Atomic Audio Labs Wins Analogplanet's "RMAF Extravagant Performance Enhancement Claims Award"

Atomic Audio Labs wins Analogplanet's "RMAF Extravagant Performance Enhancement Claims Award" for the startling number of benefits said to derive simply by resting a Mac Mini on one of the company's' Mac Mini Platforms.

The platform doesn't merely decouple. Rather it is tuned to the Mac Mini's exact resonant frequency so it actually cancels out internal resonances.

Rather than wasting your time explaining why identical resonances aren't additive, the Mac Mini Platform maker produces a list of the platform's impressive claimed benefits:

Reduced listener fatigue from better harmonic coherency
Greater definition with more organic tone, texture and timbre
Increased articulation with more micro-detail and micro-dynamics
A deeper and wider soundstage with increased separation and air
Better musical flow with more natural leading edge and sustain

All, just by placing your Mac Mini on the Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini platform.

This incredible performance results from the Mac Mini Platform's remarkable engineering, the highlights of which include its perfect shape for any 2010 and newer Mac Mini, its having been precision machined from a 1" thick slab of clear acryllc— the very same anti-resonant polymer used in many high-end turntables!— and its set of round acrylic "pockets", each one filled with a "precisely calibrated amount of lead".

Three adjustable spiked feet decouple the platform from the surface. Spikes that "decouple" instead of couple might be the most impressive of all of the remarkable engineering achievements that characterize this product, winner of this RMAF's "Extravagant Performance Enhancement Claims Award!"

COMMENTS
Bennyboy's picture

What a load of Macbollocks.

Jim Tavegia's picture

Right?  I'll bet they have one coming for the Wave Radio. 

prelives's picture

well at the website it lists for 349.00.....pretty though.....and I'm sure the list price/claimed benefits is pretty impressive. And how many consumer products proudly list lead as part of the product these days, and does it come in an unleaded version? 

Ken Micallef's picture

Doug Blackburn at Soundstage thinks it's the beesknees for what that's worth...

Michael Fremer's picture

I believe Soundstage owns the URL MichaelFremer.com and they refuse to turn it over to me when I ask.  

Jim Tavegia's picture

I don't always resonate, but when I do, I do it on an Atomic Audio Labs platform holding my MacMini. 

kenkirk's picture

These sort of claims give the hobby a bad name. Especially to the pro audio community. And I find it insulting to claim all of this crap about the fidelity of a mac mini.

But if they just said it gets the mac mini up higher to help circulate air around it and give it a better appearance in your audio rack, then that would fly with me. My MacMini gets pretty warm and it does slide around easily if I pull on the cables. I am not in the market for a base at that price, but it looks well made and I would use it if it landed on my doorstep cheap. But all the nonsense about the increase in fidelity lands on my deaf ears. :)

 

Ken

anomaly7's picture

For $39.95 I'd buy one.

for $350 I'd buy another Mac Mini (used) and set mine on top of it and let their vibrations cancel each other out.... Or not

liuj88's picture

You may have been hasty in giving your award to  Atomic Audio Labs, Mr, Fremer, Consider just some of the claims Synergistic Research makes about its Tranquilty Base (copied and pasted from their web site):

 

  • Actively improves the performance of any component placed atop a Tranquility Base
  • Allows common furniture to perform like the best audiophile grade furniture
  • Improves state-of-the-art isolation racks significantly
  • A game changer for modest components transforming them to near state-of-the-art
  • Transforms state-of-the-art components dramatically. This has to be heard to be believed
  • Easily auditioned and demonstrated with repeatable results
  • Improves audio AND video
  • Cost effective 
  • Outperforms state-of-the-art $10,000+ isolation platforms and racks
  • Delivers game changing performance to common non audio furniture
  • A significant upgrade when paired with the best isolation racks and platform
  • A significant opening of the sound field
  • A drop in the perceived noise floor
  • Smoother more extended highs
  • Tighter and more defined bass
  • Improved layering of images in the sound stage
  • A dramatic decoupling of the sound field from the speakers and room
  • Allows listeners to hear deeper into recordings revealing intricate as well as subtle passages with never before attained clarity
     

For a price of $995-$2995, this product is arguably an even stronger contender for the award.

 

Just in case Atomic Audio Labs declines to return their award, you should consider declaring Synergistic Research the co-winner.

 

Michael Fremer's picture

I can't disagree....

Steve Parry's picture

to place the second Mini upside down on the first one!

The Tranquility Base does change the sound but I decided for my system it was not essential...

Steve

ravenacustic's picture

To all doubting the effectiveness of resonance control, I can only say that the most significant improvement I have made in my own system has been with resonance control. Specifically, Symposium Acoustic Roller Blocks and Tungsten Carbide Balls. Placed under my TT motor controller these elevated my TT performance by 50%. Yes, it was that significant. I now use these resonance control devices under all components and the result has been incredible and beyond spending thousands of dollars on new components. I am not speaking to the claims of the device for the Mac Mini but for resonance control in general.

gorkuz's picture

"Spikes that "decouple" instead of couple ": I'm glad someone other than myself has finally mentioned one of my favorite soap box peeves. Those are indeed diametrically opposed terms and pointy objects can ONLY be couplers by concentrating pressure. This is cosmetic Beltism. At least it's pretty - but maybe they should add blinking lights for their curative benefits for arthitis of the eyes while they are at it. I'd have to agree with liuj88 as well about the Synegoistic products, which remain properly unexplained, and the principal really doesn't care if the lack of explanation puts anybody off because he's sold so many of them, see this month's Audiostream.

That being said, I have experimented with vibrationally isolating laptops (various, never mind the current darling) and there is indeed an easily audible benefit, confirmed by a listening panel. But I certainly did not use anything pointy in it, and absorbing the drive mechanism's vibrations does help. As for "identically additive resonances"...the fellow that wants to use a second mini for cancellation should consider using the second one upside down for "opposing phase"...remodulate the reversed warp phase, Scotty...  :>)

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