Footers- Break In? Such A Change.

Does anyone else own the Critical Mass Footers?

ozzy

antigrunge2,

Thanks for that info. I'll check it out.

ozzy

They are in my experience the best footers for both speakers and equipment around. The material seems to come from a submarine noise proofing project and literally zaps grunge from your system. I haven’t found anything better, yet

Thanks again for the additional comments.

• Yes the carpet piercing points do take a while to settle though the carpet, especially if you have carpet padding.
• I also used the GAIA 1’s under my Sopra 2’s they are very good.
• The Ravioli pads, I have heard of them, never used them though. Sounds like Bo probably prefers them with sauce...

ozzy

I actually use real ravioli for my footers and find that the stuffed ones add that certain magic. And if you use the real ones, there is zero break in time.

I just added a set of Gaia II's to my Dynaudio monitors and am working up a proper review to post. I can tell you that they made a huge difference in bass sq that seems to clarify the midrange. It's what I expected and hoped for. The difference was immediate and may have "smoothed out" over time but I can't really report a break-in period. Film at eleven.

I know that with carpet piercing footers it can take some time before the footer reaches a solid contact with the floor beneath the carpet and under pad.  

Thanks for those posts. The Starsound breaking in does seem strange also.

I have never heard of the Black Ravioli are they pads?

The Critical Mass footers do seem to have some type of mechanism inside, I just don’t know what.

ozzy

Same experience here with black ravioli footers. Methinks it‘s due to gradually improving the connection with the chassis of the component in question, thereby draining internal vibration. It does take a day or two…

I don't think it's strange anymore ozzy since I had the same experience years ago with the Starsound speaker and component platforms.

Thank you for the comments. I must mention that I also have the Townshend podiums and yes you could tell instantly the improvement.

But the Critical Mass footers are a different animal, they do take time to perform. They don't look much like Hi-Tech from the outside. I wonder what is inside of them?

ozzy

Thank you @ozzy. Good info.

I must admit I always take on a skeptical look at new tweaks… hoping over and over that it would not matter. But, alas, it always does. I guess while I find it monotonous that everything matters… on the other hand, my system sound is the additive result of a dozen tweaks. So, I take some pride in having done the work and am now reaping the rewards.

Good point ozzy.  I'll go further and say that copper wire does not break it.  it is your ears and mind that change.  Now some things do break in, especially things that get hot or operate at a molecular level.

Coincidentally, I just bought a pair of podiums from Townshend and the literature says explicitly that "No breakin is required".   I greatly respect Townshend for saying this.

The breakin/burnin claim is almost universally used knowing that if we get people to use it for a few months before returning it, it greatly reduces the number of returns.

As for how much difference they make, I was skeptical.  Thought it might make some difference in the bass.  I was shocked.  it was such a big change I had to start all over tube rolling.  I wouldn't say it was 100% positive.  But in the end, it was quite an improvement.

Jerry

I am still amazed that footers can make any difference at all. Back when I was sure they wouldn't I read about a footer tweak on TNT Audio that cost me $2 and a dept store. I was all set to mock and ridicule those who were using such foolishness. Not N o o o o o o . It was a shock to me but it sent me into examining tweaks even more. For years I made my own roller block footers that also work pretty good. I'm trying springs now. I can't say that they are worse but not sure if they are better either

I think break in might occur with anything that is movable. IOW, stuff like a foam, or spring, etc. The roller balls are moving inside a cup so i don't believe they would break in because nothing is flexible

🙄