CENTER STAGE ULTRA TC
The Ultimate Enhancement
Critical Mass Systems is proud to announce the launch of the Center Stage Ultra TC footer made for electronic components. Critical Mass Systems is strictly focused on the principles of thermodynamics applicable to High End Audio. High End audio presents a range of challenges wider than those found in any other industry where vibration is a barrier to performance. Our mission is to suspend disbelief, meaning; to provide the means to which electronics can make reality come out of your loudspeakers.
After Reviewing our approach laid out in the Approach section, you now understand that there is no such thing as isolation in a listening room because sound is vibration and sound is everywhere in a listening room. Given that vibration is present on all sides of a component, you cannot build a vibration firewall in a listening room and there is no such thing as a vibration diode in a listening room. Furthermore, electrical systems resonate internally. Mass stores energy. The misinformed are kept unaware that a vacuum is the only thing that can stop vibration and, there is no naturally occurring vacuum in the universe. You can’t solve a problem until you understand the problem. The problem is that vibration is everywhere in a listening room and you can’t stop it.
It is shocking to hear how much stock component feet supplied with electronics and loudspeakers interfere with or degrade performance. Most ignore the fundamental problem outlined above. Most of the component feet that abound in our hobby are substandard. And most after-market solutions cause as many problems as they solve.
We set out to invent a high-performance solution that elevated the performance of audio components and loudspeakers across the audible spectrum. We wanted a product that helped components produced a fully balanced presentation that suspended disbelief – created reality.
From the labor of our efforts came the LS loudspeaker series, the Center Stage 2M series, and most recently, the Center Stage Ultra Series.
Make no mistake, the Center StageUltra TC foot is as finely tuned as its bigger brother. It delivers clearly audible excellence under your electronic components with the same 30 damping touch points of varying dimension built in.
We named this footer “Ultra” for a reason. In the Ultra Series, the damping “sweet spot” achieved using 30 touch points is so finely tuned, so accurate, so perfect for the weight, dimension and materials used to fabricate the foot that placing 1 set under your front end component is, well, amazing.
Amazing means an unexpected expansion of the soundstage in width, height, depth and image definition. Expect improvements in vocal expression and realism, and instrumental timber, separation and weight. Expect to hear new musical details previously obscured by an elevated noise floor. Expect greatly improved front-to-back layering and image stability. The bottom line: Expect your system to bring you closer to the original real event as it was originally recorded.
What to expect during settle in
The settling in period is generally 7 to 10 days, but it can be longer. Because Center Stage Ultra will dramatically change the current electromechanical equilibrium of your components, you should expect your system to temporarily degrade at the outset. This is perfectly normal. Your soundstage will then begin to reconstruct itself as it establishes a new and better equilibrium point.
In the end stage, the settling changes will become ultrafine and be largely experienced in the high frequencies. They will be barely perceptible unless you really focus and then variances will disappear altogether. It is extremely important to let the system play for at least 14 days before assuming it has reached equilibrium. Playing a system 24/7 is not necessary, but the more playing time the better. Think of it like breaking in a brand-new component where break-in time is normal.
