Opinion 1

We have practically as many ways to fight sound degrading vibrations as there are manufacturers. Some use balls or dabble in elastomers, others combine springs with strong magnets, and others focus on extinguishing vibrations with an excessive mass. In general, there is complete freedom in this field and only the imagination and obesity of the buyer’s wallet will determine, on which level the polishing of his/her equipment ends. However, as it has been known for a long time, the effectiveness of a specific solution is one thing, but in the end, the usability and visual aspect also turns out to be important, because let us be honest – not everyone is a fan of granite catafalques, industrial installations, or feet, dichotomously reacting even to the slightest touch. And this is the niche that the Graphite Audio CLASSIC 100 ULTRA fits into, i.e. a platform from Poland, designed for „special tasks”, which is not only afraid of a load of almost a quarter of a ton, but above all by the critical gaze of our spouses, because, to put it bluntly, through its appearance it can become a decoration of many living rooms and systems. You do not believe me? Well, if the unboxing session did not convince you, it is high time for a bit more sterile shots.

In contrast to the basic Classic 40 model, which we reviewed some time ago, the tested CLASSIC 100 ULTRA platform is not a monolith, but has a body made of 140-layer plywood with a thickness of 0.5mm of each layer, in which a polymer support platform has been sunk, and the whole is armed with the company’s proprietary graphite feet, under which you can, and if you do not want to scratch the surface of the cabinet on which everything is placed, you should apply appropriate pads. The standard platform size is 495 x 465 x 100 mm, which provides a load-bearing area of 480 x 450 mm and a load capacity of up to 220 kg, which should satisfy owners of even very powerful and heavy amplifiers. As the photos above illustrate, the top version of the 100 looks simply insane, because the satin black of the body only intensifies the copper redness of the backing plate with a mosaic pattern composed of company logos (graphite molecules). And it is impossible not to mention the significantly larger, metallized company logo located in the right corner. I mean, in two corners, so regardless of whether we place it on the narrower or wider side, we are unlikely to deny its origin.

Moving on to the part devoted to the impact of the Graphite Audio CLASSIC 100 ULTRA on the devices placed on it, I was surprised to discover that its signature changes with the increase in the mass of the electronics landing on it. That’s why it is worth experimenting a bit with it (the platform, not the mass) and letting it play in several places in the system. And how was it with me? Well, starting with emphasizing the aspect of plasticity and musicality in the case of the Lumïn U2 Mini, which „fights” in flyweight and additionally lacks an internal power supply, to strongly accentuating the resolution and precision of drawing virtual sources of the 26 kg Vitus Audio SCD-025 Mk.II player, or the 40 kg Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII integrated. And that when not placing everything on the floor, but on the rigid Solid Tech Radius Duo 3 rack. However, let us start from the beginning, i.e. with a rather unobvious pampering of the file transport with an accessory more expensive than itself, which on the one hand contradicts common sense and logic, but, first of all, who will forbid the rich, and secondly, this case shows what potential lies in this inconspicuous little box, and how much good can be squeezed out of it, just by adding some accessories. And the „Ultra 100” squeezes it out, with innate grace and elegance, showing that it is possible to play files in an even more organic and natural way, while not losing anything from their native resolution. For example, the usually quite noisy „Prophecy” by Edge of Paradise has gained a pleasant refinement, the sibilants have ceased to irritate with their rustling, and at the same time the insight into the recording and its timing have remained intact, so there is no question of the so-called „blanket” effect. Thanks to this, you can listen not only louder, but above all longer without getting tired of the sounds biting our synapses.
The switch to the Danish duo changed the situation a bit, because the „Ultra 100” application under significantly heavier competitors showed that instead of following the previously trodden paths to the land of gentleness, can „open up the sound” and increase its volume, energizing and tightening its lowest components. The synthetic bass in „King” by Lilith Czar (album „Created From Filth And Dust”) with the Graphite Audio platform gained both power and differentiation, and the whole presentation gained breath and spaciousness. However, this was not an “analytical” hardening of the contours, but, as I have already mentioned, operating in the domain of resolution by eliminating parasitic artifacts that interfere with the perception of the whole. As you can easily guess, this opening resulted in an improvement in the palpability of individual virtual sources, not by bringing them closer, but by the precision of placing them in space, while maintaining the right distance from the listener. Is this inapparent? Not at all. Simply put, the lack of jitter translated into inner peace and stability of positioning. The obvious beneficiary of such an arrangement were all kinds of great performance apparatus and a truly epic repertoire, no matter how far you look for „Epic Orchestra – New Sound of Classical” performed by NDR Radiophilharmonie, where the freedom of articulation and lack of limitation in terms of dynamics, both in its micro and macro variety, meant that once you reach for this type of item, you somehow automatically add another one to the playlist and the planned hour-long listening becomes several hours long marathon and still at the end there is a lack of satisfaction that you will have to wait for another session until the next day or even longer.
And so, as a summary, there is nothing else left for me to do but confirm that the Polish Graphite Audio CLASSIC 100 ULTRA anti-vibration platform intensifies the experience of listening to music reproduced by devices placed on it. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the area and intensity of changes will depend primarily on the weight of the electronics placed on it, so appropriate tests in the target systems are as welcome as they are obligatory.

Marcin Olszewski

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Vitus SCD-025mkII + 2 x Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Blue Fuse
– Network player: Lumïn U2 Mini + Farad Super3 + Omicron Magic Dream Classic; I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB
– Turntable: Denon DP-3000NE + Denon DL-103R
– Phonostage: Tellurium Q Iridium MM/MC Phono Pre Amp
– Digital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Integrated amplifier: Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII + Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Violet fuse
– Loudspeakers: AudioSolutions Figaro L2 + Solid Tech Feet of Balance
– IC RCA: Furutech FA-13S; phono NEO d+ RCA Class B Stereo + Ground (1m)
– IC XLR: Organic Audio; Vermöuth Audio Reference; Furutech DAS-4.1
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB cables: Wireworld Starlight; Vermöuth Audio Reference USB; ZenSati Zorro
– Speaker cables: WK Audio TheRay Speakers + SHUBI Custom Acoustic Stands MMS-1
– Power cables: Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; Organic Audio Power + Furutech CF-080 Damping Ring; Acoustic Zen Gargantua II; Furutech Nanoflux Power NCF; Esprit Audio Alpha
– Power distribution board: Furutech e-TP60ER + Furutech FP-3TS762 / Fi-50 NCF(R) /FI-50M NCF(R)
– Wall power socket: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Switch: Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red + Silent Angel S28 + Farad Super6 + Farad DC Level 2 copper cable
– Ethernet cables: In-akustik CAT6 Premium II; Audiomica Laboratory Anort Consequence, Artoc Ultra Reference, Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF; Next Level Tech NxLT Lan Flame
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT

Opinion 2

All of us who are serious about squeezing the last juices out of our stereo system know that proper stabilization of electronics is one of the key topics to be solved. And here comes the problem related to the choice of a specific solution. Should we put our toys on something as simple as possible, and usually relatively inexpensive, but not fully fulfilling the tasks entrusted in it, or go full out and choose a more complicated design, but working in every aspect we assume. As you can see from the example of the first two questions, a seemingly simple decision suddenly becomes a difficult topic. Fortunately for you, this is a topic, in which we try to move relatively efficiently. And exactly that is what we are trying to do here, today we will attempt a third test of a Graphite Audio product. The tested hero will be, after the past evaluations of all kinds of spikes and stands and the „budget” Classic 40 platform, the flagship model from Graphite Audio, the Classic 100 Ultra platform, provided to us by the manufacturer.

What is the structure of the tested platform? I can assure you that, contrary to first looks and the appearance of the term „plywood” in the description, the construction is considerably technically complex. It uses highest quality plywood, in which as many as 140 sheets of natural veneer with a thickness of 0.5 mm were used, to achieve appropriate thickness of this model. Of course, this is only a perfunctory information, but it is intended to show the manufacturer’s determination to offer us something special. The breakdown of the title product into prime factors proves how exceptional it is. The first is the proprietary polymer feet that stabilize the structure, embedded in a similar material in the platform itself. Another and of course equally important is the 70 mm thick support board made of the aforementioned 140 layers of natural veneer. At the customer’s request, it can be varnished in any of the RAL colors as standard. The last factor of an uncompromising approach to the subject is the option of finishing the upper part of the platform, changing the final damping effect with a polymer plate with a mosaic pattern with a variation on the brand logo. You must admit that the product bears the hallmarks of unconventionality. However, no matter what, the most important thing for us, is how the Classic 100 Ultra affects the device mounted on it, about which I will write a few sentences in the next paragraph.

How did I perceive the sound when the digital source was placed on the platform? Well, to my surprise, the effect followed a completely different path than in the two previous cases. While earlier the sound was evidently calmed down, in the good sense of the word, the Ultra model was also characterized by niceness, but in the whole package clearly aimed at pleasure of listening, it emphasized certain components of its propagation. As befits such products, it eliminated harmful vibrations as standard, which translated into cleaning the presentation of a kind of mist in the ether, but at the same time the music seemed to get itself together in terms of weight. However, this was not in the sense of painful weight loss, but by improving its contour, and thus the attack and as a feedback of the overall timing. And this is not the end of interesting activities, because in addition to the mentioned aspects from the sphere of sound control, the positive effects of the platform could be heard in better rendering of the presentation of space and a general increase in the sonority of the instruments. If I had to describe it in one, or maybe two words, I would say that the music seemed to gain more vitality and joy. That is why I wrote about the surprise effect at the beginning. Most often, this type of correction of the sound of electronics ends up falling into too much weight, which in this case I did not notice even in the slightest. I noted the effect of a pleasant encouragement to listen to a large collection of albums I owned. I will not recall all of them today, but for the purpose of showing the sonic result of the dCS application on the Graphite Audio Classic 100 Ultra, I will recall two items from the test of the Classic 40.
To begin with, expressive in showing his vision of the world, Rammstein with the album „Reise, Reise”. Previously, the actions only resulted in smoothing of the sound, giving a better insight into the recording, without the effect of exaggeration. This time, however, in addition to the earlier elimination of distortions caused by the instability of the base, the perception of the whole thing additionally gained shine and scored the proverbial kick, necessary in this type of music. There was simply a sonic fire, identical to Rammstein’s music.
The second disc from the previous test was jazz from the repertoire of Bobo Stenson’s excellent trio, „Cantando”. In this case, the effect of the feeling of infusing the music with an additional package of vitality was evident. However, in a way known only to itself, it is once again perceived as a big positive. This, of course, is the aftermath of better control of the double bass and the overall strengthening of the effect of the momentum of the presentation, which for this kind of work, is the so-called grist to the mill. I do not know how it happened, but also this time the base did its thing without any side effects.

Can the accessory described above under the banner of stabilization of electronic devices be a proposition for everyone? Personally, I see two options related to the Graphite Audio offer. The first requires an answer to the question whether you put your toys on the floor or rickety cabinets? If so, a test in your own system should be an obligation, because with a high degree of probability, only once you try it out you will find out what your equipment can do. The second option, on the other hand, will be verified by the answer to the question about the level of heaviness of the sound of your system. If the sound is juicy or even neutral, the Classic 100 Ultra platform should also work perfectly. If, on the other hand, it operates on the edge of hyperactivity and becoming too light, try the cheaper versions from the Graphite’s catalog. In addition to cleaning the sound of distortion, they will add a cool body to the sound. But just to be clear, such a choice will only be the result of your configuration errors, and not a problem of the tested anti-vibration platform.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– CD Player/DAC: Gryphon Ethos
– streamer: Lumin U2 Mini + switch Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red-Silver
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Pandora
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Apex Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition
– Speaker cables: Furutech Nanoflux-NCF Speaker Cable
IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”, Furutech DAS-4.1
Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
Ethernet cable: NxLT LAN FLAME
USB cable: ZenSati Silenzio
Power cables: Hijiri Takumi Maestro, Furutech Project-V1, Furutech NanoFlux NCF, Furutech DPS-4.1 + FI-E50 NCF(R)/ FI-50(R), Hijiri Nagomi, Vermouth Audio Reference Power Cord, Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Performante, Synergistic Research Galileo SX AC
– Table: BASE AUDIO 2
Accessories: Quantum Science Audio Red fuse; QSA Silver fuse; Synergistic Research Orange fuse; antivibration platform by SOLID TECH; Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END, Furutech NCF Power Vault-E
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
– Drive: Clearaudio Concept
– Cartridge: Dynavector DV20X2H
– Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II
– Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer: DS Audio ES-001
– Tape recorder: Studer A80

Manufacturer: Graphite Audio
Price: 27 000 PLN (RAL palette)

Specifications:
Standard Dimensions (incl. feet): 495 x 465 x 100 mm (+/- 3 mm)
ULTRA Working Area: 480 x 450 mm
Feet: 4 – regulated (+/- 4 mm) + Bases
Weight: 15 kgs
Max load: 220 kgs
Platform Finishes: RAL palette: Matte, High Gloss
ULTRA Finishes (High Gloss only): Ultra Red, Ultra Grey