Symposium Acoustics Ultra Stealth edition platform for my Audio Note UK Ongaku

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Steve Hoffman, Feb 6, 2018.

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  1. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Yeah, my stuff is also on a suspended hardwood floor, which is great for Symposium platforms.
     
  2. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I have my hifi on the main floor of my house, but it is a suspended floor as we have a fully finished basement underneath. My system has different components than yours or Steve's, but they are similar in that they are vacuum tube based amps and preamps with turntables. I have a lightweight and rigid stand that I have been quite happy with, but I wonder if you (or Steve) feel that my system would benefit from the Symposium Acoustics stands sitting on the shelves under my preamp and power amps?

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    That looks fine. You don't want to overdo it.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Don, that being said, you might try one of these under your CD transport. Might be great sounding.. I'm sure Peter would loan you one. Drop my name.

    The Svelte Shelf
     
  5. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I had been feeling that way, but when someone has a similar type system and is really happy with an improvement that they have gotten, it makes you wonder whether you would also hear that improvement in your own system.

    At this point the only planned upgrade that I have (after my tonearm upgrade that I mention below) is to place some acoustic treatment over the 65" TV, as the huge piece of glass has a negative impact on sound quality. I love the way that my system sounds, but when I have experimented with fleece blankets hanging over the TV, it has improved things quite a bit. Looks like crap though! My local dealer was showing me yesterday a couple of options that are quite reasonably priced and look pretty good. They print artwork on the front of the acoustic treatment piece that hangs over the TV, so that it looks like a large painting. I have two options, one being absorptive and the other a combination of absorption and diffusion.

    Once it is complete I will try to remember to start a new thread on it so others can see what is available.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2018
  6. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    That is a good idea. I am in the middle of paying for a large tonearm upgrade, so this will come afterwards, but I like the idea of isolating any source.
     
  7. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Are those glass tops on your shelves?

    Steve is giving you good advice. Try one platform under the TT. If you like the results perhaps you could try platforms under your other components.
     
  8. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Those panels look like a good idea.
     
  9. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Ok, I should clarify....I only plan on add
    I think that I would put it under the CD transport but not the turntable. I have a very well made SolidSteel wall mount that is good for up to 130 pounds, that is mounted with lag bolts in to the studs in the wall behind. Very good isolation. The CD transport however is on one of those glass shelves (you were right, they are glass). That can probably use a shelf to help isolation. It will be interesting to try playing a CD without the shelf and then place one under the transport and see what the difference is.
     
  10. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC

    I might actually think about one under the turntable. There is just a piece of MDF sitting on four spikes for isolation and it might be worth giving it a try. I saw someone else online with the same Solid Steel WS-5 wall mount and he put a large and heavy shelf on the four spikes, below the turntable. I could test it out under the turntable and under the CD transport.

    Symposium has a very good reputation, so if it isn't a benefit in my system, I can probably try it out without too much problem selling or returning the item. (Another crazy audiophile justification ; ))
     
  11. pharaoh007

    pharaoh007 New Member

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Every type of material sounds different. I was told do not put a cushion of air under the components. But they sounded the best on my system. Next best was some bottle corks cut into tall cones, thin end down, and placed under each foot of the component. Isolation from ground-based vibration is only half the story. Isolation from air-based vibration is harder.
     
  12. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Peter, over at Symposium, told me glass is the worst surface because there is no absorption of vibration/energy. You should call Peter and ask him about what is best for you. He is a good guy and willing to spend time on the phone.

    The biggest effect I have found using his platforms was under my amp and under the power supply of the preamp. Your rack is similar to mine in that there isn't much head room over your amps. Notice, Steve and I have our amps on the floor.
     
  13. timztunz

    timztunz Audioista

    Location:
    Texas
    Just to add another little wrinkle to the discussion, I ended up with Symposium under my speakers and SRA Ohio Class under my amps and turntable. To my ears there is definitely an improvement WITH them in place as opposed to without them.
     
  14. Hipper

    Hipper Forum Resident

    Location:
    Herts., England
    Ah, Finite Elemente plus Symposium!

    [​IMG]

    The Cd player (top left) and amp (mid right) are on Ultras; the DAC, equaliser and power regenerator are on Sveltes, as are the speakers. The CD Transport, DAC and amp are on Rollerblocks, the power regenerator on Finite Elemente Cerabase, and the EQ on some other F E feet (the photo was taken whilst measuring the sound before adding room treatment, hence microphone, laptop and other stuff).

    I found that all this isolation equipment is cumulative, and reduces the smearing of transients exactly as Peter at Symposium says. Therefore drums, piano and plucked music clearly sounds better. I'm not sure it's worth the cost but apart from improved power I don't see how these sorts of improvements can be attained.

    The CD Transport and amp, and the power regenerator, along with the speakers, made the biggest improvement. The DAC and EQ was marginal.
     
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  15. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Here is my Symposium platforms with the TT and Preamp.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  16. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Very nice!
     
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  17. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    That looks very nice. I really like the guitars too!

    I spoke with Peter at Symposium and he repeated what you said about his favourite materials for shelves on a HiFi stand. He felt that glass wasn’t very good at all, but funny enough, that it would give better results with his shelves than a soft material like wood. Ok, I guess : ). He is the expert.

    I’m going to replace my interconnects and speaker cables with Audio Note Sogon silver interconnects and speaker cables first and then later on I am going to put some of the Symposium shelves unde my components. As I can’t afford to buy cables of this quality very often (cough, cough), it will take me a while to make these changes.

    I am loving the sound that I am getting from my system these days, so each of these improvements are icing on the cake!
     
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  18. Ellsworth

    Ellsworth Forum Resident

    Symposium Svelte Shelves placed on top of my Skylan speaker stands (underneath the speakers) made a nice improvement to my system. Well worth trying - even if you are already using good speaker stands.
     
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  19. roboss38

    roboss38 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Clovis, CA U.S.A.
    Beautiful setup. Is that a Wayne's Audio outer ring your using with your Avenger Reference?
     
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  20. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    No the outer ring came from the now out of business TTweights.
     
  21. purevinyl

    purevinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Tullman,

    great setup!

    i own a CAT Pre and CAT amp. is it best to start with t the Symposium platform on the amp? do you use couplers or rollerblocks with the platforms
     
  22. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Thanks.

    Which amp and preamp do you have?

    The biggest impact from the Symposium Ultras came under the amp with 4 roller blocks, and an Ultra underneath the power supply of the preamp with some Symposium footers.
     
  23. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I use a number of Symposium shelves in my system. I have also participated in a number of listening sessions with friend's systems where their shelves were tried under various components. In some cases the shelves helped, in other instances the shelves actually made the sound to lean and "dry" sounding, in other cases, certain shelves helped, but, the more expensive and thicker shelves went too far. In short, it is a matter of tuning and not a case of "more" is necessarily better. On the whole, the shelves tend to help.

    I find that the svelte shelf is particularly good under speakers where the goal is to better isolate the speaker from the floor instead of improving coupling with the floor (most often helpful over suspended wood floors). I also find that they tend to have a big effect with CD players, but, that also means that it is possible to apply too much damping/dissipation which can actually hurt the overall sound.
     
  24. purevinyl

    purevinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest

    have the CAT BP Renaissance and JL2 KT120

    not really familiar with the Symposium Platforms, was thinking about starting with Svelte Plus? not too much of a tweak person to be honest
     
  25. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Well...the ultra's under the amp and the power supply of the preamp is very much worthwhile. It lowered the noise floor significantly.
     
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