Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS) EXR Audio Stand
Review Context
The HRS rack, footers, and Damping Plates were listened to in the main system that consists of the CH Precision C1.2 DAC, CH Precision L1 preamplifier and CH Precision A1.5 power amp, with Magico S1 MkII speakers. Digital sources include the Aqua La Diva M2 CD transport, Grimm MU1 and Antipodes K50 Music Servers both running Roon, and the Taiko Audio Extreme music server, running XDMS. Racks and platforms for comparison include the Artesania Exoteryc, Artesania Aire Platform, and Artesania KSH2 Krion shelves.
I started my listening session with the Aqua La Diva M2 CD transport as the first test subject. The La Diva M2 normally sits on an Artesania Aire platform with the optional Carbon Linear Arms and a KSH2 shelf on top. The CD transport’s compliant feet are bypassed using StillPoints Ultra SS V2. As can be read in my latest assessment of the La Diva M2, this solution provided the most incisive, expressive, and lively rendition.
Listening
Upon first listening to the La Diva M2 on the EXR rack, while still using StillPoints, I recalled Michael speaking of calmness and quiet as striking factors of the HRS products. But that’s not what was most striking about the rack’s performance for me. Rather, I found the EXR rack to sound remarkably solid, articulate, precisely chiseled, energetic, incisive, lively, and expressive. Of course, any impression depends on your starting point, and where you are coming from. In my case, coming from the Artesania Exoteryc rack, the sound was already delicate, refined, and far from rough or restless, meaning that this sonic aspect did not stand out. Well, not at first, at least. But I will get to this further down.
By comparison, the Aire/KSH2 combo provides an airier and more free-flowing, arguably more organic presentation. But the Artesania racks have never been champions of incisiveness, punch, or all-out dynamic impact. You could say they are gentleman-like, nuanced and introspective while refraining from being offensive. I’ve always accepted this as an aspect that I could live with, given that other racks had deficiencies in other areas that bothered me much more. Ultimately, other racks never delivered an overall structurally better performance. But what I was hearing from the HRS EXR had me really excited and I wondered, could this rack truly be universally better?
On the HRS rack, the Aqua player now certainly had a drive, propulsion, and dynamic impact that I had not heard it produce before. The sound was beautifully grounded and full-bodied but not colored in any way and neither was it thick or boomy, not even in the slightest. However, still on the StillPoints, I did feel that the sound was now perhaps a little too tight and arguably a little dry and this prompted me to try the HRS Footer products.
Vortex Footers
Highly motivated by such a great start, I now wanted to shoot straight for the top. So, I went directly for the top-tier Vortex Footers (569 euros each) and positioned them underneath the Diva M2 instead of the StillPoints. These Footers may cost a dear penny, but oh my, they made a very profound difference!
Going from StillPoints to Vortex Footers adds a subtle measure of smoothness and is not so much more detailed or more transparent but it is musically so much more meaningful, and immediately more engaging on an emotional level. Bass is fuller, tonality is more saturated, and the music breathes more freely. It’s a strange sensation for a person like myself who is quite preoccupied with transient behavior to find that vocals and instruments alike actually sound more realistic with footers that are not necessarily as hyper-detailed as some others. Somehow, it now does not matter. The bass lines underpin the music entirely freely and the notes are still as easy to follow, but now there is a more human aspect to it. The bass was now a little less incisive but it was certainly no longer dry or overly tight and still fast and articulate. Oh, and the bass seems to go deeper too! Mind you, it’s definitely not thick or boomy and certainly no loudness-like effect, but the deepest bass notes are somehow allowed to develop more fully.
The new balance with Vortex Footers reminded me of the natural warmth and smoothness of the standard edition Exoteryc rack with its steel arms and neoprene dampers (sans optional Carbon arms and beechwood dampers) but now with greatly enhanced tightness, incisiveness, and propulsion. Of particular notice was the increase in soundstage size. The extra depth in particular was unbelievable and had to be heard to be believed. In addition to an increase in size, the instruments also took positions further to the back while vocals or center-staged main instruments stood beautifully rock-solid in front of the speakers. And this, combined with the enhanced flow made for an emotionally deeply engaging performance.
Somehow, the HRS rack manages to sound pure and clean without overlaying any character onto the sound and with great solidity, dynamic impact, drive, and propulsion, without ever tipping over into a lean or analytical delivery. Specifically, the HRS rack reveals every bit as much information as the best racks I have heard while improving on them as well as refraining from introducing any new deficiencies. How about that?
To be fair, the Exoteryc combo injects the music with even more fluidity and air, leading to a floatier and more ethereal delivery that is even dreamier and more delicate. The HRS rack on the other hand is decidedly earthy and concrete and, when used without HRS footers, very honest, which I value very highly, but comparatively drier and more sober. But arguably its strongest asset, and what really pulls me across the line, is that the HRS rack remains pure and clean and does not add any character of its own. So many racks add a certain coloration to the sound and so many others remove aspects of the sound. But not the HRS EXR!
Helix Footers
Having started with HRS’ very best Vortex Footers, I just realized I’d painted myself right into a corner. Now, there’s nowhere to go but down, or is there? The Helix footers are very flat, but they can still be used with the Aqua player thanks to their center spike that can be unscrewed quite a bit. Of course, their narrow profile is actually the point of this model’s HRS footers, to be almost invisible underneath an audio component. At 219 euros each, the Helix demands only a third of the cost of a Vortex but it provides a good portion of what the Vortex Footers do, mixed with a very relaxed lushness and a good dose of smoothness. The Helix footers are not as fast and articulate as the StillPoints and not as supremely well-balanced, lively, and expressive as the Vortex footers, but they do not take away any resolution and provide a beguilingly liquid sound.
Nimbus Footers
The third and last HRS Footer option is the Nimbus. Upon first inspection and feeling their very compliant top and bottom sides that in softness and stickiness reminded me of Sorbothane or the Aqua components’ own feet, I could not prevent a mental picture from forming in my head of thick and undefined sound. But as it turned out, the Nimbus footers do not sound at all rubbery, thick, or fat, but actually very well-balanced, with the La Diva M2 arguably more so than the Helix. They do sound calmer, with apparent lower pacing, less propulsion, and less spritely transient behavior than with the Vortex footers, but they have a great flow which makes them “musical”, and emotionally appealing. And just as with the Helix footers, there is no reduction in resolution and no chance of dryness.
As I continued my experiments using other audio components, I found that I always had a preference for the Vortex footers. But when it comes to the Helix and Nimbus, the most successful marriage really depends on the component that is used. To my surprise, and contrary to my initial instinct, I generally preferred the Nimbus over the Helix.
For completeness, I also tried the Finite Elemente Cerapucs, which pulled the sound toward very solid and chunky. It was certainly very ballsy but lacking finesse and air, quite the opposite of the StillPoints, really. I would definitely recommend the StillPoints over the Cerapucs in this combination but neither footers were comparable to the Vortex footers.
Next: Continued Listening using other Audio Components
Once again, thanks for the in-depth examination of these components. i really like your short, astute, descriptions of how they sound.
I own CH Precision gear. The voicing of CH gear is very natural with its own support spikes in place. Music flows freely, as it does in nature.
I have tried any number of third party top plates and footers. Almost all introduce damping that clamps down and restricts flow, resulting in a loss of naturalism, and moves towards audiophile sound. None of these devices are keepers.
I gather you’re not a fan of the CH provided spike isolation system?
Artesania racks bypass component feet by design and over many years I got used to how that works and sounds. Outside of initial experiments on the floor and a few occasions where I heard my CH equipment with friends, I have no real experience using CH with its own feet or the CH Spike Option. I don’t have enough experience with it to proclaim being a fan or not. The HRS racks provided the first occasion where I seriously tried them and since I also tried a range of other footers with the CH and HRS, I would say my prefefence is more down to the combination of audio component and rack than the CH footers themselves. So, long story short, I don’t really have an opinion on the CH footers just yet.
This is a fascinating point about using HRS Chassis products with CH-Precision. I am the representative for HRS to many CH dealers in the USA. They have found that the Vortex and Damping Plates significantly improve when combined with an HRS Base. Please remember that the CH chassis design is not at fault but rather the extreme levels of fidelity that allow you to hear the results clearly.
How many Vortex footers (3 or 4) did you use under the Grimm? I’ve lately been using 4 of the Stack Audio AUVA footers to good effect with the MU1 on my HRS rack. And as you found I have been very pleased with 4 Vortex under my dCS Vivaldi APEX DAC for about a year.
Hi Steve, sorry, notifications ended up in spam somehow, leading to my late response. I tried the MU1 with 3 Vortex footers and 4 and did not discern a very large difference. Both work well but with 4 footers, I found it is very important to set the tension on the adjustable 4th footer very precisely to achieve even distribution. With the very lightweight Grimm, this can be a little tricky.
Mail filtering is unfortunately a common problem we’ve all experienced. Based on your review, and already having been using Vortex footers since late 2020, at the urging of Michael Latvis ( he’d already had experience using these under his dCS DAC with his racks), I went ahead and purchased a set of 4 and noted the immediate improvement compared to the Stack Audio AUVA feet I’d been using under the Grimm MU1. Your experience mirrors mine. I also tested the potential for additional benefit of some damping plates atop the MU1 in varied sizes and configurations to no clear effect.
Thanks for the feedback, Steve!