Home / Accessories / Racks and Stands
Click to enlarge
Symposium Acoustics's Quantum Platform
Racks and Stands by Symposium Acoustics
Manufacturer’s Description:
Supplied with 4 SuperCouplers
Introduction
The Quantum embodies an
accumulation of all that Symposium has learned about the effective coupling and damping of electronic components in a dedicated platform. The Quantum spares
nothing in the quest for ultimate performance. Utilizing stainless steel technology borrowed from the very successful Svelte Shelf and "expanding the
envelope" to the very limits of practicality and design, the Quantum is the last word in neutrality, nuance, dynamics and transient preservation.
Theory of Operation
Mechanical energy inside of electronic and electromechanical devices can cause
increased noise levels due to spurious electrical energies induced by this vibration in conducting signal paths. The goal is to ensure that all signal paths
are maintained neutrally. All equipment must be supported by some kind of foot device, whether it be individual members or a large flat plane. The Quantum's
top is split into four separate, independent platforms, each of which is designed to absorb and dissipate energy from the component. Because of the
separation, energy drained from each of a maximum of 4 feet cannot combine and be reflected back into the component. Thus, draining/damping of the component
chassis is achieved more effectively, further lowering intermodulation distortion which may be caused by subtle mechanical energy, whose object is to lower
the noise floor. Lower noise levels in the component allow faster transients across the entire spectrum. In addition, extreme low bass preservation has been
improved, even over the vaunted Ultra, which was our previous reference in this area. The Quantum takes the bass benefits of the Ultra and seems to extend
them a full octave lower, to the very foundations of audible sound.
Quadrant Isolation
By splitting
the top surface of the platform into 4 quadrants, the Quantum divides the work of energy drainage into four isolated sectors which effectively separate
components into four pieces and separately drain each section. This scheme not only achieves superior overall drainage but also reduces mechanical
intermodulation of these unwanted mechanical energies in the component by effectively separating the chassis into four separate parts. Each of the four
iso-quadrants are constructed of dual levels of heavy gauge stainless steel. Each of the four top layers are constructed of two bonded layers of 1/8"
and 20 gauge stainless steel layers, constrain layer damped. The top layer and an intermediary layer of 14 gauge stainless steel are separated by two
separate sections of 1/2", high thermal coefficient foam.
Air-CellTM Vertical Compliance
These
four sections are mounted on a completely separate platform which represents a new Symposium technology of 3 separate foam layers which consist of two
different densities of foam. Arranged in a sandwich configuration, this system provides dissipation of vertical displacement vibration without the
"bounce" and overshoot problems that plague rubber air bag systems. The center foam section is made up of many very small, embedded "air
cells" which accomplish much the same function as one large air bladder; the difference being that instead of one large air bag, there are literally
thousands of small air cells, all of which are much better "damped" by the thermal absorption properties of the surrounding foam walls. Although
simple air bladder platforms seek to isolate by providing a "cushion" of air whose compliance (give) will absorb vertical motion, adiabatic
compression of the trapped air during volume displacement causes non-linearities in operation, which in turn creates more bass distortion. In short, these
"easy solutions" cause more problems than they solve, for a variety of reasons. The Quantum achieves its awesome bass authority without the
overhang, bass bloating and blurring that afflicts these kinds of isolation systems.