Stillpoints LPI II

I used to own a refurbished Thorens turntable in my early days of audiophilia. But I sold it after a year. Not because it sounded awful, but I could not envisage myself spending time cleaning LPs. And also, the fact with turntables, I have to think about the arm and cartridge, not forgetting the phono stage as well. So many things to think about and….worry. I sticked to CDs ever since. 

My thinking is to maximize my system in the best way possible, using a single source. I buy the best gear I can afford and then tweak it to the maximum. When a better gear and funds are available, then I upgrade. I also do that with tweaks. And the thing with tweak is that not a lot that are good, i.e. not a lot that can make a difference. As you may have read in my previous articles, I am firm believer in Stillpoints, having been exposed to it by my friend KC. I have tried almost everything Stillpoints’ products except the ESS rack. 

KC, distributor for Stillpoints, managed to get hold of the LPI (LP Isolator) and asked me to try it on my cd player. The Stillpoints LPI (LP Isolator) slips over the Spindle of your turntable and rests on the label portion of your LP. I told him I do not own a turntable and LPI would not have any place in my setup. He told me he trusts my ears and wanted to know if it makes any difference when placed on top of the cd player. To be frank, I was just curious what difference it can make. So being such a good friend 😊 that I was, I agreed.

Initially I placed the LPI on the top plate of the cd player (BMC CD 1.1) where the power inlet is situated. I did not hear any difference. Then I placed it near where the interconnect connectors on the cd player. Again, not much discernible difference. I was scratching my head as to where I can place it. I tried it on top of my power amplifier, which is placed between my preamplifier and cd player, where the power transformer is located. Again, no difference! Then a thought came into my head. Since my BMC cd player is top loading and uses a belt drive mechanism, I placed the LPI near the acrylic cover. Now I can hear a difference.

The vocalist imaging within the soundstage is better defined. Layering was a touch better. Every time I remove the LPI, the imaging becomes less defined. You do not know what your system is capable of, until you get a component that can improve it. Then KC manage to get hold of the LPI II.                        Placing the LPI and LPI II next to each other, one can easily see the difference in construction. The pocket technology in LPI is embedded into the metal housing while in LPI II, this juts out. I have been told the version II is a refinement of the first version.

Stillpoints LPI II (left) and LPI I (right)

I was skeptical on the difference that the LPI II can make cause the LPI was already quite good. I placed the LPI II at the same position where I put the LPI on the top of the cd player. I let it settle down for a few days without doing any critical listening. The main reason for this was that I was quite busy with work.

Stillpoints LPI II placed near the acrylic platter of the cd player

Imaging of vocalist is now very solid. Imaging of the musicians in the soundstage was also much better. Then I began my comparison, switching back and forth between the LPI and LPI II. It is only through this way; I begin to marvel at the improvement LPI II has brought to the system. The LPI made an improvement towards imaging of the vocalist. The LPI II makes it even more so. Some readers may think, “Of course he will say that”. The main difference that LPI II brings is mainly on the whole soundstage into the listening room. It is as though the musicians are much closer to you and very defined. The whole experience is very intimate and vivid. I feel it more so with good recordings like Accepting the fate (track 10) in Danny Summer ɒm 3 (Sony Music 8887511812). This blues track showcase exactly what I meant with LPI II. Imaging was rock solid, every little movement of instruments is heard easily, the slide on the guitar. Music and emotion just flows out effortlessly. Another example is track 3 in Keb’ Mo’ cd of the same title (OKeh / Epic EX 57863) Love Blues. The plucking of the guitar is just so intensely real. My opinion is that with the LPI II minimized the vibration caused the revolving acrylic cover on the top plate of my cd player. This led to lower overall background noise, aiding in making details easily discernible. This also helps to make layering and imaging to be much more solid.

I can say that I never thought the LPI would make any difference on top of my cd player. It does but the LPI II is better. For those of you who believes in tweaks especially Stillpoints and owns a turntable, do give the LPI II a try. Even if you have a cd player only, try it if you can get a loaner from your local dealer and hear it in your system.

 Stillpoints is distributed in Singapore by KC Audio, https://facebook.com/audio.by.kc/ 

Avia Powertrans 8KVA Balanced

 

Its been a while since I posted. The main reason for this is that I am busier during the Movement Control Order than pre CoVid-19 pandemic. I had to conduct a lot of online sessions related to work. Now that we are allowed back to office, everything is starting to be normalized.

I have just been given an opportunity to review the Avia Powertrans 8KVA balanced. Powertrans protect your hifi gears from inconsistent power supply while improving their performance through constant voltage. I had been using my Powertrans 4KVA version for quite a while. I never had the urge to upgrade even though my usual hifi supplier has been constantly telling me that the 8KVA balanced will improve my system up a few notches from the current level. Over the years, I am used to these typical hifi talk on how a gear can improve a system. My way is to let me listen to the gear in my system first, if it is good, I will upgrade.

With my Powertrans 4KVA in place, my system was already providing me with a 3D soundstage which I am quite happy with. Hin of Feng Yuan Audio came to install the Powertrans 8KVA about 2 months ago. The 8KVA came with a special plug to be installed on the plug point. I told him not to change my usual MK plug as I want to make as little changes as possible. He also helped to connect the Powertrans 8KVA via the MK plug from my usual plug point. Such a sport! I then connect my Aural Symphonic power cord from the new Powertrans into my Shunyata Hydra Model 8. So everything remains the same with the exception of upgrade of the Powertrans 4KVA to Powertrans 8KVA balanced. Physically, Powertrans 8KVA is much bigger than 4KVA. Side by side comparison shows that the former is 2” longer and 1” wider. It is also heavier, but I don’t have the information on this. So the only way to know what improvement the Powers 8KVA can bring, is to listen to it.

First impression was very positive. The first thing that grabbed me was everything is so “alive”, as though everything was on steroid. The whole soundstage is right in front of me. Everything is so vivid! With the 4KVA in place, there are many occasions that I had to strain to ascertain the layering of the soundstage. But with the 8KVA, everything just “there there”. Hin mentioned that this is because of the higher amount of power available which translates to more current to the hifi components in the system, from 16A in the Powertrans 4KVA to 32A from the Powertrans 8KVA. The layering of the soundstage is now, not only easier to discern but also deeper than it used to be. Another reason for this is due to the lower noise floor because of the balanced configuration of the Powertrans. In terms of wideness of the soundstage, I would say it has slightly improved. The improvement in depth is more pronounced, probably because the noise floor is lower now.

As with the Powertrans 8KVA balanced is new, I let it run-in for a couple of weeks. I want to hear if there is any difference in the sound of my system the longer the Powertrans has been hooked to my system. If anything, the sound of the system is even cleaner than before. A lot of hifi gears may tend to improve one of the frequencies extreme and truncate the other. Not with the Avia Powertrans 8KVA balanced. The bass is better developed with better decay, not lumpy in the middle. This is what I heard in the beginning of the first track in “Just a little lovin” in Shelby Lynne album of the same name.  High frequencies are also well extended. I can easily hear more “air” surrounding the vocalist especially in “live” recording of Eva Cassidy in the “Fields of Gold” track in “Live at Blues Alley“ cd.

The Powertrans 8KVA balanced is highly recommended