Introduction

Symposium designed the Super Platform to satisfy the problemsand requirements of equipment support from a perspective which takes into consideration not only isolation, but also energy drainage out of equipment. The original Super Platform was the first dedicated equipment base to use symmetrical constrained layer damping with metal top and bottom layers.

The Difference

When effectively "coupled" to high performance audio components (as at right, with included* Large Couplers), the Super Plus effects significant improvements in dynamics (the contrast between soft and loud sounds), bass timber, overall clarity and soundstaging, all due to a reduction in noise intermodulation. Three Symposium Couplers contact the bare metal bottom of the component chassis, enabling an efficient mechanical grounding or "coupling" to the top layer of the Platform. This aluminum layer becomes, in essence, a mechanical extension of the component chassis.

* Large Couplers are now supplied with both standard (19x14) and Large (19x21) size Super Plus platforms.



Foundations

The Super Plus is the direct descendant of Symposium's first product, the Super Platform, which was developed in 1992 and first introduced as a retail product in 1993. Originally built as a practical sonic foundation for use beneath power amplifiers on floors, it has proven to be an extremely versatile system accessory, benefiting virtually all components, including CD players and digital transports, analogue turntables, preamps, amps, power supplies, power conditioning equipment, active crossover networks, and loudspeakers. Its use is not confined to audio, since it also improves performance with video equipment.

At left: Symposium's first product, the "board" (circa 1993) that started it all

Hallmarks of the original (1993-1996) Super:

  • ½ inch centre foam section
  • .125" aluminium top, .040" bottom aluminium layer
  • Brushed "mill" finish aluminium top and bottom
  • Black painted sides
  • No indentation of foam section

Evolution

The original Super presented unique problems in manufacturing. Initially, the various layers were carefully assembled to each other, one by one, in 4 foot by 8 foot sheets, until one very large Super Platform weighing over 300 pounds was made. Each board was then cut from this master "planchette." Beyond the difficulties encountered in the cutting and finishing of these early boards, theory suggested that better performance could be accomplished if the foam layer were indented from the top and bottom sections, and if a suitable, non-resonant damping were applied to the perimeter of the board. Accordingly, a different manufacturing process was developed in order to realize these goals. Painting was abandoned in favor of textured vinyl edging, and the foam was indented from the edges. The result refined the performance of the original Super with greater neutrality as well as superior isolation and absorption at higher frequencies. This was the second generation of Super Platform.


Later, a third generation developed when the 1/2" foam section was upgraded to 3/4" for additional "heat sinking," which further improved performance. Finally, the Super Plus echoed its new, bigger brother, the Ultra Platform, borrowing an additional top layer of anodized aluminum which was bonded to a base layer of 1/8" aluminum. By utilizing two constrained aluminum top layers, improved high frequency neutrality was realized. With active components, this is perceived as better resolution, with faster, more precise highs with reduced overhang, "glare," and distortion. These hallmarks of the Ultra's design are now realized in a platform with less thickness (overall 2.75"), the Super Plus of today.

The Super Plus, when installed correctly, will make significant, across-the-board improvements, including more "punch," greater overall purity, a lowered noise floor, more bass impact with better control, wider soundstaging and better dynamics.

Couplers

The Super Plus is now (new for 2002) supplied with 3 Large Couplers in both standard (19x14) and Large (19x21) sizes. Designed to work with the Symposium platform, their use enables you to realize the maximum potential of the Super Plus.

Why the couplers?

A major part of Symposium design philosophy is the importance of energy drainage from the component. We have found that, in the majority of cases, good energy drainage is more advantageous than pure isolation per se, and this is why we don't call our platforms isolation platforms, but rather "energy absorption platforms." In order to drain the component adequately, it is necessary that there be a good conductive path between the component's chassis and the shelf- which is the reason for the couplers. Use these to contact the bare metal chassis of your component and bypass any rubber or soft feet which may be there. Soft rubber feet are meant more to protect furniture, and, in practice, they tend to "blur" and distort the performance of most components.
When you effectively couple your component's chassis to the top of the Super Plus, the platform essentially becomes an "extension" of your equipment chassis, and damps it better, reducting spurious vibration more effectively and improving performance. This is why we supply couplers with every Super Plus. While it isn't necessary to use them in all cases (for instance, if your component already has built-in metal feet without rubber pads on the bottom or built-in cones), we encourage their use if you don't have an alternate "footer" device, such as Symposium Rollerblocks, cones, or other hard footer devices, etc.

"Regarding the preamp on the Seismic Sink - the Super shelf was such a significant increase not only in clarity throughout the frequency spectrum (truly, a shock), there was surprising increase in *apparent* bass. It seemed to my ears to actually go lower. I can hear down to 32Hz and feel much lower, of course. The bass seemed to go maybe 6+ Hz lower, and this on the Shearwaters, which only go to 35 Hz. This is too spooky and has to be investigated more thoroughly." J. T., New Jersey

About Bass

Bass quality is often controlled by vibration in a key component- and it sometimes takes a bit of experimentation to determine just where the problem is originating. However, the preamplifier is a critical piece, acting as the central arbiter in an audio system. As in the case above, this particular preamp was quite susceptible to vibration effects; and the significant part of this situation is the fact that another type of "isolation" platform that uses a rubber air bag (actually, a small bicycle tire) as a cushion to ward off vibration was actually making the problem worse, because devices such as these, like rubber feet and rubber pods, store and release energy. While this gives the "impression" of a warmer midrange and fuller bass, what you're really getting is time smearing of information in this region, which, when removed correctly, can result in a "shocking" revelation.

The Super Plus platform is a "solid" platform that is designed to dissipate excess vibratory energy as heat energy, and so it doesn't add additional resonances to the system- which is why the audiophile in question was "shaken." When the original resonance is removed, his preamp was allowed to function more closely to its theoretical limits, and his system performance took a leap forward.

The Super Plus under Loudspeakers: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

Our platforms treat vibration- and the biggest source of vibration in your system (unless you're using headphones!) are your speakers. Every speaker, regardless of price or quality, will have a degree of excess vibration flowing in its cabinet. This vibration, unless eliminated, will subtly move the cabinet (or box, or speaker frame), which is the support for the speaker's drivers, whether dynamic or electrostatic. This movement affects the movement of the driver diaphragms as they move the air to make sound, and the result is intermodulation distortion and complex fm distortion of the otherwise theoretically "pure" signal being traced by the loudspeaker diaphragm. In essence, what we have is a case of the "tail wagging the dog."


This Not this

Less Tail, More Dog
A Symposium platform placed judiciously under your loudspeaker's cabinet (in direct contact with it, with no spikes in between), can damp quite a bit of this vibration, and drain more energy from the cabinet than a set of spikes. Even the very best speakers, which may weigh hundreds of pounds with extremely rigid "high-tech" cabinet wall material, will not get rid of this vibration entirely. The Super Plus has been successfully mated to B&W, Wilson, Magneplanar, and many other of the world's finest loudspeakers. Improvements are much of the same character of the Svelte Speaker Sets, but with even more effectiveness, owing to the Super Plus' greater mass and ability to absorb more energy. What you'll hear is better bass "punch" with less overhang and "mud," a cleaner lower midrange, and better, more musical transients, so important for a convincing illusion of live music. Best results are realized withoutspikes, and the 2.75" overall thickness of the Super Plus should be taken into consideration with loudspeakers that are extremely sensitive to height.