[Review] Townshend VSS Stand

Townshend VSS Stand

Change of circumstances on the support front at Wm's recently due to a box count increase. So with great reluctance I had to say a very fond farewell to the Copulare/seimic-sink/stillpoint combination I've been running for over a year.
This combo had finally filled in the missing sonic blanks.
So the hunt was on for a 3 tier replacement that could keep the aspects I liked whilst remain a smaller stature unit (Wm is not one for those multi-story units that look like a display counter at the local model shop)
Well after much humming and arhing, and listening tests I've settle for one of these.



The new Seismic Sink stand from Townshend, its neat, excellently constructed, easy to assemble and looks pretty cool (Decent WAF too) what's more its very unobtrusive yet works in a sublime fashion.
Also a departure here for Townshend in this design too, no air suspension .
All the decoupling is polymer load cells (lol), the 'Whole table assembly' floats much in the same way the older Air version did, only this one is more ridged. (I also think far easier on the eye better performance to boot).
The unit is has fully adjustable heights and various platform sizes it can handle up to 70Kg (And according to the literature the nearer that weight the better it functions, which is useful for Moi as the total load on the stand is 67kg with the current components resting on it )
Finished with stainless steel legs and brackets and grey fittings (very nicely painted too).
Some website blurb for you...

"Four maintenance-free, dual-tensioned polymer load cells at each corner, in conjunction with the mass of the stand (plus equipment), form a stable, suspended mass/spring low-pass filter with an attenuation of about 20dB per decade above 4Hz. This ensures that deleterious ground-borne vibrations from 6Hz and above are virtually eliminated. Isolating audio/video components from vibration imparts an openness and clarity to the sound with gains in focus and solidity of image which a non-suspended stand simply cannot approach."

The unit fits very nicely into the old Copulare position and looks at home.
So to how the thing sounds, the crux of the issues really, I acquire these things for sound rather than aesthetics
Sound wise, very very neat indeed, all the issues in my music are there, timing, ultra tight bass, and coherence, while adding a serious sense of presence and serious image focus, coupled (pun intented lol) with a greater staging.
The perceptual depth of field is really quite staggering.
I could give you a list of the music used to compare and the differences noted ( it had some serious sessions with some of my system killer tracks, just lapped it up & played music with aplomb, nothing phazed it) However its all been done before, and hifi's such a dry subject anyway. Wm isn't into banality any more sorry
No I know what a few maybe be thinking, he's just scratching a fellow industry dudes back, well that would be fair comment.
Though those that know Wm will also know it takes a lot to pass a favourable comment, let alone a a compliment lol.
As for impressing Wm trust me thats near impossible. This new VSS is rather very good & like all good things simple too.
If you are in the market for a rack, check one out, it well worth the time IMHO



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Certainly looks good Tony. Glad you're happy with it.

 

Thank you Mo,
Its fitted in very well, both sonically and in the looks dept. Wm