tones
22nd June 2003, 20:24
This is a combination of Groovehandle and Mana Forum reports and constitutes my last word on the subject.
First of all, I have to say that, for all the flak Bub takes, he has been very helpful and encouraging to me, and even very generously offered to buy it from me if I wanted rid of it (an offer that has been taken up). I have no doubt whatsoever that Mana produces the goods for him; I wish I could report the same. I also have to say that the Mana website is not the den of misguided fanatics that it is so often portrayed. Although I sense a feeling of restrained incredulity that I could not persuade mine to work, they were always helpful and never rude - the nearest is one suggestion that my hearing might be bu****ed, and of course that might be right. I have also met some enthusiastic classical lovers who don't come Groovehandling, so I intend to stay there for the music side.
Given the high emotions this topic so readily engenders, I approach it with the disclaimer that this is a report of one person's experience and is not meant to be a blanket statement of the efficacy or otherwise of Mana supports. It clearly works wonderfully well for some people, for example, look at the extraordinary photos at
http://manaforum.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=462298155&f=172298155&m=2624078352
Here, clearly, is someone who is to the Mana born. (This is Hermann, who, by the way, is a very nice guy). Indeed, it was the missionary zeal of its protagonists and claims of performance improvements, which seemed to me to border on the miraculous that persuaded me that there was no smoke without fire. I had to try some, even though it represented an irreversible financial commitment (the generous Mana return policy applies only to the UK). So I ordered the smallest unit, a Sound Frame. With postage to Switzerland, customs, etc., it came out to around £200 (this cost included Mana's rather nice spirit level, which they are definitely NOT getting back). Needless to say, I was most anxious for it to work!
A Mana Sound Frame consists of a glass plate with two black strips positioned in the centre. This rests on four adjustable spikes that are held in a black angle-iron frame. Four more adjustable spikes protrude downwards. It is nicely finished and actually looks better than what it sounds from the bare description. It must be said that it is an absolute pain to set up! It takes a while to adjust all those spikes so that the glass is sitting level and is evenly supported on its spikes.
Nobody has ever explained satisfactorily how Mana supports work, but it is widely believed not only to isolate components from ground-based vibrations but also to minimise vibrations originating within the equipment itself. This applies not only to equipment with moving parts (turntables, CD players), but also to those with none. As I understand it, the explanation here is the reduction of "microphony", the tendency of electronic components to pick up vibrations from on-board power sources (which may have a 50Hz mains "hum" and accompanying vibrations) and from airborne vibrations, and to pass these through the hi-fi chain, resulting in diminished audible performance.
So, having set up the Sound Frame on a solid support (a desk top), I placed on it my Marantz CD63II KI Sig. CD player. I played a portion of a track, and then I placed the Marantz on the desk top and played it again. And the difference was - none whatsoever. I tried it again. Still nothing. Slightly desperately (£200 remember!), I readjusted the Sound Frame completely and tried again. Still no perceptible difference. Once more with feeling. Nothing. Any thought of using the Sound Frame with the Marantz (the original intention) vanished away. Now the Marantz has big Sorbothane-like feet, which may be doing the Mana's job for it. In which case, who needs Mana?
But there was the LP12. Surely THAT would make a difference! All the LP12 Mana owners say so. But, no it didn't. The LP12 sounded just the same "after" that it did "before". Now the Mana enthusiasts have advised me to let it "settle", then take it away and see what difference I notice. I haven't done this yet. I'm disinclined to do this, as it's a lot of hassle. Besides, it hasn't made things sound any worse, it looks better than my own home-made levelling device and it holds its level nicely. But it certainly hasn't improved the sound at all, which was the reason for buying it.
So, what went wrong? Several explanations suggest themselves;
(a) Mana doesn't work;
(b) I'm deaf or lack perception;
(c) The set-up wasn't effected properly;
(d) The nature of the surface on which the Mana support rests is critical;
(e) some hi-fi equipment is immune to the Mana effect.
Given the enormous popular support, I think we can discount (a). I'll happily concede (b) as a possibility. At 55, my hearing won't be what it once was. But does that mean than Mana should be sold with an age warning? It's possible that I didn't do (c) properly, but if it's THAT finicky (having now been through the setting up 4 times), I don't want to know. As for (d), the Marantz was on a desktop, the LP12 on a shelf in a cabinet. Does it need to be on a floor, or something REALLY solid (stone plinth, etc.)? Perhaps Mana Acoustics could or should advise on this aspect.
With regard to (e), it should be noted that the most enthusiastic users of Mana use Naim equipment - John Watson, founder of Mana Acoustics is a Naim user and Mana's own literature has illustrations with drawings of what are clearly Naim components. But most people swear by its effect on an LP12. I noticed no difference with mine. So, is my LP12 badly set up, or am I as deaf an old git as I sometimes suspect? No matter what the cause, I'm stuck with my deficiencies and I really can't be bothered endlessly fiddling with the equipment. As far as I'm concerned, it, not me, is supposed to play!
One certain thing comes out of it all. Mana is not a universal cure. It does not work for all combinations of equipment, ears and support surface. Therefore, in order to avoid disappointment, try before you buy. Mana Acoustics operates a 30-day return policy in the UK; you sacrifice only the postage.
Update:
The great Mana experiment:
The records and the LP12 moved downstairs. I set up the Mana Sound Frame on Linn Skeets (synthetic mineral discs designed to stop your spikes gouging holes in your parquet flooring).
Prior to experiments: play test record (Handel: Water Music (EC/Pinnock) - why? I know it backwards, every note, every nuance).
Experiment 1: Remove Skeets, replace with plywood pieces under spikes, level carefully, play test record.
Result: no noticeable difference.
Experiment 2: Remove Mana completely, set LP12 on cabinet with bits of paper under the feet to level, play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Experiment 3: Place Mana on floor (vinyl-covered concrete), level carefully, play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Experiment 4: Relocate LP12 on top of cabinet with bits of paper for levelling. Play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Now why this should be so I have no idea. Clearly Mana does not work in the Tones/LP12/Creek/Quad/LS3/5A system. It might well be that one of the components does not function properly. Quite possibly it might be the first-named component that is the problem. Alas, there's not a lot that I can do to repair that one, and it'll probably get even worse with advancing years.
The final result is that Mana is clearly not for me. I do not deny its efficacy elsewhere - too many of you have heard it for yourselves - and I shall never bad-mouth it, just because it doesn't work for me. John Watson's work has clearly given many people much pleasure and I wish him and Mana Acoustics well in helping people enjoy the pleasures of music.
First of all, I have to say that, for all the flak Bub takes, he has been very helpful and encouraging to me, and even very generously offered to buy it from me if I wanted rid of it (an offer that has been taken up). I have no doubt whatsoever that Mana produces the goods for him; I wish I could report the same. I also have to say that the Mana website is not the den of misguided fanatics that it is so often portrayed. Although I sense a feeling of restrained incredulity that I could not persuade mine to work, they were always helpful and never rude - the nearest is one suggestion that my hearing might be bu****ed, and of course that might be right. I have also met some enthusiastic classical lovers who don't come Groovehandling, so I intend to stay there for the music side.
Given the high emotions this topic so readily engenders, I approach it with the disclaimer that this is a report of one person's experience and is not meant to be a blanket statement of the efficacy or otherwise of Mana supports. It clearly works wonderfully well for some people, for example, look at the extraordinary photos at
http://manaforum.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=462298155&f=172298155&m=2624078352
Here, clearly, is someone who is to the Mana born. (This is Hermann, who, by the way, is a very nice guy). Indeed, it was the missionary zeal of its protagonists and claims of performance improvements, which seemed to me to border on the miraculous that persuaded me that there was no smoke without fire. I had to try some, even though it represented an irreversible financial commitment (the generous Mana return policy applies only to the UK). So I ordered the smallest unit, a Sound Frame. With postage to Switzerland, customs, etc., it came out to around £200 (this cost included Mana's rather nice spirit level, which they are definitely NOT getting back). Needless to say, I was most anxious for it to work!
A Mana Sound Frame consists of a glass plate with two black strips positioned in the centre. This rests on four adjustable spikes that are held in a black angle-iron frame. Four more adjustable spikes protrude downwards. It is nicely finished and actually looks better than what it sounds from the bare description. It must be said that it is an absolute pain to set up! It takes a while to adjust all those spikes so that the glass is sitting level and is evenly supported on its spikes.
Nobody has ever explained satisfactorily how Mana supports work, but it is widely believed not only to isolate components from ground-based vibrations but also to minimise vibrations originating within the equipment itself. This applies not only to equipment with moving parts (turntables, CD players), but also to those with none. As I understand it, the explanation here is the reduction of "microphony", the tendency of electronic components to pick up vibrations from on-board power sources (which may have a 50Hz mains "hum" and accompanying vibrations) and from airborne vibrations, and to pass these through the hi-fi chain, resulting in diminished audible performance.
So, having set up the Sound Frame on a solid support (a desk top), I placed on it my Marantz CD63II KI Sig. CD player. I played a portion of a track, and then I placed the Marantz on the desk top and played it again. And the difference was - none whatsoever. I tried it again. Still nothing. Slightly desperately (£200 remember!), I readjusted the Sound Frame completely and tried again. Still no perceptible difference. Once more with feeling. Nothing. Any thought of using the Sound Frame with the Marantz (the original intention) vanished away. Now the Marantz has big Sorbothane-like feet, which may be doing the Mana's job for it. In which case, who needs Mana?
But there was the LP12. Surely THAT would make a difference! All the LP12 Mana owners say so. But, no it didn't. The LP12 sounded just the same "after" that it did "before". Now the Mana enthusiasts have advised me to let it "settle", then take it away and see what difference I notice. I haven't done this yet. I'm disinclined to do this, as it's a lot of hassle. Besides, it hasn't made things sound any worse, it looks better than my own home-made levelling device and it holds its level nicely. But it certainly hasn't improved the sound at all, which was the reason for buying it.
So, what went wrong? Several explanations suggest themselves;
(a) Mana doesn't work;
(b) I'm deaf or lack perception;
(c) The set-up wasn't effected properly;
(d) The nature of the surface on which the Mana support rests is critical;
(e) some hi-fi equipment is immune to the Mana effect.
Given the enormous popular support, I think we can discount (a). I'll happily concede (b) as a possibility. At 55, my hearing won't be what it once was. But does that mean than Mana should be sold with an age warning? It's possible that I didn't do (c) properly, but if it's THAT finicky (having now been through the setting up 4 times), I don't want to know. As for (d), the Marantz was on a desktop, the LP12 on a shelf in a cabinet. Does it need to be on a floor, or something REALLY solid (stone plinth, etc.)? Perhaps Mana Acoustics could or should advise on this aspect.
With regard to (e), it should be noted that the most enthusiastic users of Mana use Naim equipment - John Watson, founder of Mana Acoustics is a Naim user and Mana's own literature has illustrations with drawings of what are clearly Naim components. But most people swear by its effect on an LP12. I noticed no difference with mine. So, is my LP12 badly set up, or am I as deaf an old git as I sometimes suspect? No matter what the cause, I'm stuck with my deficiencies and I really can't be bothered endlessly fiddling with the equipment. As far as I'm concerned, it, not me, is supposed to play!
One certain thing comes out of it all. Mana is not a universal cure. It does not work for all combinations of equipment, ears and support surface. Therefore, in order to avoid disappointment, try before you buy. Mana Acoustics operates a 30-day return policy in the UK; you sacrifice only the postage.
Update:
The great Mana experiment:
The records and the LP12 moved downstairs. I set up the Mana Sound Frame on Linn Skeets (synthetic mineral discs designed to stop your spikes gouging holes in your parquet flooring).
Prior to experiments: play test record (Handel: Water Music (EC/Pinnock) - why? I know it backwards, every note, every nuance).
Experiment 1: Remove Skeets, replace with plywood pieces under spikes, level carefully, play test record.
Result: no noticeable difference.
Experiment 2: Remove Mana completely, set LP12 on cabinet with bits of paper under the feet to level, play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Experiment 3: Place Mana on floor (vinyl-covered concrete), level carefully, play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Experiment 4: Relocate LP12 on top of cabinet with bits of paper for levelling. Play test record.
Result: No noticeable difference.
Now why this should be so I have no idea. Clearly Mana does not work in the Tones/LP12/Creek/Quad/LS3/5A system. It might well be that one of the components does not function properly. Quite possibly it might be the first-named component that is the problem. Alas, there's not a lot that I can do to repair that one, and it'll probably get even worse with advancing years.
The final result is that Mana is clearly not for me. I do not deny its efficacy elsewhere - too many of you have heard it for yourselves - and I shall never bad-mouth it, just because it doesn't work for me. John Watson's work has clearly given many people much pleasure and I wish him and Mana Acoustics well in helping people enjoy the pleasures of music.