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Re: Grand Prix Audio Monaco

Posted by David Aiken (A) on April 30, 2007 at 13:37:08

In Reply to: Grand Prix Audio Monaco posted by Teck5 on April 30, 2007 at 07:04:08:

I'm using the 2 shelf base unit of the Monaco.

1- I'm using Atabites and they work fine for me. I did not want to use lead because of the health related issues and correspondence with Ivan Lloyd indicated that lead worked noticeably better than sand due to the extra mass and that sand worked better than leaving the legs empty. The Atabites don't equal the mass of an equivalent volume of lead shot, but there's more mass than sand so I decided to give them a try, and I'm very happy with the result. I haven't done comparisons with sand or lead so I don't know how much you gain/lose in comparison with them. One 9 kg container of Atabites fills the 3 legs of the base units with a very small amount left over. If you're using a third shelf, you'll need a second container and you'll probably have a bit more than half a container left at the end.

Substitutes: Ivan recommends lead shot, period. Sand is probably cheapest. There are some very fine steel fills such as a fine steel powder used in sand blasting and I've seen something similar packaged as a stand fill for audio purposes—can't remember the brand name—that the dealer I bought the Atabites from also stocked. It cost twice as much as the Atabites for around one third more mass. Since it also was steel so density would be the same, I suspect that one container (12 kg) would go close to meeting your needs for a 3 shelf unit for around the same cost as 2 containers of Atabites. Don't know if the results are any better. It looked like a black powder around about the same degree of fineness as caster sugar (very finely ground sugar), not quite as fine, say, as flour or talcum powder.

2- I'm using the Apex feet and levellers. Don't know about optimum mass before use. I ordered them with the rack and installed them right at the beginning. I don't think there's any minimum mass issues since you can use the Apex alone as footers for components.

3- Not using the Apex with speakers.

Bottom line as far as the rack goes: I think you need to fill the legs with sand as a minimum and I'm prepared to believe Ivan Lloyd that lead shot is better than sand. Run with lead if you're happy about using it since it has more mass than a steel fill and is cheaper. The Atabites do produce good results. The Apex should work fine with the 3 shelf rack since the base unit which I'm using is lighter than a 3 shelf unit and my 2 components (CDP and integrated amp) together run to less than 40 lbs. I don't think you'll have any problems with your setup being too light for them, but I can't say how much I think they add to the performance since I've never used the stock feet.

By the way, the optional silicon nitride ball bearings mentioned on the website are better than the stock chrome steel ball bearings.

David Aiken

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