General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ General Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Adona Reference Rack Zero GXT

Posted by Dr.Phil (A) on November 9, 2014 at 11:04:58

It's been 14 years when I last purchased a audio rack for my system. It was a great rack made by Polycrystal and it was not inexpensive. I happened to run across the Adona website and took a look. I was very impressed with the information and I started my 2 month research on racks and designs to make sure if I made a change I be getting a good rack to replace my current one.

I decided on the top of the line model Zero GXT 3 shelf edition. Once I had it put together I took a listen to my system. It was a change that I never would have imaged, such that I had to really pull out several CD's so I could get a handle on what I was hearing.

I then tried a few changes with adding spike under the shelf's instead of the nice dampers/leveling supports that come with the rack. While the sound became more up front and a bit over the top, though still enjoyable and I could live with it, I felt the dampers were the way to go. Very natural sounding, balanced, superb detail, but very natural, I think the word that comes to my mind is natural, unlike many shelf's nothing really sticks out, highs to the lows are so in balance.

The bottom end has such detail and control and goes really, really deep. I have a Martin Logan sub-woofer the Depth i and it can hit below 25Hz.

My Polycrystal sounds big and more aggressive, more gray and blended. Much less color and tone, more 1st note attack if you know what I mean. I think the big reason is this rack is so well made the gear is really showing how good it is, vibes are gone as well as coloration with no area of the reproduction being pushed forward. Kind of throws you at first.

One other thing about how this rack was designed, this sucker does not move or wiggle, it is solid like a rock, I think with my gear on it, Esoteric K-03 SACD and Marantz Reference Preamp S2, it weighs in at 245lbs. You cannot move this even with a firm push.

The difference I hear is tone, color, micro details, a simple Jazz CD is a great test, stand up bass, drums and piano, I heard so much more, and I'll use my wife's feedback "you can now feel the emotion in their playing". She by the way cares little about high-end sound and enjoys music for the sake of the music, and hearing her say that I figured this must be a huge change for her to even mention it. Great to have reinforcement.

I've played some Sinatra stuff, One of my go to tunes is "One for my baby and one for the road" his vocals are clear, rich and his phasing comes across with ease and power when he starts to soar. His big-band stuff the horns have real bite, but I noticed the glare/edge is gone, and you hear so much more going on across all the instruments. To where I got overwhelm on a track, there was so much more of everything to where you sit there trying to take it all in.

I've had the rack 7 days now, and I tweak it just to see the changes I could make and also to learn it. I like it always as designed with the damping leveling pads with the rack spiked to the floor. I have tried this several times and each switch the damping pads sound better under the shelf's than using spikes facing upward under the platform.

This morning, I put on some blues cd's and sat back and just enjoyed the music, I think this is what the rack as done for my system, it now draws you into the performance and you forget about the gear that is reproducing it.

I have to say this was money well spent. My Quads have never sounded better, gone so low even without the sub on, in fact I turned it off and found the speakers sounded darn good at the bottom still! So I had reset the setting on my sub. The Quads have such dynamics, but I must mention hese are not your average Quads 63's, but a pair I purchased from Kent at Electrostatic Solutions with totally rebuilt including a whole new upgraded power supply and these Quads can rock if asked along with stands I found on EBay from England.

I should add also, never has my system given more pleasure that it is right now either when it was Analog or now Digital. The sound now is effortless with such a ease to it, you just find yourself relaxing and taking it in. Nothing wrong with CD's when you can hear what is on them like I'm hearing now. Kill the noise, and the vibrations.

I also terminate the unused BNC, and digital output, added 2 Cardas RCA caps to the unused RCA outputs of the CD player (I use balance throughout my system) and your will hear what digital CD can sound like. Kill the noise.

I read the review of the new Benchmark DAC at $16,000 and I would say the descriptions they used to explain the sound of the Benchmark is what I heard after terminating the used inputs and outs of the Esoteric K-03, same as I found with the Marantz SA7-S1. More natural detail, tone, color and blackness and all the rest comes forth that is night and day improvement. The rack just adds to this improvement.

Like all system the gear is only part of the final sound, your room is so important, and lastly the supports/racks have a big say in what you will hear from your system. You really have to have the time and experience to work with all 3 key areas, the room sound being so important.

If anyone wants to purchase a well made rack and most likely your last ( I know for me it is) look no further. Just Excellent!
PJB

• http://www.adonacorporation.com/zerogxt.html   (Open in New Window)

Edits: 11/09/14 11/09/14 11/09/14 11/09/14 11/09/14 11/11/14 11/11/14

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Parts Connexion

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---