Quadraspire modifications

Posted by: Steve Toy on 28 February 2001

I am considering ditching my Optimum rack in place of something better. I do not wish to reopen the Mana/ Hutter debate. I like Quadraspire - they have a certain naturalness to their sound. I am prepared to spend a little extra on the Music Works isolation upgrade. I welcome any comments on the above. By the way, yesterday I heard the following system on unmodified Quadraspire and it was the best system I have ever heard: CDSII/Nac52/NAP250/Rega Naos.
It sounded so natural. The CDSII is more than twice as good as the CDX, and thus is better value for money - the best digital source on planet earth!

Posted on: 28 February 2001 by Top Cat

The best upgrade for a QS rack is to take the gear off and place it on a Mana rack

But, seriously, apart from the styling (which I personally think is nice), buying a QS rack was a big mistake for me, and I'd like to at least make you think twice before perhaps making a big mistake yourself. Put it this way, I've been part of a demo that showed a lowly, £300 CD player on a Mana rack sound better in all areas than a CD3.5 on a QS rack - basically says it all. Of course, the CD3.5 on the Mana rack sounded best of all

If you are the sort of person to be swayed by the look of an item over its contribution to the sound, then buy Quadraspire. Otherwise, look to some of the other contenders. Mana works tremendously well, and I imagine the Hutter stuff works well too, although I've never heard it. Naim's new stands must also be an option for you, and I think they look quite nice, but again I haven't heard them.

You will never regret buying Mana.

John

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by ken c

steven,

i have been using the QS for a number of years and my experience of this rack is that is terms of music/euro, it is excellent -- probably better than a lot of the current competition. i was going to trade in my QS for an Isoblue. Because my system is at naim for service, i moved the QS to support my spare Nait3/Kan system --- i still cannot believe the musical improvement that it made.

you ought to be able to compare Hutter/Mana/QS and (soon) naim -- if your "value-for-money" and aesthetic parameters are flexible. As pointed out, Mana is not available from dealers, but you can apparently try this on a "refund if not satisfied" basis. but in my view the QS's take some beating. apparently there can also be tweaked to sound even better -- i havent bothered to follow this up. there are too many other things to do.

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by Top Cat

quote:
in my view the QS's take some beating

Hmmmm... well, Mana certainly beats it on every single count (apart from aesthetic appeal, I concede you that point) - I owned a QS rack and loved it at the time, too - I had never heard Mana at that point. I then bought a Mana wall shelf to replace a borrowed Target one, heard what a real support could do for my LP12, and then subsequently had to get rid of the QS as I realised that it wasn't that the QS is a bad support (as a common or garden support, it's fine) it was just that it's not a great support either...

I tweaked about with my QS for a long time, noting some subtle differences, but nothing particularly worthwhile. Putting the system on Mana was a bit like discovering that your car has 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears too. Phase 2 was the 5th gear, phase 3 the 6th, and phase 4 was a bit like putting a rocket pack behind your car...

John

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by Top Cat

Jason,

Don't be pi$$ed off, mate, maybe I do get over-enthusiastic. I'm all for people's choice in these things and I do like QS - I resisted the pull of Mana for quite some time. Anyway, it's a good thing that it's not for everyone as it means I can get more s/h Mana at cheaper prices

For my system, there is no contest. I've never heard Hutter, perhaps it is better, I don't know. However, the leading edge thing I think is over-emphasised wrt. Mana - it's about much more than that, and the tonality and 'evenness' is also enhanced greatly...

Anyway, as my mate Frank once said, "Whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it, just so long as it doesn't cause a murder..."

John

More Mana! More Mana!

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by ken c

john, i wasnt comparing mana and QS -- as i believe they are in quite different price zones. what i was saying is that, at its price point, the QS's take some beating. of course, when money is no object, then the field is quite a bit wider, and includes things like mana and the new naim stuff...

enjoy...

ken

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by Allan Probin

quote:
phase 4 was a bit like putting a rocket pack behind your car...

Precisely. And some people like to admire the scenery.

Allan

Posted on: 01 March 2001 by Top Cat

...I thought you'd bought a Mana rack?

John

Posted on: 02 March 2001 by Allan Probin

I have. I was just pointing out that people look for different things.

Allan

Posted on: 02 March 2001 by Ron The Mon

John Clark,

Frank also said; "look here brother, who are you
jiving with that cosmic debris"

Ron The Mon

Posted on: 02 March 2001 by Top Cat

Frank did indeed say many things, a most quotable individual indeed.

He definitely says them more convincingly on Mana, though

John

Posted on: 02 March 2001 by Tony Storey

Steven, sounds to me from what you said that you like the sound of the QS support.. I don't feel anyone need appolgise for using this stuff. I also have QS (previously I had some Mana stuff) and I like it .. sounds great in my system (and like Jason, I use Shahinian speakers). I would just like to support what Dave Catlin said... you can "tune" this stuff simply by experimenting with changes in the tightness of the supports that go between the shelves. It does make a difference.. and all of my floorboards are screwed to the joists in the room where my kit is, though not with brass screws. Also, you really should make the additional investment in the Musicworks stuff... I use this and it made a big difference. This is really worthwhile.

For what its worth, I have listened to the QS, Isoblue and Hutter alongside each other, though not an extensive analysis, and not in my own listening room, but in a shop demo room. I found that the isoblue was different to the extent that it brought the midrange forward slightly and the Hutter had a similar effect with perhaps some slightly better resolution of low level detail especially in the lower regions (ie, base guitar, base, drum base synth etc), but only very very marginally better than the isoblue.

If you are happy with the QS (as you say you are) - stick with it mate and spend the rest of your cash on the musicworks block/leads.

Regards
To

Posted on: 02 March 2001 by Steve Toy

Tony, I'm not refering to their mains blocks as they have a negative effect on my CD5 - mid range makes bass sound woolly, Larry himself admits this! I'm talking about their shelf decoupling modification to QS tables. As for the Dog's Blocks they offer no improvement to my system where I live, as I am fotunate enough not to suffer problems with "dirty mains" apart from a bit of DC about seven months ago, which lasted for about half an hour and made my amps sound like a fish tank, with the volume at zero.

Posted on: 03 March 2001 by Rico

quote:
Allan... ...I thought you'd bought a Mana rack?

Like Allan, I too have 'scored' a mana equipment support - seems mine also did not include the cult membership (or even a T-Shirt, for that matter!).

Rico - all your base are belong to us.