Synergistic Research MIG 2.0 Review

I wanted to give a proper review for these remarkable footers. It's been several weeks since getting a set of mig 2.0 in my system. Upon arrival, I posted my initial thoughts on these footers and wasn't sure if they were what my system needed, but after some extended time with these footers, it is safe to say that my initial concerns were just plain silly, and misplaced. To be to the point,   these footers are my new reference.  They are a very special indeed. 

I had been using Herbies tenderfeet for several years, which had replaced vibrapods that were used before that. As you can tell, I have  been using soft footers since the get-go, and had never really experimented with hard footers, and always assumed that soft footers had to work better than hard ones.  Ignorance was bliss.  

So, when I decided to audition the MIG 2.0 in my system, I still had an ear that was used to a soft footer.  Unfortunately, I had no idea just how soggy soft footers make the sound.  They literally suck the life and vibrancy out of the music. Dynamics are blunted, and the resolution is lessened.  If you've always used a soft footer, you'll never know this.......until it's corrected. Enter the MIG 2.0. 

Once I finally found the most ideal place for the MIG's,  which happened to be under my ARC DAC 8, I was astounded by what they did for my sound.  What's truly great about these footers, is that they can be tuned for pinpoint or ambient sound characterisitics, which in turn can give you just what you want or need out of your specific system.  If your system has a fault somewhere or is ill matched, a soft footer may be preferred and considered an improvement, but all it's really doing is masking your problem that you have yet to correct.  But if your system is properly matched up, with no glaring issues, or has improved as time goes along, and the squishy feet remain, you'll never realize that those very same feet that you originally thought were helping the sound, are now actually HURTING the sound.  Anyway, back to the MIG's.  

The differnce between the configurations are NOT subtle. I tended to lean towards  the pinpoint setting with my magnaplanars, as the ambient setting wasn't what the doctor ordered with an already diffuse sound of a panel speaker, but your taste may be different. Ambient may be exactly what you want with laser sharp imaging speakers.

Testing these out with Bozz Scaggs, Silk Degrees, was an eye opener.  The beginning of "Harbor Lights" in pinpoint mode made images literally pop out in front of me, making me almost able to grab them.  The timbre of instruments was also better and they had a more solid feel to them. Dire Straights, Brothers in Arms,  "The Man's Too Strong" was a new experience, with dynamics that I never knew were there.  It was literally were vicious. The tenderfeet just don't compare, granted they are much less expensive than the MIG, but when you consider what other higher end footers cost, and the performance of the MIG's, they are a fantastic value.

 SR's reccomendation for settings and music types is right on the money.  I am however, overall more convinced by the pinpoint setting, which to me, gives a more believable image. The clarity and speed that these bring, whether in pinpoint or ambient, is still so far beyond what I was getting with the tenderfeet, that it's unreal. Add the fact that you can tune these for different tastes, and you have a truly special product. You must experiment with finding the most ideal component to use them on first, and then experiment with configuration and spacing.  You will be rewarded for your efforts.

  I can't go back to squishy feet after this. It's just lifeless and colorless  by comparison.  My apologies to the tenderfeet, vibrapod, isonode fans, but I suggest you at least TRY these. You may not know just how much more music is being cooped up in your components. 

SR products are the real deal.  For the sceptics out there, you have nothing to loose except return postage.  With every addition of SR products, my system has gotten better and better. Their products continually readjust my standard of hi fidelity......  The UEF panels are another revelation, but those are for another day.  :-)