infinite satisfaction

ithe ARC sitting on the ceraballs, with the unused cerabases infront

i had reported earlier that the FE ceraballs didn't work on my mana rack. they dull the sound and curtail immediacy.

but it doesn't stop me from exploring further. i got two sets of ceraball universal from adrian wong of audio image (016-6001218) yesterday to try on my ARC monoblocks and the results are truly rewarding.

first effect, the ceraballs made the bass shape like a ball of low energy, they tidy up all the smearing of low notes. the bass now takes on a 3-D spherical "form" which is very much like the real bass notes that we are used to in real life. lovely! this is plus point number 1.

2nd effect, the ceraballs enhance soundstaging in a very unique way. the keyword here is tidiness - they tidy up all images, again reducing smearing and improve delineation; they make the images more compact and more 3-D. the images now floats within the soundstage more convincingly and palpably. also, because of this tidying act, the separation and layering of instruments and musicians are more pronounced than before. to me, this is the single most rewarding asset of the ceraball. and i must tell you this wonderful panaromic effect - all the musicians seem to play on a 3-D platform that is anchored solidly on the plane behind the speakers.

i would like to warn you that the ceraballs cannot be used to the extreme. in my case, 2 sets under my monoblocks are already the most my system can take. it has a tendency to dull the sound and reduce immediacy but in my case, because my highs/immediacy are so brilliant, i could tolerate a bit of compromise. when i tried the 5-times-more-expensive FE cerabase, the drawback could immediately be felt. the cerabases are a definite overkill for the 27kg-only monoblock, it is just not heavy enough to derive the full benefits. the resultant sound is dull and liveless.

i thoroughly enjoy this new presentation that i am getting from my RM1K investment.

the affordable finite elemente ceraballs are infinitely satisfying for these financially trying times.

[post-script]
after dabbling with it for another night, i must say the ceraball is not without its shortcomings. the way the ceraball enhances the stereo imaging and soundstaging requires a bit of compromise. it does rob my system off some high frequency brilliance that i love so much but that could be "false and excess highs", i am not quite sure. but overall, the pros overwhelm the cons. i particularly like my soundstage now, very dimensional and palpable.