Often it’s the small changes in a hifi or high-end system which create that extra something. In most cases accessories have a more subtle effect on the sound quality than, for instance, the change of a device has. Thus lots of products bustle in the segment of accessories that only »work« if the sales guy is right beside the customer. i-fidelity.net has never reviewed such items and will never introduce them. On the other hand if accessories have proven their effect in our testing scenarios, they deserve that we spotlight them.
Two different tuning products from Bluehorizon have demonstrated their sound improving effect sustainably during the last weeks: on one hand the two-part turntable mat »Promat« and on the other hand the device base »Sanctum«, available in black and white finish. Both products are suitable to influence an existing system and improve its sound quality.
Additionally the Promat offers a wonderful audiophile service: it consists of two parts. But what on earth is that in aid of? Probably in most people’s shelfs Vinyl in its standard thickness is the most common type of record. Hence, for democratic reasons the tone arm height, also known as vertical tracking angle (VTA), is adjusted to these standard records. However audiophile pressings often carry some extra weight with them: there are 180-gram-Vinyls, in special cases even heavier ones. Those records are thicker, therefore the VTA should be adjusted accordingly. In case of the Promat one simply removes its upper part, as a result the tone arm height fits the record again - that’s ingenious.
But its effect is even better. According to the manufacturer the material is a mixture of cork, rubber and leather. Whoever came up with this idea has profound knowledge on analogue reproduction culture. Compared with mats, which are solely made of rubber or cork, the sound picture becomes more stable, impulses gain precision and, in particular, the stability of spatial imaging profits from the Promat. Evidently this material prevents resonances from spreading which introduces this very welcome degree of calmness - not boredom.
The effectiveness of the device base Sanctum can be evaluated even easier. It consists of a high-density fibre board with a circular notch. It rests upon four aluminium cones, which are decoupled from the board itself by a mixture of cork, rubber and leather. What works for the turntable mat also fulfills its purpose in case of the device base. By the way: the Sanctum is delivered with washers for the spikes, thus they cannot damage the underground. In order to test the base, simply place CD players, phono pre-stages, pre-amplifiers and also integrated amplifiers onto the base. Play a piece with energetic low frequencies, which may in case of a natural instrument origin from an organ; in case of electronic music for instance Kraftwerk is very suitable. Then take a comfortable seat in your listening chair, since this procedure takes a little longer than switching cables, and listen to music with the Sanctum. Afterwards change back again, surely in most cases one will notice that the bass sounds a little swollen and the rest of the tonal spectrum is coated with a haze. This effect in particular results from the clarity the Sanctum provides. The longer this base was in use, the more we noticed its impact. Also the Sanctum clearly deserves a recommendation.
