Tall Tales, Elite Acoustic Magnet Shock Isolator.

The Elit Acoustic MSI packaging, including the cable elevator's.

Taiwan has been on a hifi roll call lately. First up was the excellent tweaks and cable products from Telos, which are already too well featured here. Now come Elite Acoustic, hot on the heels of Telos, with their range of levitation devices, quite similar to those German made Clear audio Magix. The Elite Acoustic MSI are patented(though it doesn't say which country) and Taiwan made. Finishing is rather good, but the method of implementation of the opposing magnets are clearly not as free floating as the Clear audio's equivalent product.

As per our earlier feature in which the Elite Acoustic MSI cable lift(elevator) challenged the universally proven Shunyata Darkfield, it is now the turn of the MSI for hifi equipment.

There are 3 MSI models available depending on weight of equipment range. The range are listed below for your reference:

MSI-250 load range 0.5 - 2.5kg each, price RM$189/pc

MSI-500 load range 1 - 5kg each, price RM$289/pc

MSI-1000 load range 3 - 10kg each, price RM$310/pc

However, Chan of Sound Precision advocates trial and error in setting up the MSI with the equipment to support, and finally finishing up by ensuring a level levitation. For me this is done by placing my Audio Physic spirit level in the center of the supported equipment.

Final set up is to ensure a level equipment levitation.

Once leveled, we're ready to roll with the sound. I must say that inserting the light weight MSI-250 below my Rega P25 turn table made it less venerable to knocks on the supporting shelf. The "thud" feedback sound as I knocked the shelf supporting the turn table became less obvious. However the sound took on a slightly strident note, with a slight highlighting of the high mids, which with certain Chinese recorded LP, became some what irritating. It totally turned me off from playing with the Rega P25. To be fair, my analog rig is far from optimally set up and should not be used as a reference of any kind, but I was just wondering what the MSI would do for the Rega?

The Rega P25 turn table levitated.

Next up I placed 3 pcs of medium MSI-500 below the Bryston BCD-1(follow up review to come) and surprisingly elevated up the already business like sound by another notch or two. I found that with the MSI supporting the Bryston CD player, the sound became more free flowing, more musical and adds a little more spatial and dimensional sense to the sound stage.

The Bryston BCD-1 levitated too!

I then further added 3 more pcs of Elite Acoustic MSI-250 below the Bryston BP-26 audio box and the power supply box in the rack below, i.e. I used 6 small pcs of MSI-250 in total for the pre amp and power supply box. I find the mids now take on a certain bloom, that seems to remind me of my Pass Labs and Marantz combo sonic signature. Female vocals can now sound sultry, and less academic when singing. I am beginning to like what the MSI is doing to the Bryston combo.

The Bryston BP-26 getting the same treatment on both the audio and power supply box.

Lastly, I used 4 pcs large MSI-1000 for levitating the Bryston 4BSST2. When I turn on some orchestral music, like the CD tittled "For Sentimental Reasons", by Linda Ronstadt featuring Nelson Riddle and his orchestra, I was gobsmacked!!! The sound stage now have depth of field, and the layering of the orchestra members within the sound stage was easily perceived. Each instrument within the sound stage had it's own space, rather than bunched up together, seemingly elbowing each other. The solid state like dryness noticed earlier is now gone too, replaced with what feels like morning dew rich fresh air!

The Bryston 4BSST2 also floated.

With the whole Bryston system levitated with Elite Acoustic MSI, the performance transformation was quite startling indeed. It's as if the already fine sounding Bryston system was suddenly punching well above it's weight, not to mention price range too, very nearly approaching those sonic references set by the Bladelius and Marantz combo I experienced last month.

A closer look at the Elite Acoustic MSI-1000 doing it's job.

Now, if you're thinking about getting Bryston gear make sure you get the Elite Acoustic MSI to go with them. They are a sonic match made in heaven! As for other gears compatibility, my usual caveat stands, try before you buy!

And yeah! I am still living with the Brsytons, so no chance to try the Elite Acoustic MSI with my usual set of gears just yet.

Elite Acoustic is sold by Sound Precision, contact Mr Chan, tel: 019-3825937