Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Laiv Audio Harmony and Sonnet Pasithea; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos & Gold Note monos on subwoofer; Headamp: Kinki Studio THR-1, Enleum AMP-23R, aune S17Pro Evo; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Kinki Studio Fire, Furutech; Power delivery: Kinki/Vinshine Tai Hang on amps, Furutech GTO 2D NCF on low-level gear; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to COS Engineering D1 DAC/pre; Filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini + Dynaudio S18 sub, sound|kaos Vox 3awf, Albedo Aptica; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra, Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z2 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC: iFi Pro iDSD Signature; Speakers: DMAX P61; Headphones: Final D-8000 & aune SR7000 Audeze LCD-XC
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7; Headphones: Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3, Raal 1995 Magna, HiFiMan Susvara
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: $417/ea.
The set-up. After Louis Motek of LessLoss ordered this syndication of Dawid's HifiKnights review, my inner snark jumped the shark as triggered by the outré diamagnetic/paramagnetic sandwich: "Did our man not quite get the memo? It strikes me that employing these devices as just classic load-bearing footers overlooks alternate uses that focus on magnetic interactions. I could see them atop transformer cowls of tube gear or equivalent placement on solid-state gear; atop SMPS; Blu-Tac’d to the backs of speakers in close vicinity to driver motors and more. Am I overlooking something; or did Dawid for a change? Supplying him twenty units only to have them stacked 3 high as skyscraper footers seems a bit of a miss. If so, his perception error was squarely based on seeing these marketed as just component footers. To me that seems just one usage scenario; and perhaps not the most important?"
The bounce-back. "Thank you for creative feedback. The points you make accentuate—and I agree—that certainly there can be many more creative applications for my tech. We welcome your own assessment in the form of another review." When I agreed to focus on non-loadbearing apps since Dawid already covered those, "sure, do focus on whatever additional applications you can think of. I don't mind at all if you choose not to place them under gear but instead look for other uses. You'll get half of what these feet are capable, maybe more if your chosen placement gets even closer to certain sensitive parts than it would if placed under gear. The magnetic and physical functionalities go hand in hand. I'd also suggest to see what effects you might get simply by placing them around your computer and screen. In my experience it really calms the radiation from a big monitor. Things appear more stable and accurate, more akin to looking at a calm Kindle E-Ink display rather than actively radiating light source, just in colour. Give it some time too as the effects ramp up even though you'll also notice instant changes."
The in-gredients. Impregnated Kraft paper for the barrel. Copper for the slightly recessed central trim ring. Laser-cut spirals of magnetically attractive and repellent materials alternately layered then sealed in clear resin in the middle. A small depression for a spike or cone on the solid underside of this non-directional puck which works the same in both orientations.
The out-rage. The declared Giant Steps MO combines mechanical resonance isolation from ultra-hard paper Ply; and interaction with radiated electromagnetic fields. The latter are claimed to trigger the counter-layer spirals into attempting to move by magnetic attraction/repulsion which the resin encasement prevents. Frustrated kinetic energy turns to heat. Voilà, an apparent component/speaker footer which somehow moonlights as EM radiation dissipator.
Suspected sources of EMI: speakers with SMPS and class D; PC; router in window sill; big computer monitor.
The in-quiry. With a tip of my pointy tinfoil cap, my cortex doesn't like WiFi. It causes me needly in-skull prickling which with longer exposure turns into a leech feeling then headache. My cellphone thus lives in the car for purely on-the-road or emergency uses. My mice and keyboards hardwire. So does everything on my LAN. The über majority has no such issues. They harness wireless convenience for ever more apps. Lucky lot. I had Luxsin's responsive IT team write custom firmware to disable their otherwise active WiFi of this desktop X9. iFi removed their WiFi module from my iDSD Pro Signature in their UK HQ. I broke out the equivalent module from my Gold Note IS-1000 integrated myself. For outliers like me, could the petite LessLoss pucks mellow UHF radiation by 'magnetic induction'? Trials for less tribulations? The worst to happen was nada. Should inexplicable weirdness carry subjective benefits, I'd welcome them as the goodies inside a weird wrapper. That Giant Steps work very well as classic hard footers without load limits or levelling we already know from Dawid. Today explores other uses where one expects exposure to radiated fields like switch-mode supplies, high-speed digital, computers and loudspeakers. My first plan of attack were my active DMAX P61 desktop monitors with heavy DSP, class D power and SMPS. Between them sits a 34-inch curved HP computer monitor, to my left an HP Z2 work station with i9 CPU. In the window is my broadband fibre modem. To combat some of the big display's radiation, I wear uncorrected blue-filter specs. Those relax my eyes but do nothing for wavelengths beyond the visible. As a home-based office worker, optimizing my desktop beyond good sound has top priority. Whatever works is warmly welcome. Would my health insurance cover a set of Giant Steps? On this subject, we're squarely on our own. Given today's non-mainstream aspects, it could in fact get very lonely very quickly. But then how stiff is our spine?
For how EMI leakage affects our AC as voltage spikes, see this video from OnFilter's Vladimir Kraz. One common source of EMI which he cites are solar panels. Despite the wet Irish weather, my rental house has four of them on the roof. He also lists refrigerators, dryers, washing machines, pumps and switch-mode power in sundry household and hifi appliances. My house hosts the full line-up of culprits. Into their midst parachuted a 20-strong team of GS, each unexpected weighty, very hard and finely made. My experiments were afooter.
