For solo piano there was greater clarity between note fundamentals and trailing soundboard resonances. I noted this same clarity time and again with soloists in general, from violin, guitar, winds, and brass. The overall effect was a refinement and focus akin to achieving just the right amount of speaker toe-in, or precisely dialing in a cartridge.
Bass response, extension, and pitch definition were clarified and delivered in natural lockstep with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Low-frequency weight was evenly balanced and reflective of the musical source material. During Cat Stevens’ “Hard Headed Woman” from Tea For The Tillerman, the kickdrum sound (which is particularly prominent during the song’s bridge) was more tactile and complex, with a greater sense of the drum skin moving air back and forth under high pressure.
The other major takeaways regarded loudspeaker localization and soundstage dimensionality. As for the former, the loudspeaker simply vanished. It just couldn’t be localized as a source anymore. With the Podium in place the orchestral soundstage became infused with sharper contrasts and richer colors. The Podium delivered greater intensity and timbral detail, improved dimensionality, and clearer placement of images. I also noted during Ray Brown’s “Teach Me Tonight” [Soular Energy] that vertical information was enhanced—the cymbals on this track were lifted higher, and sustained longer seemingly on a raft of air.
Of equal importance, the Podiums preserved the general tonality and balance of the loudspeaker. Whether your current system’s overall voice is dark and ruminative or light and airy, these characteristics remain untouched. The Podiums don’t insinuate themselves over the music; they are essentially characterless. The difference is that any suggestion of confusion, confinement, or congestion is ameliorated.
The pleasures of the Seismic Podiums can sneak up on you at the oddest moments. For example two of the most commonly played male vocal tracks I listen to are Tom Waits’ “Georgia Lee” and “Take It With Me” from Mule Variations. Waits’ raspy voice is rich with deep chest tones, perhaps at times overly resonant. But with the Seismic Podiums there was a small but critical shift in this perception. Earlier hints of resolution-loss and smearing during his vocals seemed to vanish as if a light fog had drifted away—his voice rising to the surface of the mix with greater timbral detail and clarity.
It’s axiomatic that in high-end audio everything makes a difference. But sometimes the line between observed “difference” and genuine improvement is tough to judge. There is no doubt where the Seismic Isolation Podiums stand on this point. They lifted my loudspeakers and overall system to a much higher and more musical level.
The Podiums are not inexpensive, but it only takes a couple minutes to realize that the musical contribution these platforms are making is fundamental to the high-end experience. Townshend’s Seismic Isolation Podiums registered on my own personal Richter Scale like few so-called “accessories” I’ve ever experienced. And that, dear readers, amounts to an unshakable recommendation.
