hen I think about decoupling two planes - that is controlling and minimizing vibrations - with springs, I can think of two iconic constructions, which featured this type of spring vibro-isolators: the Linn Sondek LP 12 turntable and Philips CD Pro-2 LH CD transport. The former is member of a larger group of this type of design, with the Transrotor Reference, Oracle Delphi (presently the Mk VI version), as well as Kronos Pro http://highfidelity.pl/@main-2968&lang=. Also Philips's transport is not alone in this respectable group, because it is accompanied by a different iconic device, CEC TL0 3.0 CD transport.

As I wrote in my reviews of Pro Audio Bono, Townshend Audio Seismic Vibration Isolation Platform and Stacore Advanced platforms, spring decoupling is only one of the possibilities, because vibrations are equally often controlled in "rigid" systems, such as proposed by Finite Elemente's, Pro Audio Bono's and Franz Audio Accessories' anti-vibration feet and Harmonic Systems Systems racks. Some companies, like the aforementioned PAB, but also the Japanese Acoustic Revive, use both types of decoupling in different products. On the other hand, the Korean HiFiSTAY combines both types in the same model.

It might seem that building an anti-vibration platform on your own is not difficult. And indeed - even placing a thick plywood under the device is a "creative" act that often brings good results. And if we add the Vibrapod rubber insulators to it, we will get an inexpensive platform built with our own hands. And it is an option worth trying. However, you should be aware that this a “kindergarten” and that high-end is still far away. To move to a higher level you must have both practical and theoretical knowledge; one starts with the former, but the latter is actually what differentiates a craft from something more.

| Tewo Audio

I do not know if this is a coincidence or a wider trend, but Polish producers seem to be doing really well in this particular branch of the audio industry, both in the basic and mid price ranges, and at the top end. In March 2017, we wrote about the Stacore Advanced platform (HF | No. 155), this time we will take a closer look at the equally expensive Tewa Audio Spring model. Both are anti-vibration systems based on elastic suspension, differing in the type of the selected vibro-isolating element and the general concept.

DANIEL OKWIET
Owner | designer

My name is Daniel Okwiet and I live in Częstochowa. I graduated from the Częstochowa University of Technology Management Department and I am the owner of the Tewo Audio company. Established in 2016, it manufactures anti-vibration systems for the audio industry. Currently, the Tewo Audio's lineup includes one product - an anti-vibration platform with spring insulators and the option of customizing the dimensions and color of the finish, which will soon be accompanied by a cheaper model, based on a different concept.

The material we make our products from is aluminum, milled on a CNC machine at the Tewo Audio headquarters. Future? - Firstly, the lineup will be enlarged with a personalized anti-vibration rack, which will include a frame and anti-vibration platforms. The roots of Tewo Audio date back to 2008, when under the Sfinx brand I made stands for monitors. Therefore, such stands are another product that I think about that will probably be the next addition to the Tewo Audio's offer.

WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Did I get it right – you have your own CNC machine?
DANIEL OKWIET: Yes, I have my own machine of this type, and more precisely - a milling machine. Hence, all elements of the body are made in the company's headquarters.

It's not cheap…
No, no - this is not a cheap machine. But the biggest problem was to learn how to use it - fortunately, I managed to do that.

Such a machine should not stand idle - does it mean that you also make some elements for other companies?
Yes, I get orders from several companies, including audio ones. However, I can not disclose my customers.

A spring is a natural choice, but not a simple one, is it?
To be precise, we're talking about a spring vibro-isolator. It is not an ordinary spring, because everything is calculated here, that is, the thickness of the roll, the steel grade it is made of. There is also heat treatment - all that to absorb the resonance of given frequency under the appropriate deflection. My platform extinguishes the frequency stating from 3 Hz and goes quite high up because it has a large deflection. The biggest problem is to damp lower frequencies and the 3 Hz I achieved is really low.

To calculate this, you need to know the parameters of the spring and the vibrating element, i.e. the tabletop and the device placed on it. Therefore, such a platform should be "personalized". On the back of each platform a name plate is affixed – the one delivered for this test should be used for devices weighing from 10 to 25 kg. Vibroisalators are interchangeable, so they can be adapted to a particular device.

Aren't you worry that the spring always vibrates, it never rests?
It all depends on the resonances that we want to extinguish - but in home conditions it does not matter much, it would be important in industrial conditions. Because that's where they are used most often.

Can one replace anything else besides the springs?
Yes, you can select the color of the platform choosing any from the RAL palette, as well as its dimensions.

Tell me a bit about the feet.
I am importing them directly from Austria, these are not feet produced for audio purposes. They are practical though, as they can be easily adjusted. What's more - they are oscillating, so that after changing the height of any of them there is no stress.

The Tewo Audio platform seems much simpler than the Stacore design. The latter company probably came to similar conclusions, because after the test in "High Fidelity" they made a decision to change the price of their product. The platform we test this time has been constructed from aluminum flat parts screwed together, an aluminum plate on which the device is placed and four vibro-shock absorbers (springs), which separate them from each other. The design looks quite simply, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Both, the precise CNC machining, and the calculations needed to obtain the required damping in the assumed band, required a lot of work and time.

The platform starts its operation at the frequency of 3 Hz and reaches high enough to "control" the most annoying vibrations. The springs are calculated for a specific load, so please contact the manufacturer before buying their platform. However, when you decide to replace the component you use on this platform for a different one - and this is an important criterion for the audiophile - you can replace them with new ones matching your new device. Their durability is very high, and they should not deform over a dozen years.

The platform reminds me the concept of the base of the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, but without the bottom plate. It is made of seven aluminum elements forming the base and a platform, four springs (elastic spring-insulators), four feet and a dozen or so screws, the threads of which are secured with a special adhesive preventing loosening.

Individual elements are milled on a CNC machine and made of precision aluminum with increased rigidity relieved from internal stresses by special casting at different angles and to a specific thickness. In this process, aluminum heating and rolling was eliminated, which helps to compensate for the stresses inside the material. The structure of the platform has a good rigidity to weight ratio, because it is relatively light (18 kg at 50 x 40 cm worktop), and at the same time very rigid, which is an important factor in vibration isolation.

The element on which we place the device is quite thick, but features no damping – when hit it makes a loud sound. The feet are used to level the platform. They have a wide, flat foot and are easy to tighten - in the box one finds a set of proper tools.

During transport, the platform is bolted with additional screws, just like decoupled turntables and some Compact Disc players. The whole is finished with powder varnish. In this case, the springs are not damped against sideways tilt, as in the Townshend Audio product.

| The Platform and the two of us

Just like when reviewing the AudioPhase Cocaine loudspeakers, I also took advantage of the fact that the designer brought his own product and set it up himself, and we listened to a few albums together – some from my collection, some that Daniel had with him.

WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Needless to say, the difference was very clear. But please tell me what struck you the most.
DANIEL OKWIET: I noticed, first of all, the change in presentation of the low frequencies - with the platform they were better pronounced, they were fuller. And the whole sound was more vivid, richer. The sound attack was extinguished faster. It seems to me that without a platform with some recordings it could have been bit aggressive, and with it it was gentler, more pleasant.

But it is so, that if we did not compare these two presentations directly one after the other, did not confront them, then without a platform, the sound would have been also be very good, right? It is a sound that is natural and rich on its own. The comparison shows, however, that the sound with the platform changes. We placed a player on it and everything was richer and bigger.
Yes, the differentiation was much better.

And did the soundstage change in some way?
No, I did not hear such big differences in terms of spacing as I did in regard to tonality.

So the main change was a better bass extension?
Yes, everything sounded more substantial. However, one has to check it out in one's system, because the effects may vary depending on sonic properties of a given system. But some things are repetitive: richness, softening of the sound, density. Perhaps the presentation will slow down a little, but it will be more pleasant to listen to.

Hmm… To be honest, I did not hear sound slowing down…
Well, it's true – it is not obvious in your system, but it was noticeable in other ones.

So maybe the problem lays in these systems and not in the platform?
I do not know... I prefer to focus on things that repeated in every system. You can take it for granted that this platform does not sharpen the sound. For me in the system I get more timbre, the whole slows down a bit - but that's what I like about it, I do not like sharpness or harshness in the sound. There was no clear difference in the pace in your system - because it's not a sharp sounding system. In other systems, the pace slows down. Therefore, I think that the stands for loudspeakers and anti-vibration elements should be bought together with the speakers and devices one places on them. Adding them later might cause lack of harmony. Let's start with the basics!

| The Platform and me

This is not an element of the audio system, whose influence on the sound has to be looked for. With some experience in listening, sensibly placed priorities, we can quickly come to the conclusion that the changes are clear. I would quantify their impact on the sound as - say - 10%. The influence of the Tewo Audio platform on the musical presentation is primarily focused on two qualities: resolution and speed. Resolution, in turn, affects the tonality and manner of shaping solids/images in the space.

Take, for example, the The Bassface Swing Trio plays Gershwin album released by Stockfisch Records. This is a release typical for this record label, with warm sound and a low bass, extended at the very bottom. Compared to others, it is distinguished by a very fast and dynamic sound. Placing the player on the platform opened the presentation in terms of dynamics and cleared it. Although it was not noticeable before, the sound without the platform, with the Ayon placed directly on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente rack, was less dynamic and more "focused" around the smaller instruments.

Placing the device on the platform opened the sound, as if it released the slightly stretched spring, stopping it previously from a full dynamic opening, from showing the depth of the instruments and the sound stage. This is a transition from a "very good" to a "very good and very pleasant" performance. The bass below 50 Hz, not fully controlled on this disc, was shorter and better articulated. I mean, it had a better definition, it played more "WITH" the band, and not "NEXT TO” as it sometimes happens. But – pay attention - it does not mean that the bass was lighter or that there was less of it. It's not like that - the sound with the platform becomes deeper and richer, also in the lower part of the band. But also, thanks to a better definition, a derivative of better resolution (in my opinion), the presentation was clearer, more open.

With the Polish platform, we understand even better what is happening in front of us. It would seem that whenever we improve something in the system, it should always be like that - in practice it is not the same thing as a "general improvement". The platform lowers/deepens the sound and it seems that there is less treble in it and more of the lower midrange. While the latter is true, the former turns out to be deceptive. Because there is actually more high tones with Tewo Audio, and we have a different impression because they are better integrated with the rest of the presentation, they no longer have to demand our attention because their "being" is more closely related to the whole sound.

This was shown nicely by Chet Baker's Baker's Holiday album on a test SACD remaster from 2004. This is a classic recording of that time, with strong vocals in the middle and groups of instruments separated on the extreme channels. Due to the fact that they were recorded together, there was a phenomenon called “leakage” between microphones. The point is that in addition to the sound of the instrument a particular microphone recorded, it also "heard" other instruments. A result is an incredibly natural sound, despite the fact that the sections are artificially divided.

Anyway - the timbre of the drums on Baker's disc was set lower when the player was placed on the platform, yet it was clearer and more natural. I can not explain it in any other way than with more information being audible, because there were fewer "high tones". It was also probably important that the platform improves the readability of the depth of the images and the sound stage. The basic idea is that reverbs around particular instruments are nicer and more clearly heard - here, above all, the vocals and Baker's trumpet, which are longer than for other sound sources. It gives a sense of greater space, although the size of "stereo" stage does not change much.

However, you do not need such sophisticated recordings to take advantage of what the platform has to offer. I would even say that the more "normal" the recording, the more we will appreciate what it does with the sound. Kokon from the Adam Rojek's Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń album was a great example of that. Composed of dense, electronic sounds, samples and choppy, processed vocals, with the platform told a more interesting, more engaging story. After removing the player from platform, everything got closer and it became more unequivocal. I liked this presentation too, but there was no magic in it anymore, as there was with the platform.

An interesting experience was the comparison of the Polish platform and platform from Japan, that I have been using for years - the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H. The Japanese platform shows events closer, in a more tangible way. I like such a presentation, however, Spring Tewa Audio did something more than that, that is to say it moved the foreground further away from me, but also showed everything in a more vivid way. I also think that the sound was faster with it, more dynamic. This is really important because when we warm up and lower the sound - and we have such an impression with the Polish platform – the result it that it usually seems also slower. Not in this case - it was more natural here, less "pretended".

But you also need to know that after some time you will be able to determine the "own" character of this platform. First of all, it does not define phantom images, it does not build such unambiguous shapes as the Stacore and the Acoustic Revive did. Events with the tested platform are more rounded, have a more pronounced sustain phase, and the attack and decay are more rounded. It gives a big sound, although less expressive than with both of the aforementioned platforms. It's hard to say which approach is better because it is the moment when you need to listen to these solutions in your own system and decide which one is the right one for you.

Summary

The changes introduced to the sound by the Tewa Audio Spring platform are many and going in different directions. It lowers the sound, withdraws the treble, but does not silence it, and sets it in a larger space, in a more natural way. The low bass is very colorful, but also better controlled. The biggest change is showing events from a further perspective. It is still a powerful, dense sound, but less mechanical, freed from something like the compulsion to be "good."

The Acoustic Revive pneumatic platform, in spite of its very simple construction, is, in what does, outstanding. But it can not show such a low as fast sound as Tewa Audio. One can say that this is a development, going even further in what the Townshend Audio Seismic Vibration Isolation Platform was really good at. Unlike other Polish high-end platform, Stacore Advanced, the Tewa Audio does not stun listener with an amount of information, one do not have the impression of sounded being "cleaned" by it. Here we go deeper into the sound. It's a great sound!