SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH Tranquility Basik
Power conditioners
Every printed circuit board, every wire that carries signal or electricity, every capacitor, every resistor, and every integrated circuit, transistor or vacuum tube all create their own EM fields and these fields interact with one another to distort the music signal. The Tranquility Basik base neutralizes harmful EM fields through an inductive “Active Electro-magnetic Cell” to balance and stabilize EM fields within components.
Function and form
The Tranquility Basik (44x36x2.5cm) consists of a 7-layer polycarbonate embedded into a brushed aluminum base (that can be black or natural aluminum). Sandwiched inside these layers is the Active EM Cell that is to condition fields inside components. How to use the base? Simply place a component on it and connect the Basik to mains via supplied DC adaptor. A blue LED at the rear lets you know that it is in the active mode. The packaging also includes 1 set (=3) of MiG isolation feet, the SR’s solution for draining mechanical resonances out of a component. The MiG cups require some experimentation as each can be placed round side up and down.
Bass management
I used the Tranquility Basik below all the electronics that were available at the time of this review that is the excellent Luxman C-900 preamplifier and the Bespoke Audio passive preamplifier, TAD M2500 power amp, and the Accuphase DP-720 SACD player. Now, all these devices are exceptionally well built – heavy cases, with internally shielded and damped components, resting on proprietary anti-vibration feet, powered through Shunyata Research Denali conditioner. I also had numerous Finity Elemente, HRS and Stillpoints aftermarket isolation feet on hand, plus HRS platforms and all new Stillpoints amplifier “two-stainless-steel-bars-crossed” floor rack.
Clarity & delicacy
Compared to this heavy arsenal of isolation devices the Synergistic Research Tranquility Basik was like David against Goliaths: it was the lightest and leanest, and its appearance did not scream with the highest quality standards either. Surprisingly it was delivering the best results, no matter if plugged in or not.
I was particularly impressed how effectively it worked in its passive mode. After hours of shuffling with different feet under the Basik UEF (which is not as easy as it sounds) I finally settled on a configuration of 5 Ceraballs instead of the MiGs – 3 in the back, 2 in the front. These gave me the most transparent, colourful and full-bodied sound.
Tonal accuracy
I still need to understand why the lightweight polycarbonate was superior to concrete slabs, wooden blocks or the multi-layer Harmonic Resolution Systems E1 bases, but it just was. The sound did not get slower or darker, neither had it got leaner or faster, yet the music became audibly tighter and more solid. The highs were less “jittery”, the mids became more vivid and present and the bass better articulated. Usually it takes me a lot of listening and going back and forth to decide whether an isolation device improves the sound and most of them do not succeed. It was not the case of the Tranquility Basik UEF, however. Once placed under the electronics (and it was the most effective under both preamplifiers) I could not detect any drawbacks or trade-offs for the better balanced sound that I heard.
Spatial resolution
Testing the Tranquility Basik UEF in the active mode was a challenge. The manufacturer recommends at least 72 hours on mains before the EM Cell inside the platform enshrouds the component in its conditioning field. So I had to rely on my memory for the before-after comparison.
In the active mode the sound became slightly tuned down but also slightly more liquid, as if a digital glare was removed. In result the listening sessions became more comfortable, not unlike listening to a turntable. Imaging in the lateral soundstage was also improved, the instruments were now more precisely locatable. I could detect a small trade-off in the depth, though. The depth did not change in absolute terms but the front-to-back imaging precision, the layers of the soundstage, was a bit suppressed.
The Synergistic Research Tranquility Basik UEF conditioning platform deserves everyone’s attention. Unlike Nordost’s QRT modules that use similar field conditioning principles the Synergistic Research provides mechanical tuning and as such it is a very versatile device with multiple benefits.
Recommended resellers
Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
Manufacturer's website: http://www.synergisticresearch.com
Associated components
- Zdrojový komponent: Accuphase DP-720, SPL Q2048 Mastering Equalizer
- Zesilovače: TAD-M2500 MkII, Luxman C-900, Bespoke Audio
- Interkonekty a reprokabely: Audioquest Redwood, Audioquest Wild, Ansuz C2, Tellurium Q Ultra Silver, Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Vovox Sonorus XL, Nordost Valhalla V2
- Reprosoustavy: TAD Evolution One E1
- Filtrace a síť: Shunyata Research Denali, Nordost Valhalla, Ansuz C2, Pangea AC-9SEMKII, Roth Audio Orfeo + další prototypy Roth Audio, Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 2, Synergstic Research Euphoria Level 3, AudioQuest Hurricane
Gallery
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