Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: LaserBase Custom Component Stand Accessory by Jim Bookhard

Several weeks ago, I had the honor and opportunity to meet Mr. Robert Genna, the manufacturer of the LaserBase Component Stand, during his installation of the custom LaserBase he designed for my Oracle Delphi Mk V turntable. Mr. Genna offered to install the LaserBase for me since he does not live far from my residence and because I requested to have the optional Twinkle Fingers and Twinkle Toes installed with the LaserBase.

The LaserBase is a component suspension system which allows the turntable to be "suspended" on a "sling-like" manner -- a suspension similar to those in computer boxes that have a suspension sling inside to "float" the computer during shipment. Well imagine such a sling arrangement, made up of two dampened retangular steel rod structures, with feet (four pointing down to your rack and another four -- suspended -- pointing up to support the component and riding in the sling). The "sling" is supported by what looks like clear rubber bands, but in actuality are polyurethane bands which have, I was told, the potential to "stretch" ten times their original size without damange to themselves and which transform unwanted mechanical vibrational energy into heat. Because the Oracle Delphi Mk V weighs only 35 pounds, there was no problem "suspending" the LaserBase using the polyurethane bands.

The tricky part of the installation, as I observed closely, was the balancing of the turntable on top of the LaserBase by carefully adjusting the four polyurethane bands which suspend one portion of the stand inside the other. The Twinkle Fingers and Twinkle Toes are additional isolation devices installed in each of the 8 feet on the LaserBase. They are in actuality tiny ball bearings riding on a "cupped" surface and whose individual contact area is smaller than the head of a pin. They can be engaged or disengaged by knurled screw mechanisms built into each of the legs.

Most people are aware of the outstanding performance of the Oracle Delphi Mk V. Well previously, I had enhanced the peformance of the Oracle by having custom made MGD MTDs installed to replace the Oracle stock feet. But, because I still had some slight problems with footfalls from the room's suspended wood floor, I contacted Mr. Genna and inquired about his LaserBase. I was happy to find out that the LaserBase was actually originally designed for turntables and after a brief discussion and reading the review at Soundstage, I ordered one. About a week and a half to two weeks later, Mr. Genna delivered the LaserBase and installed it in my system. We both then sat back to enjoy some vinyl pleasures. First, we listened without any of the Twinkle Fingers or Twinkle Toes engaged. What clearly was the case was that the top end of the audio spectrum opened up significantly (as well as more authoritative, detailed bass), along with an overall significant improvement in sound quality, including much more midrange detail and harmonic resolution. Dynamics coming off records also improved significantly as well as transient attack. The effects of the footfalls, though still slight, lowered.

We then engaged the Twinkle Fingers first (or was it the Twinkle Toes?) -- again, another increase in performance in the same areas. After engaging the final four Twinkle Toes, the performance was bumped up yet another level and the footfalls subsided to almost nil. The arm on the Oracle Mk V is an SME V arm using a high output moving coil cartridge. What shocked Mr. Genna was when I told him that the cartridge was a 10 year old Goldring that I had laying around and that I was still awaiting for my new low ouput Benz LO.4 to arrive from Switzerland! What was even more significant is that on my CD player, I use the Michael Green "clamping" technique which, if any of you have ever heard a correctly "clamped" component, knows that this technique can bring the performance of a digital CD player easily up to the level of ANY ananlog front end if you use the right player. Well, mine happens to be that "right player" and is the same player that Michael Green uses as his "reference". Well, to make a long story short, the Oracle/SME/10 year old Goldring combination gave the clamped CD player more than a run for its money.

Shortly after the installation (a week or so more), the Benz arrived. I quickly installed it and started putting it through its paces. Well, the Oracle, with the new Benz, trounced the "clamped" CD player handily. The weekend of July 4th, I also had arrive my new speakers -- the top-of-the-line $15,000 Michael Green Chameleons. After the speakers got over the "shock" of being moved them from their location of being built in Ohio and acclimating themselves to their new environment (speakers do go through "shock" when moving them from one climate to another), I again did comparative listening. I won't go into detail here on the sound of the Chameleons because, not only is it a review in and of itself, but words typically used to describe a loudspeaker's character and "sound" simply do not apply to these speakers -- they are VERY special. But, during the installation of the Chameleons by the MGD staff, Michael Green himself called to check on the installation and I described what I was hearing. His staff also noted how the Oracle "trounced" the CD player and were amazed themselves. Well, leave it to Michael -- he told me to put his staff on the phone and in less than 4 minutes of twirling bolts on my rack, they brought the level of performance of the CD player right up to the level of the analog front end!! I cannot yet tell which outperforms which because the Benz is still breaking in.

First, you have to comprehend the levels of performance we are talking about here. We are talking about performance in the stratosphere! As the Benz continues to break in, the LaserBase has continued to keep pace with the CD player. I know everyone is saying "well, that's to be expected from a good analog front end", but not so when using "clamping" properly. Also, my room is completely acoustically treated with optimally adjusted Pressure Zone Controllers, so again, you must first comprehend where we are in terms of levels of performance.

To sum up, the LaserBase is one of the best investments I have ever made and the best tweak device I have ever used on a turntable. I did tell Michael Green about the LaserBase and he agreed that "suspending" the turntable like the LaserBase does was the best way to deal with a turntable -- by "floating" with this suspension technique. The Twinkle Toes and Twinkle Fingers, though not necessary to get a significant level of performance from a turntable, are more than worth their cost in terms of the extra boost in performance they provide. Any one who is serious about analog playback owes it to him or herself to look into the LaserBase by talking to Bob Genna or emailing him at LaserBase@aol.com. Not only is he one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable persons I've ever talked with, he is one of the nicest individuals I have ever had the opportunity to meet and host in my home. All LaserBases are custom built for your specific component and therefore, diagrams (or measurements) must be provided by the user to assure proper building specs for the contact areas on the component. I would however advise that the Twinkle Fingers and Twinkle Toes be disengaged when not in use to assure nothing or no one accidentally bumps the stand and unearths the turntable. I have had no such misfortune as I have disengaged these devices from the start (when not in play) and Mr. Genna concurred with this procedure after I emailed him and informed him that I was doing so. Again, this is a device for the "SERIOUS" vinyl lovers who wants to get the most out of their turntables, but the LaserBase can also be built and used on other audio components. Highly recommended.

REVIEW: LaserBase Custom Component Stand Accessory Review by Jim Bookhard at Audio Asylum