HIFIPLUS 02.2005:

The finite elemente CeraPuc isolation feet

by Roy Gregory

I have already reviewed finite elemente’s ceramic ball based isolation feet in both their (affordable) CeraBall and (expensive but wonderful with it) CeraBase forms, in Issues 21 und 31 respectively. The CeraBalls offer an extremely cost effective solution to wringing extra focus and definition out of a system, while the CeraBases’ collective impact is little short of astonishing - which makes their considerable cost even more painful to the purchaser requiring additional sets. So I was pleased to receive a new, intermediate, model. Dubbed the CeraPuc, it’s intermediate in every sense, being more compact and cheaper than the CeraBase but significantly more substantial than the CeraBall. The price is intermediate too, which is nice, but the really good news is that the performance gets surprisingly close to that of its big brother. Unlike the other designs it’s impossible to easily dismantle the CeraPuc, so the innards remain a mystery. Externally it consists of a solid puck which has a separate, circular disc let into its under-side. The top surface has a wide, machined dimple that accepts a chunky cylindrical foot. The top of the foot is threaded to accept the supplied M8 studs, used for attaching the foot to suitably threaded items such as speakers or stands. It’s an elegant, beautifully finished und reassuringly solid little package. It also has a smaller footprint (top and bottom) than the massive CeraBase and a significantly lower rise, both of which are important when it comes to getting them under equipment, where screws in the baseplate might prove embarrassing, as can a dramatic increase in height. The CeraPucs measure 55mm across their base, 34mm across the top and stand 35mm high. The cylindrical upper foot has three holes drilled into its sides so that you can insert the tool provided to ease levelling of heavy or awkward objects. Once again, finite elemente seem to have covered all the bases. Whereas the CeraBalls can rob a component of some weight in exchange for the focus and resolution they bring, that’s not the case with the CeraPucs. Placing them, under the ARC CD3 Mk II didn’t diminish this player’s considerable musical energy one iota. What it did do was make sure that it was all in the right place. Stood straight on the shelf of an HD-04 rack, the bass was heavy, slow and detached, lagging behind the punchy mid-band und slowing the musical momentum. Inserting three CeraPucs, maintained the weight but brought it back into line with the pace and timing of the rest of the range, improved bass definition and pitch considerably und leading edge definition und transparency across the entire range. These were not small differences, easily sorting out what had been a turgid performance of the Stewboss anthem "Fill Station". What had been muddy, leaden and plodding was now full of urgency and purpose, the persecuted angerof Greg Sarfarty’s clever vocals infused with a pointed und lucid quality that highlighted the damned if you do, damned if you don’t duality of the song. Classical und jazz fared just as well, with string bass in particular, taking on a new life and vibrance, a sense of life and energy to go with its new-found agility. The pizzicato strings at the beginning of the Barbirolli Tallis Fantasia took on more definite pitch und definition, although even the CeraPucs can’t do anything about the sing-a-Iong-a-riser that they’re stood on - except to tell you that it’s there. They were also very successful under the Hovland HP100 valve preamp, introducing some welcome extra precision without diluting the overall musicality. I’ve arranged a second set of CeraPucs in order to try them under speakers, which is I suspect their true calling – especially for those with polished wood floors. I’ll report further. However, in the meantime, if you are searching for extra focus and transparency I your system along with a more secure dynamic und rhythmic foundation, these should be just the job.