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Critical Mass Systems
Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Foot
Introduction
(Press Release)
I’m thrilled to introduce the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot, a breakthrough loudspeaker resonance mitigation system that is the culmination of several years of experimentation and developed from our groundbreaking Center Stage2 footer technology. I can say with high confidence that no matter how good your system is, the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot will add a new dimension to your listening experience. In systems already using Center Stage2, the addition of Center Stage2 “LS” Series feet nets a remarkable improvement. Center Stage2 can make any system sound better top to bottom and the addition of Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet can be breathtaking. The better the system, the better the results.
There were several objectives behind the development of the Center Stage2 “LS”. Firstly, we wanted to develop a novel approach to solving the problem of degradation from excess energy build up caused by vibration in loudspeaker cabinets. Consider that loudspeakers are designed to vibrate. Think of the staggering amount of time and effort loudspeaker manufacturers dedicate to cabinet design and resonance control. They go into ultra-fine detail to explain any and all advancements and deservedly so. The problem is omnipresent. The solution is challenging.
Also, there are issues to address related to weight, volume, driver array, leveling and spike/cup design. Developing a cutting-edge loudspeaker foot was a unique challenge. In the Center Stage2 LS 1.5, pictured below, the approximate equivalent of 5 Center Stage2 1.5 feet were cloned, streamlined and adapted in various ways into one loudspeaker foot.
Presently, 3 Center Stage2 “LS” Series feet are planned: Center Stage2 LS 1.5, Center Stage2 LS 1.0 and Center Stage2 LS 0.8. Each loudspeaker foot in the series is based on its Center Stage2 namesake with respect to design and performance.
Secondly, we wanted the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet to bring a more consistent level of improvement to the least expensive systems and the most expensive systems. To accomplish this, we developed the height adjustable spike cup. The massive lower “saucer” is indeed an adjustable spike cup. Spinning the spike cup clockwise raises the loudspeaker, counter-clockwise turns lower the loudspeaker. The thickness and mass of the spike cup help it to act as the floor under your loudspeaker. With a more consistent floor, we can deliver more consistent performance.
Thirdly, we wanted to make sure Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet were beneficial across the audible spectrum rather than effective in a limited range of frequencies. The first audio foot to bring consistent high-end performance across the audible spectrum was Center Stage2. We adapted this topology into the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot design, and we can guarantee unmatched performance compared to any other loudspeaker foot. In fact, for those who already use CS2 in their system and can add the “LS” Series under their loudspeakers, we promise a level of performance beyond your imagination.
Finally, and most important, we wanted to develop a product that brought methodologies found in our most expensive products to the audio community. In the case of Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet we adopted a “cost is no object approach” from our OLYMPUS support system. This is the very same approach we used with Center Stage2.
We are thrilled with the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet and we hope you can use them in your system. You will not be disappointed.
What Makes the Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Foot Novel and Better?
We started with the Center Stage2 and redesigned it to address issues common to loudspeakers. Pictured below are 2 photos of the Center Stage2 LS1.5 loudspeaker foot positioned next to a Center Stage2 1.5 foot, fully contracted in the top photo and fully extended in the lower.
Obviously, the Center Stage2 LS1.5 is not your average loudspeaker spike. It appears that the foot is a “cylinder in a saucer”. This is definitely not the case. Inside the cylinder is a “spike” anchored into a spike cup. The entire lower structure including the silver base on down is a massive spike cup. The spike cup serves several purposes.
Pictured above: Center Stage2 LS 1.5 next to a Center Stage2 1.5 contracted and extended. Cylinder diameter: 3” (76mm), spike cup diameter: 5” (127mm), contracted: 3.1” (79mm), extended: 3.8” (97mm). Center Stage2 LS 1.0 (not shown) cylinder diameter: 2.375” (60mm), spike cup diameter: 4” (102mm) contracted: 2.7” (69mm), extended: 3.4” (86mm),
Firstly, the lower massive spike cup raises and lowers the foot under load. Spinning the spike cup clockwise raises the loudspeaker whereas turning the spike cup counter-clockwise lowers the loudspeaker. There is roughly 0.75” (19mm) of adjustment available. The turning ratio is 10 to 1, lowering the torque required to raise and lower the loudspeaker. Additionally, 1 full turn of the spike cup moves the loudspeaker only 0.0769” (2mm) allowing heavy speakers to be adjusted more easily. You will also notice that the lower spike cup is raised at the outside edge and knurled to allow easier gripping and rotation. The curved upward edge also allows ease of movement across carpets to facilitate easier loudspeaker positioning and toe adjustments.
A safeguard is engineered into the foot which prevents the internal mechanism from over-extending and detaching from the spike cup under load. There is also a visible “stop” line near the top of the silver portion of the spike cup to warn you that the end of the adjustment range is close at hand.
Under load, the black outer shell (looks like a cylinder) separates from the internal structure of the foot. Therefore, vibration cannot pass upwards through the foot via the outer shell. We do this so floor vibration passing upward through the spike cup is forced into the foot through predetermined channels where more of it can be reduced. The outer shell is designed to pull resonance out of the loudspeaker. The outer shell reduces entropy. In better words, the outer shell design and the inner shell design work hand in glove with the objectives of the manufacturer to produce vanishingly low distortion and ruler flat frequency response. Identical to the objectives of Center Stage2, the objective of the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot is to help reveal the tremendous engineering in your loudspeakers.
Like Center Stage2, the “LS” Series loudspeaker foot hinged on choosing and sequencing materials that possess the perfect combination of damping, elastic modulus and thin rod speed to lock in the desired effect. The invention of the “LS” Series loudspeaker foot required the selection of the right materials; the correct sequencing of the materials; the correct proportioning of the materials; and finally, the addition of the correct amount and type of damping in exactly the right locations as the last step in the process. Our approach is not a mystery or anything abstract, but rather, solid engineering using material science.
How Do Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Feet Work?
It might be more appropriate to view the Center Stage2 “LS” as a catalyst in a complex energy reaction that occurs inside your loudspeakers and outside between your loudspeakers and your listening space. The amount of kinetic and vibration energy is substantial and the sonic consequences can be large if these energies are unregulated and undamped. Center Stage2 “LS” is a catalyst designed to change the prevailing state of equilibrium in that energy reaction and to permanently hold it in a reduced or damped state. Center Stage2 “LS” is different and better because it uses novel applications in material science to achieve its isolation and damping benefits. Your loudspeakers will immerse you in a sonic environment that has been described as a unified acoustic field.
The Total Immersion Effect (Knocking Down the 4th Wall)
The Total immersion effect can be described as a highly articulated acoustic sound field that extends out from the loudspeakers and wraps around the listener. Another way to say it is, the listener becomes immersed in the recorded acoustic.
In a “normal” listening room, you see an image in space and you hear a musical event occur at that location. With the Total Immersion Effect, you experience something on the order of a 4k hi-rez 3D surround-event. At times, you see the image in space, you hear and see the musical event occur inside the image, and then you hear, see and feel the sensory event spread out around you from the soundstage. You become immersed in the sound field.
Knocking down the 4th “wall” that separates the listener from the musicians at the front plane of the loudspeakers requires the electromechanical balance inside the components to reach an ultrafine point of equilibrium and to hold that equilibrium point across 20,000+ Hz in a fluctuating energy field so that the components and loudspeakers can remain stable enough to create the Immersion Effect with consistency in the listening space.
What to Expect During Settling
While no audiophile enjoys the settling process, it is unfortunately true that the initial change to loudspeaker equilibrium caused by Center Stage2 “LS” feet can cause the sound to degrade and require a settle-in period of 7-10 days to achieve maximum benefit. Center Stage2 “LS” feet are designed to reduce entropy and the transfer of kinetic vibrational energy into the loudspeaker from the floor. Again, think of Center Stage2 “LS” feet as a catalyst in an energy reaction that occurs in, on and around the loudspeaker transducers and the loudspeaker cabinet. Reducing cabinet resonances and floor induced vibration will logically create a new settling process.
Because Center Stage2 “LS” will dramatically change the operational equilibrium of your loudspeakers, you should expect your system to sound less than optimal at the outset. This is not unlike the effects one can experience when breaking in any high quality piece of audio gear. Your soundstage will then begin to reconstruct itself by gently tipping upward and downward as it establishes a new and better equilibrium point. Once achieved, the sonic benefits including a noticeable improvement in sound-staging, articulation of instruments, and lower noise floor will be obvious. It is extremely important to let the system play for 10 days before assuming it has reached equilibrium. Playing a system 24/7 is not necessary, but the more playing time the better.
Your end of the Bargain, or Making the Experience Better
Center Stage2 “LS” is good for beginners and advanced listeners, so long as you exercise extreme patience during the settling period. Sonic fluctuations you may experience during the settling period will subside as time passes. Here’s what you need:
1. Components crafted by a known and reliable manufacturer. Your components do not need to be among the “most expensive” or the purported “best” in the world. You will experience excellent results with low cost components. A host of components were used to design Center Stage2, some of them very low cost. This was done to assure consistency of performance. It is certainly true, however, that the better your components, the better your results.
2. Neutral wiring crafted by a known and reliable manufacturer. Some wiring is a “tone control”. Tone control wiring is not necessary. The more invisible your wire, the less it makes its presence known in your system, the better your results.
3. Stable rack(s) and/or stand(s). Home furnishings are fine. Center Stage2 was vetted on various flat wooden surfaces with Janka ratings of 1200 and higher equating to an elastic modulus of 4 GPa or greater. This means that virtually any flat surface will net tremendous results. Having said this, the better the surface with respect to its associated and/or inherent technological properties, the better the results. The results on CMS racks is superlative.
4. Proper loudspeaker set up. This is essential.
5. When you add Center Stage2 and or Center Stage2 “LS” to your system, pull every tweak out. Center Stage2 will take about 7 to 10 days to settle. Be slow, careful and cautious about adding any other device(s) back into your system. Adding Center Stage2 under more of your components is the only means to realizing the full “Total Immersion Effect” so highly valued in high end audio.
$1200 per foot without adapters
$1250 per foot with adapters
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Foot
Introduction
(Press Release)
I’m thrilled to introduce the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot, a breakthrough loudspeaker resonance mitigation system that is the culmination of several years of experimentation and developed from our groundbreaking Center Stage2 footer technology. I can say with high confidence that no matter how good your system is, the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot will add a new dimension to your listening experience. In systems already using Center Stage2, the addition of Center Stage2 “LS” Series feet nets a remarkable improvement. Center Stage2 can make any system sound better top to bottom and the addition of Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet can be breathtaking. The better the system, the better the results.
There were several objectives behind the development of the Center Stage2 “LS”. Firstly, we wanted to develop a novel approach to solving the problem of degradation from excess energy build up caused by vibration in loudspeaker cabinets. Consider that loudspeakers are designed to vibrate. Think of the staggering amount of time and effort loudspeaker manufacturers dedicate to cabinet design and resonance control. They go into ultra-fine detail to explain any and all advancements and deservedly so. The problem is omnipresent. The solution is challenging.
Also, there are issues to address related to weight, volume, driver array, leveling and spike/cup design. Developing a cutting-edge loudspeaker foot was a unique challenge. In the Center Stage2 LS 1.5, pictured below, the approximate equivalent of 5 Center Stage2 1.5 feet were cloned, streamlined and adapted in various ways into one loudspeaker foot.
Presently, 3 Center Stage2 “LS” Series feet are planned: Center Stage2 LS 1.5, Center Stage2 LS 1.0 and Center Stage2 LS 0.8. Each loudspeaker foot in the series is based on its Center Stage2 namesake with respect to design and performance.
Secondly, we wanted the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet to bring a more consistent level of improvement to the least expensive systems and the most expensive systems. To accomplish this, we developed the height adjustable spike cup. The massive lower “saucer” is indeed an adjustable spike cup. Spinning the spike cup clockwise raises the loudspeaker, counter-clockwise turns lower the loudspeaker. The thickness and mass of the spike cup help it to act as the floor under your loudspeaker. With a more consistent floor, we can deliver more consistent performance.
Thirdly, we wanted to make sure Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet were beneficial across the audible spectrum rather than effective in a limited range of frequencies. The first audio foot to bring consistent high-end performance across the audible spectrum was Center Stage2. We adapted this topology into the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot design, and we can guarantee unmatched performance compared to any other loudspeaker foot. In fact, for those who already use CS2 in their system and can add the “LS” Series under their loudspeakers, we promise a level of performance beyond your imagination.
Finally, and most important, we wanted to develop a product that brought methodologies found in our most expensive products to the audio community. In the case of Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet we adopted a “cost is no object approach” from our OLYMPUS support system. This is the very same approach we used with Center Stage2.
We are thrilled with the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker feet and we hope you can use them in your system. You will not be disappointed.
What Makes the Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Foot Novel and Better?
We started with the Center Stage2 and redesigned it to address issues common to loudspeakers. Pictured below are 2 photos of the Center Stage2 LS1.5 loudspeaker foot positioned next to a Center Stage2 1.5 foot, fully contracted in the top photo and fully extended in the lower.
Obviously, the Center Stage2 LS1.5 is not your average loudspeaker spike. It appears that the foot is a “cylinder in a saucer”. This is definitely not the case. Inside the cylinder is a “spike” anchored into a spike cup. The entire lower structure including the silver base on down is a massive spike cup. The spike cup serves several purposes.
Pictured above: Center Stage2 LS 1.5 next to a Center Stage2 1.5 contracted and extended. Cylinder diameter: 3” (76mm), spike cup diameter: 5” (127mm), contracted: 3.1” (79mm), extended: 3.8” (97mm). Center Stage2 LS 1.0 (not shown) cylinder diameter: 2.375” (60mm), spike cup diameter: 4” (102mm) contracted: 2.7” (69mm), extended: 3.4” (86mm),
Firstly, the lower massive spike cup raises and lowers the foot under load. Spinning the spike cup clockwise raises the loudspeaker whereas turning the spike cup counter-clockwise lowers the loudspeaker. There is roughly 0.75” (19mm) of adjustment available. The turning ratio is 10 to 1, lowering the torque required to raise and lower the loudspeaker. Additionally, 1 full turn of the spike cup moves the loudspeaker only 0.0769” (2mm) allowing heavy speakers to be adjusted more easily. You will also notice that the lower spike cup is raised at the outside edge and knurled to allow easier gripping and rotation. The curved upward edge also allows ease of movement across carpets to facilitate easier loudspeaker positioning and toe adjustments.
A safeguard is engineered into the foot which prevents the internal mechanism from over-extending and detaching from the spike cup under load. There is also a visible “stop” line near the top of the silver portion of the spike cup to warn you that the end of the adjustment range is close at hand.
Under load, the black outer shell (looks like a cylinder) separates from the internal structure of the foot. Therefore, vibration cannot pass upwards through the foot via the outer shell. We do this so floor vibration passing upward through the spike cup is forced into the foot through predetermined channels where more of it can be reduced. The outer shell is designed to pull resonance out of the loudspeaker. The outer shell reduces entropy. In better words, the outer shell design and the inner shell design work hand in glove with the objectives of the manufacturer to produce vanishingly low distortion and ruler flat frequency response. Identical to the objectives of Center Stage2, the objective of the Center Stage2 “LS” Series loudspeaker foot is to help reveal the tremendous engineering in your loudspeakers.
Like Center Stage2, the “LS” Series loudspeaker foot hinged on choosing and sequencing materials that possess the perfect combination of damping, elastic modulus and thin rod speed to lock in the desired effect. The invention of the “LS” Series loudspeaker foot required the selection of the right materials; the correct sequencing of the materials; the correct proportioning of the materials; and finally, the addition of the correct amount and type of damping in exactly the right locations as the last step in the process. Our approach is not a mystery or anything abstract, but rather, solid engineering using material science.
How Do Center Stage2 “LS” Series Loudspeaker Feet Work?
It might be more appropriate to view the Center Stage2 “LS” as a catalyst in a complex energy reaction that occurs inside your loudspeakers and outside between your loudspeakers and your listening space. The amount of kinetic and vibration energy is substantial and the sonic consequences can be large if these energies are unregulated and undamped. Center Stage2 “LS” is a catalyst designed to change the prevailing state of equilibrium in that energy reaction and to permanently hold it in a reduced or damped state. Center Stage2 “LS” is different and better because it uses novel applications in material science to achieve its isolation and damping benefits. Your loudspeakers will immerse you in a sonic environment that has been described as a unified acoustic field.
The Total Immersion Effect (Knocking Down the 4th Wall)
The Total immersion effect can be described as a highly articulated acoustic sound field that extends out from the loudspeakers and wraps around the listener. Another way to say it is, the listener becomes immersed in the recorded acoustic.
In a “normal” listening room, you see an image in space and you hear a musical event occur at that location. With the Total Immersion Effect, you experience something on the order of a 4k hi-rez 3D surround-event. At times, you see the image in space, you hear and see the musical event occur inside the image, and then you hear, see and feel the sensory event spread out around you from the soundstage. You become immersed in the sound field.
Knocking down the 4th “wall” that separates the listener from the musicians at the front plane of the loudspeakers requires the electromechanical balance inside the components to reach an ultrafine point of equilibrium and to hold that equilibrium point across 20,000+ Hz in a fluctuating energy field so that the components and loudspeakers can remain stable enough to create the Immersion Effect with consistency in the listening space.
What to Expect During Settling
While no audiophile enjoys the settling process, it is unfortunately true that the initial change to loudspeaker equilibrium caused by Center Stage2 “LS” feet can cause the sound to degrade and require a settle-in period of 7-10 days to achieve maximum benefit. Center Stage2 “LS” feet are designed to reduce entropy and the transfer of kinetic vibrational energy into the loudspeaker from the floor. Again, think of Center Stage2 “LS” feet as a catalyst in an energy reaction that occurs in, on and around the loudspeaker transducers and the loudspeaker cabinet. Reducing cabinet resonances and floor induced vibration will logically create a new settling process.
Because Center Stage2 “LS” will dramatically change the operational equilibrium of your loudspeakers, you should expect your system to sound less than optimal at the outset. This is not unlike the effects one can experience when breaking in any high quality piece of audio gear. Your soundstage will then begin to reconstruct itself by gently tipping upward and downward as it establishes a new and better equilibrium point. Once achieved, the sonic benefits including a noticeable improvement in sound-staging, articulation of instruments, and lower noise floor will be obvious. It is extremely important to let the system play for 10 days before assuming it has reached equilibrium. Playing a system 24/7 is not necessary, but the more playing time the better.
Your end of the Bargain, or Making the Experience Better
Center Stage2 “LS” is good for beginners and advanced listeners, so long as you exercise extreme patience during the settling period. Sonic fluctuations you may experience during the settling period will subside as time passes. Here’s what you need:
1. Components crafted by a known and reliable manufacturer. Your components do not need to be among the “most expensive” or the purported “best” in the world. You will experience excellent results with low cost components. A host of components were used to design Center Stage2, some of them very low cost. This was done to assure consistency of performance. It is certainly true, however, that the better your components, the better your results.
2. Neutral wiring crafted by a known and reliable manufacturer. Some wiring is a “tone control”. Tone control wiring is not necessary. The more invisible your wire, the less it makes its presence known in your system, the better your results.
3. Stable rack(s) and/or stand(s). Home furnishings are fine. Center Stage2 was vetted on various flat wooden surfaces with Janka ratings of 1200 and higher equating to an elastic modulus of 4 GPa or greater. This means that virtually any flat surface will net tremendous results. Having said this, the better the surface with respect to its associated and/or inherent technological properties, the better the results. The results on CMS racks is superlative.
4. Proper loudspeaker set up. This is essential.
5. When you add Center Stage2 and or Center Stage2 “LS” to your system, pull every tweak out. Center Stage2 will take about 7 to 10 days to settle. Be slow, careful and cautious about adding any other device(s) back into your system. Adding Center Stage2 under more of your components is the only means to realizing the full “Total Immersion Effect” so highly valued in high end audio.
$1200 per foot without adapters
$1250 per foot with adapters
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
