More Ringmat The HD Feet and ST Foot, once more into the Twilight Zone

[Spectral Morn]

RINGMAT FEET and RINGMAT ST FOOT... A REVIEW.




As mentioned in the Ringmat Support System write up, I first encountered these products during a visit to a friends house. Before I left he gave me some items from Ringmat to try at home, Ringmat HD Feet and a Ringmat ST Foot. I had hoped to use these with a selection of my kit but with there only being three I was only able to try them with one item.This is a pity but perhaps in the future I will revisit these when I have four to play with.

The Ringmat Feet come in two types one for light item called a LW and one for heavy items called a HD (on test). These isolation footers are made from a number of layers of some type of plastic/acrylic and have a small blob of compliant material under on disc and a ring/disc of cork under another. Without breaking a foot apart it is impossible to tell exactly how these different materials are used and in what quantity. The bottom disc that sits on the surface you set it on has two rings of material glued to it. Basically two circles of a soft material which looks a bit like neoprene (probably not but thats what it looks like a slightly porous foam.).

Top of a Ringmat HD Foot


Bottom of a Ringmat HD Foot


According to the instructions supplied one of the feet which is marked with a little coloured dot underneath must be placed opposite, where the most weight in the item to be isolated is. So if its at the back place this marked footer under the front right side if the weight is at the front place it at the rear left side. However a little experimentation can be done to tweak for awkward loads.

The Ringmat Feet come with a light foil square with holes cut in it and a pattern on it which Ringmat call a ST foot. They describe it as “passive, electrical device “, they don't say anything more than that and they claim its presence can help the component that sits on it but also the whole system ( shades of Peter Belt....). You place this ST Foot under the right rear HD or LW foot with it sitting as centrally as possible below, correct way up (writing denotes this) and with the holes facing inwards to the center of the surface your supported item is sitting on.

The system used for this review was my main downstairs system as configured for an upcoming review of multi-bit players (overdue but I should have this done within a week). Review system is Bat VK 31 se pre-amplifier, Bat VK 75 power amplifier, Anthony Gallo Ref 3.1 speakers. Cabling will be Atlas Marvos and Audience Au 24 both in RCA and XLR types and speaker cable. No mains filters or regenerators will be used during these tests. However both Audience and Analysis Plus power cables will be used.

With only three HD Feet to use, I decided to place them under the three cones that are attached to the bottom of my Marantz CD 94 mk2. First of I listened to the Marantz sans the Ringmat products and I listened to my tried and trusted review cds. The Dali Demo disc track 3-Hugh Masekela Stimela The Coal Train and Nitin Sawhney-Beyond Skin. Doing this I made a discovery, which I will tell you about first.

Marantz CD 94mk2 with Ringmat HD Feet under cones.


Rear view of Marantz cd 94mk2 and Ringmat HD Feet


Have you ever thought that you were fairly sure about how items in your system perform and how long it takes them to come on song. Well i thought that the CD 94 mk2 needed about a week to do that....it now looks like I am wrong. Let me explain, I first came to that conclusion twenty years ago as that was the length of time back then after which I could hear no more improvement in sound in the CD 94 mk2. I now believe that the limitations in that system were masking further improvements in sound. My current set up is as good as I have ever owned, and it is both revealing and musical at the same time. This systems power to resolve and let me hear what is going on far outshines that older set up and it is this fact that now makes me realize that a period of a week is wrong. The Marantz has been on now, for about 5 weeks, as have the other multi-bit player that I will be comparing soon for another review. The main unit to be compared with will be an AMR CD 77 and it needs at least 4 weeks to come on song (controversial but that is what I have found in my experience) anyway my original intention to do that review a week ago was shelved due to circumstances I wont bore you with, but the delay has revealed that the Marantz CD94 mk2 will benefit from being left on longer than a week. I have listened periodically over the last month and had heard some small improvements in sound since The Love of Ones and Zeros write up. Well today what I heard was quite a bit better than before, and take note this was before trying any Ringmat products. Nothing in this set up had changed except for extra time on the warm up period.

The sound of the Marantz CD94 mk2 was fuller and richer than before. The upper treble glare was almost absent and a rich organic presentation had replaced the lean sound I had reported on before. Bass was deep and articulate and the depth, height and width of the soundstage was now also better.These were not subtle changes, it was like listening to a new player...the interesting thing will be to compare this new sounding vintage player to newer multi-bit implementations.

Amazed by the sound I was now getting from the Marantz I was not expecting much from the Ringmat Feet, after all the Marantz on a Clearlight Audio table and Double isolation board all ready. I listened to Hugh Masekela track all the way through and then placed the HD feet under the cones. Within seconds of listening I knew that things had jumped forward again by a large degree. New details I had not heard before where there, instruments had gained more dimension and the upper treble had again lost more glare. The sound was both open and detailed with excellent drive and pace but was now also more organic. The already great soundstaging had also opened up and the extra degree of air around the top end meant that percussion and cymbals had more shimmer and decay....wow. One area where the Marantz had been struggling before was its ability to track dynamic swings, quite often it would start to get overwhelmed and sound a bit muddled, not any more. The Marantz was now able to track the ebb and flow and ride the highs of dynamics without falling into a mess. This change was evident to a degree on the Hugh Masekela track but was fully revealed by the Nitin Sawhney album Beyond Skin. This is a full bandwidth high energy album that will push your system in ever area of frequency, and frankly it had overwhelmed the Marantz before at times of highest musical energy. Tracks such as Pilgrim, Broken Skin and Tides to name a few will reveal any issues in a system or source. The album which if handled right is a very musically sumptuous tour deforce, but it can also become over bearing and edgy if not reproduced right and this had been the case with the Marantz in the past. If the placement of isolation feet were giving this degree of boost, then I could handle that, as I had encountered similar before but I was next plunged into the Outer Limits with a mysterious square....

The Ringmat ST Foot



I am very skeptical of bits of foil and such like, having got into audio during the great and infamous Peter Belt period....boy this was gold plated FOO. So to place a bit of plastic (?) with holes and markings under a footer and frankly its something that looks like it came from an episode of the X Files...” Look Scully it fell of that UFO...”; well I was not expecting anything at all.....WRONG. The sound had gained again, not by as much as placing the HD Feet under the Marantz but the improvements noted earlier had all gained a bit more and there was now extra clarity and control in the bass and subtle details lost in the mix were now much clearer, not spotlit but just more obvious. “How is this possible?” I can here you ask...heck if I know. The result is that I don't really want to remove these items from under the Marantz and I would love to try these products under other items in my system (alas that will have to wait until I get another foot). Will the gains be as great as under my vintage disc spinner.... we will see.

I was very skeptical about Ringmat products and bear in mind I have still to try the Turntable items at home yet, but these Ringmat HD Feet and ST foot (which comes with the LW/HD Feet, so no extra purchase is needed) have done for this CD player pretty much what I heard in my friends house on his Turntable. I could explain the HD feet in so much as they seem to couple and isolate and do this by using different types and compliances of materials but the ST foot I haven't a clue how it does what it does (in my setup). Looks like I am back in the Twilight Zone again. If you can borrow some of these to try from a dealer or a friend, please do so and I hope you hear what I have heard today. Amazing stuff....



Regards D S D L----Neil



Edit No part of this review can be reproduced without written permission...content is copyrighted to ...NK

[DSJR]

Well, as I haven't heard these I'm afraid I must stay sceptical, especially at the prices I'm sure they sell at, but i would add a couple of things...

My CD94 based Micro Seiki takes about four or so hours to come on song, with no further change that I'm aware of. The biggest differences I found were in isolating the rf muck coming out of the phono sockets (they have transformer coupled balanced outs and supplied leads XLR to phono's for you to use). Also, this machine is sensitive to which way round the fig-8 mains plug is inserted (most CD players using this connector were I found) and there is a definite "way round."

I also found the "very" heavy Micro to improve with a different support. I use a Sicomin base from the early nineties (light, strong and with three spikes facing down [I use three 2p coins for them to sit in]). The feet on the Micro are different and can be inverted too, one way having circular pads, the other side of the disc having what looks like several small steel "balls."

I tried the thin discs, green and black pens and fancy foo treatments on CD's and the conclusion I have drawn after twenty five years with CD is that once the system setup is sensibly done and attention paid to mains isolation and sensible interconnects, then all these other little things pale into significance (a bit like inverting LP12 felt mats and belts, as well as fuses in the mains plug/supply - a Spacedeck is so much better it makes you wonder why you bothered!.............).

I'm not suggesting you'd agree with me on any of it - just my tuppence worth. perhaps my system isn't good enough any more.........

[Spectral Morn]

Well, as I haven't heard these I'm afraid I must stay sceptical, especially at the prices I'm sure they sell at, but i would add a couple of things...

My CD94 based Micro Seiki takes about four or so hours to come on song, with no further change that I'm aware of. The biggest differences I found were in isolating the rf muck coming out of the phono sockets (they have transformer coupled balanced outs and supplied leads XLR to phono's for you to use). Also, this machine is sensitive to which way round the fig-8 mains plug is inserted (most CD players using this connector were I found) and there is a definite "way round."

I also found the "very" heavy Micro to improve with a different support. I use a Sicomin base from the early nineties (light, strong and with three spikes facing down [I use three 2p coins for them to sit in]). The feet on the Micro are different and can be inverted too, one way having circular pads, the other side of the disc having what looks like several small steel "balls."

I tried the thin discs, green and black pens and fancy foo treatments on CD's and the conclusion I have drawn after twenty five years with CD is that once the system setup is sensibly done and attention paid to mains isolation and sensible interconnects, then all these other little things pale into significance (a bit like inverting LP12 felt mats and belts, as well as fuses in the mains plug/supply - a Spacedeck is so much better it makes you wonder why you bothered!.............).

I'm not suggesting you'd agree with me on any of it - just my tuppence worth. perhaps my system isn't good enough any more.........

Yes there is much you say that makes sense. You are right about the mains lead but as I use an iec into an adapter that issue doesn't apply here...but I do remember it from years ago, with original Kimber fig 8 power leads. I modified the base and feet of my Marantz years ago. The original thin metal bottom plate was replaced by a 3/4 inch thick aluminum plate. I found that placing cones, one under the transport, one under the mains transformer and one to balance made a big difference. Also placing a shorting plug in the digital output also gives you a bit more.

The Marantz has only RCA outs, pity that, as balanced is very good IMHO..if its a true balanced design which the 94mk 2 is but the mk1 is not ( Marantz cut corners and didn't take it any further as it would have cost to much) A Polish guy called the Lampizator did a balanced mod for the 94mk 2. I remember the Micro Seki..its built into a wood box. If I remember right Douglas Adams had one. His system was featured in the Hi-Fi Choice collection years ago...he had Martin Login Timpani's too....WOW.

Its possible that lack of system transparency may mask some further improvements in player warm up. The TDA 1541 dac is sensitive to this and well I found it to have improved a lot today. I have been using it on and off during the last couple of weeks and I had noticed it was getting a bit better each time.

I only reported what I hear....I am very skeptical about stuff that looks like FOO. However in my set up today.. well I heard what I heard...go figure.


Regards D S D L----Neil