blue rack and into a Quadraspire SVT Bamboo rack. Shortly thereafter, stillpoints began populating under my speakers and components. Symposium shelves and rollerblocks were jettisoned as well. The Bamboo shelving + Stillpoints combination has transformed my system. Very happy camper.