Synergistic Research Tranquility Bases, Transporter Ultra and UEF Tuning Circuits Review

The Equipment Support Conundrum

Ted claims that his relatively inexpensive MIG footers ($150/set of 3) work best under the Tranquility products. After much experimentation, I found that, on my admittedly inadequate equipment rack, the only equipment supports that, when placed between the Bases or Basik and my rack’s MDF shelves, brought out previously submerged and faint low bass lines on Mahler symphony recordings from the Budapest Festival Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony were the very expensive Magico QPods. Very close to them in positive effects were the Nordost Sort Kones. While I mostly used three Titanium Sort Kones, I occasionally switched to two Titaniums and one Bronze. Replacing one Titanium with a Bronze had an effect similar to, albeit different than switching one of SR’s tuning circuits from silver to gray.

I also experimented with which equipment supports to use under components, i.e., between components and Tranquility products. Since my two sets of QPods were already in use beneath the dCS gear, I had to choose between Synergistic Research’s MIGs and Nordost’s Sort Kones.

In my system, on my mediocre MDF shelving, Sort Kones proved most effective. I also discovered that my computer and external HD tended to slide too much atop the MIGs. In fact, after my HD slipped off the Basik and fell on the floor (and thankfully continued to work), I decided to rest the HD directly on the Basik, and forget about equipment supports under it. I have no doubt that, had I a third Base to use under the computer, that its ability to reduce the HD’s mechanical vibration would have further improved the sound of my computer front end.

When I discussed the results of my equipment support experiments with Ted, he offered an opinion that, unless I were to change both racks and cables, I am unable to fully evaluate:

Underneath the Tranquility Base/Basik, you’ll get your best results with the MIGs. If you want to use some other footer between component and tranquility base, cool. You may claim other expensive footers work better, but I guarantee that if, instead of expensive footers, you invest you money in more TBs or our other products, you’ll get a significantly greater return on your investment.

If you were using my cables throughout your system, the MIGs would make a better match. The name Synergistic Research actually means something: it refers to the synergistic relationship between our products.

To create system synergy, we’ve evolved from our line in 2007, when we only made interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords. Then we went into power conditioning, and then acoustics, which are the single biggest factor in system performance. The human body responds to music based on resonance; when you overly damp the room, you take out what makes a person respond emotionally to music. Hence I developed the Acoustic Art System to tune the resonance in the room. Now we clean extremely high frequency noise, which enables you to connect more emotionally to the music.

When stereo is right, it’s like a good drug. That’s what we do: address all the aspects of system synergy.

Finally, I addressed the issue of what to do with the thin Green ground plane wires that connect to the two Tranquility Bases. I recall the first time I listened to my system with the Bases in place, but without plugging in the Ground Plane wires. Ugh. The sound was harsh and edgy. Clearly, Synergistic Research’s ground plane technology needs to be fully implemented for the products to work properly.

I initially plugged the Ground Plane wires into the PowerCell. Edginess vanished, and a newfound silence emerged. Farther along in the review process, however, I checked in with Ted and, at his suggestion, instead plugged the Ground Plane wires into the wall. The additional lowering of the noise floor was immediate. Bad Jason for forgetting what to do in the first place.

I also made an interesting discovery. Nordost consistently states that their cables work best in an all-Nordost system. When I either plugged a Nordost cable into the SR PowerCell, or a Synergistic cable into the Nordost QB8 power distribution system, system performance took a step backwards. The Synergistic Research PowerCell wasn’t even happy when I plugged two Nordost Qv2 AC Line Harmonizers into its empty outlets. Concluding that the technology behind these two companies’ products is very different, I reserved Synergistic’s PowerCell and cabling for Synergistic’s Tranquility products and my computer front end, and the Nordost power products and cabling for everything else.