Connected-fidelity

Float Isolation Pucks

From £279

Most people understand that air- and ground-born vibrations degrade the sound of hi-fi turntables in a pretty unsubtle way, but unwanted resonances can also spoil the sonic performance of DACs, streamers and amplifiers. This is because electronic components are slightly microphonic, and their sonic performance actually degrades when they're exposed to vibration. If proof of this is needed, you could do worse than listen to the improvements brought about by Connected Fidelity's new Float isolating pucks.

These lovely little isolating discs are also said to sink vibrations emanating from inside the hi-fi component itself, such as those induced by the rattle and hum of mains transformers. Unlike more basic solutions, such as sorborthane rubber feet, the Float works in an unusual way. Its design deliberately avoids compliant damping materials and instead employs an arrangement of 'floating' spheres held within two circular cup-shaped channels.

This, says the manufacturer, means that vibrational energy is 'spent' in the micro-movements of these spheres without losing the direct connection path between the component and the base on which it is sitting. This isn't actually a completely new approach, as I have tried several variations on this theme over the years – but the Float's combination of build and price is exceptional, as we shall subsequently see.

All variations of the Float have the same basic design, which is a pleasingly slim size that doesn't draw attention to itself. There's a choice of silver or black anodised aluminium finishes, and both are superb. Silky to the touch yet very solid, they're the sort of thing you'd expect from ultra high-end Japanese boutique manufacturers, not sensibly priced British ones. Inside is a bespoke ball race, and a non-resonant hard plastic cage holds the polished spheres apart, manufactured from hard chromium steel. Three small spheres are set into the top and bottom faces and act as feet to ensure stability.

Coasters are supplied for use on soft surfaces so as not to mark them; the standard Float uses hard plastic (POM) feet spheres, with the Carpet Floats coming with carpet-piercing spikes. The pucks come in sets of three or four. Whether you use three or four Floats is down to you and your intended application. “Some experimentation may prove useful”, says Connected Fidelity. Theoretically, you'd want the fewest possible 'ground' or 'sink' points, but it doesn't always follow in practice.

As well as the basic Floats – which are for use under components up to 30kg in weight (with 4 pucks), and the aforementioned Carpet Floats (120kg with 4 pucks), there's also the pricier Float 30, which also takes 120kg (with 4 pucks), and is designed for heavy hi-fi components like power amplifiers, for example. Threaded designs (M6 and M8) are also available. Prices start from £279 for a set of three pucks and coasters or £349 for four pucks and coasters.

THE LISTENING

The improvement brought about by the Float pucks in my system was not unsubtle. For example, placed underneath the four ceramic feet of my high-end Sony CDP-X77ES CD player – itself weighing nearly 20kg – these pucks were a significant upgrade. In my case, bottom end weight reduced slightly because there was significantly less overhang to bass notes; at the same time, the speed of the bass improved. This, in turn, made the music appear faster and more bouncy; it was rhythmically less laboured. I also heard improvements in midband clarity and even the purity of the treble response, while the sound stage appeared wider and less cluttered too.

Head in the Clouds by Manix signposted these improvements perfectly. It's a frenetic slice of early nineties electronica and is a real system workout. With the Float pucks in place, the bass synth sounded tighter, faster and tauter. The music was more propulsive, coming over as being in a greater hurry to get to its destination. Also, the lead synth line – which sounds very much like a sampled Electronic Dream Plant Wasp synthesiser – had a purer and more natural texture. Likewise, the female vocal was more nuanced, seemed more natural, and better located between the loudspeakers. Hi-hat cymbals had superior resolution, too, with a little less glare.

THE VERDICT

Overall, Connected Fidelity's new Float is an excellent audio accessory. It's not particularly cheap but delivers clear improvements to the sound of a system – which are just as obvious as upgrading audio interconnects, for example. At the same time, the pucks are beautifully made and finished. Strongly recommended, then, so try to hear for yourself what this product can do.

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