Finite Elemente Pagode Signature and Quadraspire Reference. HiFi Plus review 2003
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 03:11PM The Finite Elemente Pagode Signature and Quadraspire Reference equipment supports
By Roy Gregory, HiFi Plus (UK) 01/2003
What we have here are two of The lowly rack has come a long way in the last few years, following in the slipstream of cabling as the hi-fi buying public have come to realise just how vital these apparently peripheral components really are. Simple welded steel space frames simply no longer cut the mustard, and both construction and materials have moved on considerably. Short of really exotic materials or air isolation systems, the benchmark for performance has settled on the non-ferrous combination of mixed aluminium and wood structures. Even within the grouping there exists a wide range of different approaches, from the simple strut and shelf construction of the original Quadraspire tables, to the complex constructions of finite elemente.
the more interesting offerings on the market, visually very different, and adopting equally different approaches to the same design concerns. The Pagode Signature from finite elemente has the same basic structure first encountered when I reviewed the earlier incarnation of this rack as part of a complete system back in Issue 12. This relies on heavy duty, T-shaped aluminium uprights bolted to a maple frame at the base and a cross piece at the top. The extremely robust base is coupled to the floor with four substantial M8 spikes. The shelves proper are also supported on solid maple frames. These have horizontal stainless steel cones that engage rows of small dimples in the uprights. To fix the shelves you simply screw the cones out until they bite slightly into the dimples at the selected height, and then lock them off with their collars. Whilst I’d never describe the process as straight-forward, it does produce an admirably rigid yet adjustable structure. The shelves themselves are also solid maple, supported on spikes sunk into the frames‘ braces. They are held in place by loose retaining bolts, whose foam rubber caskets provide a degree of damping. The entire construction is carefully tuned to dissipate dominant structural modes. There is also a more expensive version, the HD Master Reference, which incorporates parasitic resonators similar to the ones employed by Naim in their loudspeaker cabinets. These make this dissipation even more effective.
The lowly rack has come a long way in the last few years, following in the slipstream of cabling as the hi-fi buying public have come to realise just how vital these apparently peripheral components really are. Simple welded steel space frames simply no longer cut the mustard, and both construction and materials have moved on considerably. Short of really exotic materials or air isolation systems, the benchmark for performance has settled on the non-ferrous combination of mixed aluminium and wood structures. Even within the grouping there exists a wide range of different approaches, from the simple strut and shelf construction of the original Quadraspire tables, to the complex constructions of finite elemente.
The Pagode Signature is offered in two basic heights, 600mm (with either two or three shelves) and 850mm (with either four or five shelves): Taller versions can be created by simply substituting the optional 930mm or 1400mm uprights, which are available to special order. The rack is easily reconfigured to accommodate future upgrades or system changes by simply re-spacing its shelves. The complete package is an elegant one, in both aesthetic and mechanical terms, its blond wood shelves offering clean, modern looks and a genuine, furniture quality finish. For those who insist, the woodwork is also available in a high-quality black stain, one that actually lets you enjoy the wood’s natural grain.
The sound of the finite elemente rack is big, smooth and coherent. It delivers music with a stable deep foundation and real presence and substance. It allows melodic lines to flow and easily tracks shifts in level. It’s a presentation that is especially effective on piano music with its emphasis on the precise weight and placement of notes. Large scale orchestral crescendoes build convincingly, with no sense of a glass ceiling limiting the scale and power available. Dynamic range is wide, and dynamic discrimination excellent, easily differentiating subtle shifts in energy levels and instrumental densities. At the same time, the smooth top and natural, warm balance helps to curb digital glare and exaggerated sibilance. The rack’s combination of virtues makes it a powerful tool when it comes enjoyable long term listening. If natural tonality and a real sense of musical sweep and scale are important to you, then the Pagode Signature should be high on your list of possible supports. Taking a rather different approach, the Quadraspire Reference table is a development of the original so comprehensive that it effectively constitutes a new product. It still uses veneered MDF shelves and screw together aluminium uprights, but there all similarities end. In the Reference table the uprights are carefully waisted to help prevent ringing, and only the bottom, unused shelf is securely clamped. This provides the table with its structural integrity, keeping those uprights vertical. Further up the legs, the threaded sections are held apart by spacing collars so that the shelves simply rest loosely on the lower shoulders. The top shelf is further decoupled. Four spikes similar to the ones that anchor the table to the floor are loosely connected to the shelf, using the same spacer system. These then locate in the sockets at the tops of each upright. The whole assembly is disconcertingly wobbly compared to the rigid structures we’re all more used to, and the top layer simply lifts off if you forget and try to pick the whole thing up by it. You soon get used to it though. The shelves themselves are the familiar, beveled Quadraspire size and shape, but with a large rectangular cut-out in each one, designed to prevent standing waves. The combination of the waisted uprights and the loose fit around the shelves gives the entire structure a rather skeletal (in the collection of bones sense) appearance, whilst the shelves are available in all the standard Quadraspire veneers. The sound of the Quadraspire Reference provides a stark contrast to the sumptuous solidity and presence of the finite elemente. Its presentation is starker, quicker and more transparent, but without the scale and weight of the Pagode Signature. Its more rhythmically explicit and no where near as forgiving at the top, but for those who value immediacy and micro dynamic snap to their sound, it has the necessary excitement and drive. Bass lines are agile and fleet of foot, delivering the natural pace and momentum from tracks. It’s more explicit, arguably more obvious presentation, but it could be just the thing for systems that tend to the relaxed and smooth. It’s more about energy, less about weight, jumping further but arriving with less impact.
So much for the differences between these two tables. Just as interesting are the similarities. Both of them possess an essentially neutral tonal balance, free of the energy, spikes and exaggeration that characterize the more typical steel and glass constructions. Those spikes make for a superficially more exciting sound, but one that is actually far less accurate. They also distort the energy spectrum and rhythmic coherence of the piece, altering its timing and pace by chopping or hurrying notes. What the finite elemente Quadraspire designs deliver is top to bottom rhythmic coherence and unforced
musical evenness, devoid of bands of false pace or drive. The drama, energyand life in the performance comes at the right time and in the right place. It might be less obvious, but ultimately it’s far more musically effective, whether in the shape of the Pagode’s macro view, or the Quadraspire’s more micro standpoint. Whether you prefer the sound of the finite elemente or Quadraspire will be down to system balance and your own listening priorities (and your preferences regarding their appearance). However, what’s clear is that both these racks offer significant benefits when it comes to detail, dynamic range, instrumental colour and separation when compared to more basic alternatives. What they do is enable your system to present its music in a far more organised and believable form. The results are easier to listen to and a lot more believable.