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This Sistrum stuff works

Hi. I just got a bunch of Sistrum products to add to my system. The package arrived, with 2 Sistrum Speaker Platforms, 2 Sistrum Equipment Platforms, 2 sets of AudioPoints, a pair of Sonoran Plateau Desert Speaker Cables, and a pair of Sonoran Plateau Cactus RCA Interconnects.

I wanted to try an entire line of products that were designed to work together, using the unique vibration management system that the Sistrum and Sonoran products have. I thought this approach could have some merit.

I put the products into the system, 1 by 1, and listened for differences. I started with the speaker platforms. I immediately noticed that the slight "boxiness" that was present primarily in the lower midrange was almost eliminated. And the bass, and midbass was much more defined than before. Overall clarity seemed improved, but it was already quite clear to start with. One of the more interesting benefits was that I could play louder than before, with less audible distortion. Then I tried the equipment platforms under my preamp and amp. This improved the focus of the entire presentation by several percent. And again, I could play even louder before noticing any distortion occurring. The next candidate was the Audiopoints under my Teres TT. This was where I noticed an increase in detail and lowering of the noise floor. I had already used BDR cones and Cocobolo Cones under the TT, and these beat both of those quite convincingly. The final thing was the Sonoran Cables. These need some time to break in, but after about 4 hours of playing, this package is giving me the best sound that I have ever gotten from this system. The cables, even right out of the box, were quite open and detailed, with no high-frequency rolloff that I had experienced with some other cables I've tried, like Cardas Golden. After just a few hours, the bass was really showing excellent tonality and control. The mids were as open as my DIY cables, which had previously slain all comers. I expect these Sonoran cables to improve over the next couple of weeks, and that will be a nice treat, because they are already sounding quite good indeed.

Now, I have to admit that I have not tried a boatload of different cables, but I have tried a few. My cone and support situation was in need, and I didn't have a very good vibration control system in place before I got this stuff. Maybe other stuff can do very well too. But I can say that this Sistrum and Sonoran stuff does exactly what it says it does, and I am very pleased with the results that I got on my system.

In addition, I really like the appearance of these products, and that never hurts, even though my audio room looks more like a workshop than a living room. I go primarily for performance, and not looks. The sound is the key issue for me. But good looks are always a positive, if the sound is also good.

I would say that I recieved an honest 15% improvement in the clarity, tonal quality(especially in the low end), and in maximum SPL that I can now attain. Although I didn't measure it, I feel that I got an additional 3db SPL over what I was getting before. And with the improved clarity and tone at the same time. With my low power tube system, this was a very big plus, because it was like getting more power out of my amp. Sistrum claims that when you use their products, you get better efficiency from your system, including amps and speakers, due to proper vibration management. I now believe that this is true, because I experienced that in my testing with my system.

I could heartily recommend these products to others, because I feel that if they work on my system, they will work on others. The technology works. I'm happy.

While other isolation products may be very good, and also other cables may be very good, I feel that these are doing a great job, and have good neutrality, but let the sound and dynamics come through crystal clear, and from top to bottom.

This package wasn't cheap, at about $3000 retail for all the items I got. But it is not anywhere near the high price that alot of other cables and racks cost. I think it strikes a very good level of performance for a reasonable price. I can't buy $8k speaker cables, or $5k audio racks.

I'd recommend them for anyone to try out. They really do work, just as the manufacturer claims.
twl

Showing 9 responses by psychicanimal

psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Is there any useful information here? Looks to me like the typical Audiogon circus act where someone posts a good issue and it then gets flooded with collateral opinions, haymaker punch attacks and experiences which are tried to be presented as validated scientific experiments. And all this is supposedly *moderated*...

Lak talked with me this week and asked me to check out the Sistrum stuff and give him my opinion.

I have used the Audiopoints on one of my T4 filters and saw Lak's amplifier stands, which gives me a pretty good idea of what the designer is aiming for. What I told Lak I will tell you: I think I would do better using my approach of light IKEA "Lack" tables (per Ken Lyon's DIY recipe) and Caribbean Moca wood boards with appropriate cones (I use Goldmund) or going Jahaira's route. Jahaira's got this stainless steel rod based DIY rack. Routered 12-ply Brazilian Cedar shelves compose the structural part of the rack. He then uses granite slabs resting on cork and EVA foam pads. He also uses his DIY version of the Darumas (DIYumas, he calls them). The problem I see with the Sistrum is that although it is light and rigid with vibration drains, it lacks a vibration sump, unlike the two DIY designs I've described. Vibration has to go to some sort of sump, IMO. If you ever get a chance to look at vibration sensitive equipment in industrial/laboratory setups, you will find big stones used as vibration sumps. Enough said.

Also, the Sistrum guy offered to sell Lak some brass Audiopoint feet for his Salamander rack. I told him brass is too soft. My Goldmund cones bave high speed steel points and they still get dull. I have purchased four Polycrystal cones to make the base feet of my DIY rack. Polycrystal is super hard and will be able to bear the load.

Once again...

With psychic power and primal intensity,
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
The stones used as vibration sumps work in both directions, Tom: from the earth/building to the component and from the component to the sump. Exactly that is what's so wonderful about Jahaira's rack: The granite slabs are floating on the EVA/cork pads and are not a structural component of the rack. José's design humilliates that $4,000 granite rack people here go crazy bidding for and it cost only a tiny fraction of that outrageous selling price...

As for the Moca wood, it is an awesome sump. Its effects are nothing short of stunning at absorbing and dissipating vibration. The resulting sonic effect is breathtaking.

Call me now for your free reading!!!
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
My comments are based on a lot of hours using many types and combinations of isolating damping materials and devices in several setups (the result of a nomadic lifestyle). They are not theoretical. My experience is such that Lak asked me to check things out for him regarding this particular rack. I would never care about an expensive rack, especially after seeing Jahaira's rack in action.

If this guy that makes the Sistrum had a treasure he would have marketed his concepts to the global industrial/laboratory sector and would be making far more money. It's only logical. Sorry, but I can't separate myself from being a professional scientist, a psychic and an animal...

Now check this out:

The point was designed to be an exit point only, it is not a re entry point. The tip of the point is therefor a coupling point. This one way in, one way out purposeful design makes the Audiopoint the most efficient coupling device on the market.

Is this original thinking or paraphrased copywriting? My Goldmund cones' literature say something very similar: the body being of steel, straight at first and then funnelling and the tip made of a different material (HSS) to drain vibrations in one direction even faster, blah, blah, blah..." This is simply a thermodynamic impossibility.

This is not to say that the Systrum is not a step in the right direction. It is a step in the right direction. Whether it's worth the money is another story. Can I make something better looking and better performing for less? Ask a psychic! In the dedicated listening room I'm about to set up, any floor standing rack is out of the question, BTW.

As for Lak, hell, he only uses 5 Watts...he doesn't pop up the volume like I do!!!
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Fbhifi, you need to understand Voodoo magic. If you use the point down it is a "one way drain". Flip it and it becomes a "megaphone"...
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Audiotweak, you're the one who has contradicted himself:

"The geometry of the Audiopoint was designed as follows: The flat surface and or the shaft are collection areas. The tip is the exit point. The point was designed to be an exit point only, it is not a re entry point. The tip of the point is therefor a coupling point. This one way in, one way out purposeful design makes the Audiopoint the..."

"The Audiopoint in this application is only effective when mounted to the Sistrum shelf. It works like mechanical amplifier/megaphone, when mounted to the much larger Sistrum shelf.. If the point where mounted upside down directly to a much larger mass such as Earth the Audiopoint would be rendered totally ineffecvtive. Tom"

*******

I did try some of Lak's Audiopoints, as posted earlier. They work. How much and if cost effective, I have to use them in house for a while...

*******

I do have a Psychic friend of mine back in the Caribbean. Her name is Milvia (aka Mystic Lady). She's really good with magnets, crystals, Chinese metaphysics and reading the Santería cards. I learned quite a bit from her. I'm sure you could send her some Audiopoints and she would *align them* for a fee...

Guess what, my mother is even a better Psychic--she's an herbalist and reads Spanish cards...
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
TWL, I posted why I came in here: Lak asked me to check out the Sistrum and also to call the owner. I told him calling him would be pointless, as I would be bombarded with useful information interspersed by a sales pitch. I think the Sistrum does one thing right and that is an advantage over an attempt at doing several and not a single one right. I still do not know how much it costs, so that bias has not been introduced in my brain...

I told Lak that I think he would be better off with Jahaira's design. I find it way superior and more flexible in terms of how to address individual components. With this design one can choose to couple, decouple or use *resistive damping* of individual components. The rack is coupled by means of heavy stainless steel rods with spikes and bolted Brazilian Cedar plywood boards (12 ply) that have a routered rectangular cavity. It is a heavy rack and extremely rigid by all means. The combination of granite slabs, cork/rubber sheets and cones/DIYumas and or Moca wood will allow each individual component to be properly tuned. You could even use Neuance shelves, graphite boards, anything!

Warren, I had to look up that phrenology word. No, my grandmothers did not know that. I learned a few things related to metaphysics and the use of quartz crystals, and Central American Indian "reiki". Never messed with the bad stuff...don't want to go to hell! A lot of this stuff has to do with how we are in tune with ourselves and the environment. An analogy would be that our lives develop a *vector* in the metaphysical realm, much like what the Hindus call Karma; that vector gives our lives a momentum that is sometimes not good. That's why some people go to Psychics like my friend Milvia. I have this very very clear. Milvia's mother told me one day: "We pull them out of the cesspool and they jump right back in..."
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Reading comprehension problems, once more...

1) I have not "railed" against the Sistrum:

This is not to say that the Systrum is not a step in the right direction. It is a step in the right direction. Whether it's worth the money is another story. Can I make something better looking and better performing for less? Ask a psychic!

I think the Sistrum does one thing right and that is an advantage over an attempt at doing several and not a single one right. I still do not know how much it costs, so that bias has not been introduced in my brain...


2) I have posted that floor standing racks are not practical in my new place:

In the dedicated listening room I'm about to set up, any floor standing rack is out of the question, BTW.


3) Jahaira's rack is not based on IKEA Lack tables--you go back and read again.

4) Now that you asked, Leftie, I will say that the Systrum has a very strong marketing component behind it, indeed. It caters to people like Lak—it suits his system, most definitely. It would look really corny with my rig. It would not be able to properly support my two Clear Image T4 transformer based filter arrays nor my modded 1200 TT and would be a waste of money, using single ‘shelves’ for all the outboard power supplies I have and little Channel Islands DAC I use. People like me have lots of stuff--big and small--lying around…
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
Hmm, this looks like a Sistrum:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=1769
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
There is hope!

This is proof of what a *friendly* reminder that not everything is audio can do...
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