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Do you want to avoid
vibrations and resonance?
We try a
complicated/uncomplicated
solution
Ringmat Developments is one
of the companies that
produce sound improving
"things" with more or less
an aura of mystery
surrounding them. They have
done so for more than 20
years under the leadership
of John Rogers. First
product was a mat for vinyl
records, but they do also
produce feet, cables, "mats"
for cd players and now a
range of resonance damping
panels.
Earlier experience
It is true that the
products have actually been
shown to work. In High
Fidelity No3/2002, we had a
test of the Ringmat Support
System; also, we have tested
the LP Blue Statmat, Ringmat
300 MkII XLR, Anniversary
Ringmat 330 and the Statmat
CDi Blue.
Ringmat Developments have a
transparent "film" by the
name Statmat, to be placed
on the CD. It is kept in
place by the normal cd-clamp
in the transport mechanism
and is said to cause the
sound to be clearer,
cleaner, with better detail
and to be more natural. And
so it was, believe it or
not.
Polarised panels
Ringmat is not completely
new to me and, as the
company does not ask
sky-high prices for their
products, I was curious when
they introduced their
Vivacity series. The product
is placed under equipment in
order to reduce resonance.
Development is stated to
have taken seven years until
all details of the system
were completed.
Simply, it is a platform, a
panel in Ringmat
terminology, in the form of
a sandwich with two hard
shells on the outside and a
softer material inside. The
construction (and the way it
is used) is a kind of
‘opposite’ NXT panel, where
the technique that is used
to create sound in the NXT
panels is inverted so as to
eliminate resonance. The
panels also have a
"polarity", due to the
directionality of the
materials in the structure.
Ringmat suggest that, if
possible, the shelf on which
the equipment is normally
placed be turned over to
hear which side sounds best
- by the way, this should
also be done with the
Vivacity panels.
The thinking behind the
Vivacity panel is very
logical.
Help!
Is the first thing you think
when you open the Vivacity
Starter Pack box. Things
come out that make no sense
at all. My first idea, on
daring to read the
installation guide, is to
tape the box up again and
send it all back.
But this would be too easy.
Take a seat and understand
the ideas behind the system.
The guide seems rather
complicated, although
everything is, in fact, very
simple.
You get a platform, four
cork feet, a template in
order to position the cork
feet correctly and a little
film, the Statfoot - very
similar to the earlier
mentioned Statmat, though it
is square and should be
placed on the panel
underneath the rear right
foot of the item of
equipment being supported.
The panel should be placed
on the cork feet positioned
on the existing shelf or
furniture. The panel
features some blue 6 mm dots
and a pair of blue labels to
ease the placement of the
appliance on the ‘nodal’
lines, which is important
for the performance of the
panel.
Besides this there is more,
with an additional pack (the
Vivacity Topper Panel
Upgrade Pack). I opened this
box right after opening the
first box - and again,
"Help". In the box was a
Fireworks Topper Panel with
a "fireworks print design"
that is said to have a sound
improving effect. The Topper
Panel is placed on top of
the standard panel, with a
thin polycarbonate sheet
placed in between. And in
order to use the standard
panel together with the
Topper Panel, it is
necessary to achieve the
right polarity for the
standard panel by turning it
upside down.
Significant sound
improvement
The standard panel, when
placed on the cork feet, has
an immense effect on the
sound. We get an absolutely
more balanced and detailed
sound with a cleaner and
blacker background. The
bottom becomes tighter and
the complete soundstage
becomes more precise and not
least with more depth. And
it is actually not a case of
small details - it is all
quite obvious. We have also
tried the panels with other
items of equipment that
normally do not seem to be
affected when changing
support feet, and here also
there is an effect. It
works, and it works
surprisingly well.
The Fireworks upgrade does
add an extra positive
effect, but considering the
effect of the basic panel,
you are not getting the same
again with the upgrade.
As usual, it is important to
find out what happens when
everything is removed. Do
you miss it, or is
everything a placebo effect?
In our experiment, we miss
it and the panels are back
in the system.
Conclusion
Ringmat Developments
Vivacity products have been
a surprising acquaintance.
If we have to have pluses
and minuses, they would both
come into use. We find that
the supported equipment is
stable and stands well on
the panel, as it always
should do. But if you tend
to change cables a lot, you
risk the alignments becoming
messed up if you pull the
equipment out of position.
Also, if you have a heavy
item of equipment in the
middle of a system, it is
not so much fun - it is best
if you have the space to
lower such a heavy appliance
down from the top without
having to adjust anything
afterwards.
For the curious, the sound
improvement is surprisingly
positive, even with the
basic pack, and, compared to
other "sound improving"
products, you do not get
financially ruined by the
purchase. |
