TEST SPIKE BASESA SharpSpike inSound
Ever wish your speakers were lesspiercing and produced greater colorand staging? Then try placing themon spike bases fromHarmonix – and you
may just beholda small miracle.

Those of us who are seriously interested in properly setting up andpositioning loudspeakers haveexperienced this before: You put thespeakers on spikes and immediately
notice less restraint and better precision, but mostly the latter and not just in
the lower ranges. And anyone who has
experimented with different spike bases– whether for reasons of improving thesound or protecting the floor – knows
full well of their impact. Apparently every
tiny detail matters at that crucial junctionof the speaker and whatever foundation
it is resting on.

Break-in exercise for harmony
This is exactly where and why Kazuo
Kiuchi comes in. As chief executive of
the Japanese Combak Corporation, he is
not only famous for seemingly going toextremes with his ingenious Harmonix
accessories, to which some have attached
the voodoo label, but is also re-sponsible
for those likewise highly regarded and48 STEREO 4/2014

uncompromising Reimyo electronic components.
We chose four sets of spike bases representing different price and quality categories from that rich range of what arein part outlandishly expensive bases that
culminates in the exorbitant Dinosaur
compact speaker stands for a whopping
3,650 euros a pair. We then tested each
set beneath three different spike-equippedspeaker systems that had previously beenstanding on a unique flooring of theirown: the Triangle Antal 30th Anniversary(ca. 2,400 euros/pair, medium-hard linoleum), Verity Audio Leonore (ca. 17,400
euros/pair, hard tile floor) and our top
reference, the Wilson Audio Alexia loudspeaker platform (ca. 53,000 euros/pair,soft bast mat).

Contact: Sieveking Sound
Tel.: +49 (0)421/3784984
www.sieveking-sound.de

Verity Audio’s Leonore
benefitted from theHarmonix spike baseson hard tile flooring,here seen atop theflagship version.

Regardless of the surrounding conditions, these bases,
whose engineering is said tohinge on the findings of primary research into the resonance behavior of musicalinstruments – particularlythat of legendary violins –produced a very similar effect,
which indicates how universally applicable these devices
are.

unconstraint mentioned earlier were noticeable almost
immediately, tonal “harmonization” and coherence cameof age more gradually. The
best approach is to give these
immaculately constructed
devices a little time. At thevery latest, you’ll appreciate
what they can do when you
Kazuo Kiuchi, a fanatic forswitch them out. But pleasesound and accessories
have two people do it, so as
to prevent the speakers from shifting even
Say what you want, there really is some- ever so slightly.
thing to Kiuchi’s advice that his tuningbases need a few days of break-in time
It was with pleasure, and amazement,
until certain of their properties reach that we devoted our time and energy
full form and performance. Whereas the to these Harmonix spike bases, which
improved spatial imaging and sense of can clearly help every price point andRF-900 (set of four in black or gold, about 180 euros)

performance category of speakers reach
their full potential. They also fully satisfy
audiophiles’ demands that accessories
make good equipment sound even better.
We can forgive Harmonix for “needling”
us about how marvelous its products are.
Matthias Böde

All bases
come in sets offour with thelarger ones inwooden boxes

RF-909X (set of four, about 330 euros)

nlike the larger spike bases, the approximately 30-millimeter-diameter entry-level model RF-900 is not a combination of
choice woods and metals, but is made instead of one harmonious
alloy. Nonetheless, they still demonstrate the important thing about
Harmonix: Unlike the simple way of coupling spikes to the floor,
these bases beneath the Triangle Antal and the Leonore speakers
from Verity Audio allowed each to render greater ambience, flow
and dimension to the reproduction and were vastly superior to
the less-sophisticated stoppers in terms of separating the sonicspectrum from the cabinets. Jane Duboc’s fantastic recording of“Lady Jane” on the Best Audiophile Voices IV compact disc gained
remarkably in finesse and lightness. Wilson Audio’s heavyweight
Alexias were the only speakers wedidn’t try out on the RF-900s,
which have an “authorized”
weight limit of 100 kilograms
and are recommended forsmaller speakers anyway.

UO

RF-909X MK2 (set of four, about 750 euros)

RF-999MTMK2 (set of four, about 1,300 euros)T

he MK2 version of the RF-909X, with a thickness of 23.5 millimeters and a diameter of 55 millimeters, is not just taller, wider
and more expensive, but represents a giant step forward in terms ofsound. This series marks a break in both pricing and quality within
the Harmonix program. When placed on these bases from the “RealFocus” series, our test speakers released considerably more energy
and charisma, and seemed louder and more vigorous, despite theidentical volume settings. Even the big Alexia from Wilson Audio was
not “undersized.” The less-pricey test speakers clearly improvedin presentation and brought forth more contour andbody while on the MK2s as compared to the basic
RF-909Xs, and even sounded a hint crisper andstraighter than on the premier model, although
not quite as vivid and uninhibited.

nce you switch your speakers from the RF-900 to the 13
millimeter taller and 40 millimeter wider RF-909X bases, you’ll
not only experience greater spaciousness in tonal imaging, butalso that pleasing acoustic resonance that comes from a more
full-bodied range of fundamental notes. The Harmonix bases neither
accent nor exaggerate this sensation; it is instead the harmonizationof the tonal balance and the concentration of energy that causes
this impression – an effect that in fact strengthens gradually andis therefore all the more apparent when you remove the bases.
This popular “classic” set of four within the Harmonix program,which provides solid placement for several hundred kilograms,
also promotes a richer image of the natural breathof the soundstage and cuts a classy figureeven beneath speakers from the truly
high-end segment.

Could it be magic? Kiuchi-san would say no and refer you instead
to studies about resonance tuning and optimization. The fact
is, however, that on no other Harmonix bases did our test speakers
reproduce music in a manner that was more homogenous, delicate,vibrant, or richer in detail. Available in two color schemes (seephotos), these 22-millimeter-high and 77-millimeter-wide spikebases give life and articulation to the music of the piano – while
the instrument is also precisely deliniated within the soundstage.
Altogether, the higher-end, and thus more expensive models
rendered greater three-dimensionality and joined the bass
more coherently and consistently to the midranges than
did those of one size smaller. These are the hot tip not
exclusively, but especially, for superior speakers.

4/2014 STEREO 49