Artesania Carbon Fiber and Panzerholz Decoupling Discs
Review samples provided by Artesania Audio
Retail price in the Netherlands at the time of review: TBC
As a long-time user of Artesania products, I have utilized many of this Spanish company’s offerings and implemented various upgrades to the Exoteryc racks and Aire platforms, which are essential components of my reference system. Since the manufacturer’s racks and accessories are always visually appealing and invariably have a significant sonic impact, I am always excited when the company releases new products.
The subjects of this review are the brand-new Carbon Fiber and Panzerholz Decoupling Discs for use primarily with the Exoteryc Audio Racks and Aire Floor Platform. However, when pairing them with optionally available Artesania 100-mm Stainless Steel discs, they can be used with any other spiked rack, platform, or speaker stand.
These unassuming Carbon Fiber and Panzerholz discs have the pivotal task of coupling the rack to the floor. As the primary interface, they fit into a milled recess in the 100-mm Stainless Steel discs onto which the spiked pillars rest.
As standard, the Exoteryc and Aire racks come with Nylon (shown above) and Neoprene discs that can be used according to personal taste or as the situation requires. Between the Nylon and Neoprene discs, I always preferred the Nylon discs for their crisper and more expressive sound.
The Carbon Fiber and Panzerholz discs are not the first alternatives the company issued. In 2018, Artesania released the Beechwood Isolation Bases, marking the first departure from the standard disc variants. The Beechwood discs had a surprisingly significant influence on the sound, adding substance, timbral fullness, and dynamic impact. They introduced a welcome deviation from the Nylon and Neoprene discs by adding a royal dose of timbral fulness and character. However, they also made the bass and lower midrange less crisp and articulate than the Nylon discs, and they ultimately had just a bit too much character for my system and my liking.
I have also experimented with using stainless steel discs directly on the floor. While this approach can be effective with certain systems, my experiences across various incarnations of my system have consistently shown that it negatively affects sound quality. Although it results in a bolder tone that can enhance the bass, it also creates a sense of darkness and roughness in the treble. Additionally, this method seems to lower the overall perceived resolution of the sound.
Although these products are referred to as decoupling discs, I prefer to call them floor interfaces because I believe they primarily couple the rack to the floor rather than isolating it. This can be contrasted with alternative products that use compliant or absorbing materials. While the Neoprene discs do offer some level of damping, the Nylon discs, along with the new Carbon Fiber and Panzerholz versions, provide what I consider to be hard coupling. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
In my modern apartment, with vinyl planking on a concrete floor that doesn’t have hollowness or any tendency to bend or resonate, I find that hard coupling typically yields the best results. However, individual experiences may vary. It’s also worth noting that both the Exoteryc and Aire racks come with a built-in isolation system in the shape of the constrained-layer Nylon cylinder/Neoprene disc assemblies, onto which the inner rack rests.
Review Context
The new discs will be listened to in the main system using the XACT S1 Music Server and Aqua LinQ Network Interface as digital sources and the Thorens TD1601 with TP160 arm with the M2Tech Nash phono stage as analog source. The rest of the system comprises the CH Precision L1 preamplifier, CH Precision A1.5 power amp, and Magico S1 MkII speakers.
Next: Listening and Conclusion
