Nordost’s New Sort Füt

At last, Nordost has augmented its four-level Sort Kone equipment support line with the threaded Sort Füt ($350/each). A mechanically tuned resonance control device designed to replace the standard spikes and stabilizers supplied with loudspeakers and racks, it boasts aluminum and bronze hybrid construction, a filial dome to minimize effects of vibration, and three internal ceramic balls that minimize contact surface area while providing physical stability. The “Premium Package” includes four Sort Füt units (which together support speakers up to 800 lbs), an adjustment tool, laser leveling, and both 8mm and 6mm threaded adaptors.

Nordost’s Paul Ritchotte, who did a superb job of filling the retired Lars Christensen’s very big shoes, worked with the company’s Michael Marko to switch Valhalla 2 loudspeaker cabling between two differently colored by otherwise identical pairs of Audio Physiks loudspeakers. One pair was outfitted with four standard spikes, the other with four Sort Füt. Listening to Phoebe Killdeer and the Short Straws’ “He’s Late” over a system that also included Jeff Rowland’s 625 stereo amp, Corus linestage preamp, and Aeris DAC, I noticed that the Sort Füts imparted considerably more detail, an airier soundstage, far more layering, a more realistic depiction of the sounds of water and thunder on the track, and bass so superior than with standard spikes that I was led to write in m ynotebook, “Fuck! The bass is so much better.” Given the speaker’s surprisingly limited low-frequency extension, the four Sort Füts helped immensely to put its best foot forward. (Okay, I know; with that pun, I’ve shot myself in the füt. Which will make the most bullying of Nordost bashers very, very happy.)

Source : stereophile[dot]com