REVIEWS
TESTS
AVARDS
I’m proud to announce that my company, Franc Audio Accessories, took place between 20 of the most important audio manufacturers of the last twenty years by the oldest Polish audio portal, HighFidelity.pl. I would like to thank the editorial team for this great distinction, which proves that you, reading this right now, have come to the right place when looking for the highest quality products for your audio or home theater system.
SEE REVIEVS
“The Franc isolation feet work and work very well. They are well built and finished to a high standard. If you want to get a better idea of what your system is capable of, what your music really sounds like, I suggest you give them a spin. ”
HIFI+
“Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disk Slim Foot… Surprisingly effective! A well-made set of ceramic iso-feet from Paweł Franc Skulimowski of Poland, that actually improves speed, dyamics, weight and image specificity to both the New Audio Frontiers’ 300B SE integrated and Grandinote Demone mono amps…” (Clement Perry)
THE STEREO TIMES
“…The Franc Audio Accessories anniversary feet are, in my opinion, their best product of this type. Not “slightly better,” but simply better. They are also among the best feet I’ve heard so far. The sound you’ll get with them will be saturated and have a low, fleshy bass. Their tone is dark, as is typical of high-end products, yet very resolving. There’s room for both detail and nuance, but only in the context of the whole, not for individual entities. Therefore, they won’t appeal to those who seek these qualities in sound. However, they will appeal to those for whom music is a kind of celebration, a unique event in time. They have a warm tone, but the midrange and treble are saturated with a wealth of information, so the sound doesn’t feel stifled or closed off. They provide excellent tonal balance…
…These are feet that will enhance any system…
…It’s amazing that we can compare products from Poland and around the world, with domestic products being superior in many respects. A fantastic product from someone who knows what they’re doing, does it well, and, what’s more, loves what they do well. RED FINGERPRINT Award…”
HIGH FIDELITY
“Why not treat yourself, given the real benefit of the Ceramic Disc Classic under vibration-sensitive equipment, at an affordable price? Especially since they’re aesthetically pleasing and add a touch of class. You’ll just need to make some room in your cabinet, as they’re 45 mm high (a Slim version is also available). It’s always surprising to see the benefits of well-designed and well-made decouplers, crafted by skilled engineers. This is certainly the case with these decidedly successful Franc Audio decouplers.”
HAUTE FIDELITE
“Franc Ceramic Isolators conclusion
The Franc Ceramic Isolators clearly help all manner of equipment to deliver higher resolution, higher fidelity to the music signal and that is what we are all after. The price seems appropriate for the quality of build and finish and I would happily have left them under my gear if that gear didn’t have to be chopped and changed so often. For those with more permanent systems these feet are highly recommended.”
THE EAR
“We haven’t changed our mind: in a well-combined system stands, platforms and other anti-vibration accessories should only be the cherry on the proverbial cake. In this case however, we admit this is a delicious cherry”
HI-FI CHOICE
In 2015, we had the great pleasure of featuring the Ceramic Disc Fat Foot on the cover of issue 346 of Asia’s most prestigious audio magazine, HiFi Review.
The same issue also featured a review and test of the aforementioned stands.
This test is available only in the print edition of the magazine.
“…The sound we get with the Modular shelf has a low center of gravity. The midbass is strong, energetic, and it places the sound in the lower part of the band…
…Taking into account the price, however, we notice that this shelf does not extinguish the energy of the transmission and at the same time softens its high midrange. It avoids the common problem of heavy racks – suffocating energy – but also of light racks, which have their own resonances located high, which sharpens and brightens the midrange, and often the treble as well. The Modular never did this, neither with the Kronos turntable nor with the Ancient Audio player. In fact, it thickened the sound…
…The voices had a full sound, were dense and big. The same goes for other instruments, such as the saxophone on a Sonny Rollins album or Fausto Mesolelle’s classical guitar…
…We get a low bass and a gentle treble. However, what we will most like is the midrange and what the shelf does with space. The back planes are enhanced with it. They have good Resolution and clarity. The view to the rear of the stage is exceptionally natural, delivering a rich spatial experience that is usually lost in the cacophony of “effects”…
…Modular was conceived as a system for beginner music lovers and audiophiles, but also for those who want something more than an IKEA shelf… The shelf system is simple in design, but offers a wide range of “interpretation” possibilities, depending on our requirements and expectations. The table is precisely and beautifully crafted, and looks great when assembled. I think this is just the beginning of Paweł Skulimowski’s adventure with the Modular system. RED Fingerprint…”
HIGH FIDELITY
Franc Audio Accessories had the pleasure of appearing on the cover of the French audio magazine – VU METRE No. 21, with the Wood Block Fat Platform during the presentation of the Ayon Audio Crossfire III tube amplifier.
“This is a strictly limited edition – only 50 units were produced. So less than nothing, suffice it to say that Ayon Audio has 55 distributors worldwide, each of whom blindly ordered several to a dozen units before this version was even released. Now it’s up to the Ayon people to sort it out… Each unit has a special plaque on the back panel, featuring the “High Fidelity” logo, a serial number (x/50), and Gerhard’s signature. One of the most important features of the HF Edition is the inclusion of Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc anti-vibration feet in a special finish…
…And finally: “…” already owns the CD-35 HF Edition, number 2/50, Gerhard has kept copy number 3/50 for himself, and “High Fidelity” has retained copy number 1/50 as a reference. Only 47 copies will be available for sale. So, it might be worth planning, ordering, and booking your listening session now, before it’s too late.”
HIGH FIDELITY
„Every piece of the puzzle in front of me became slightly more distinguishable and less attention and effort had to be given in order to single-out individual instruments or sounds. Yet all of that happened effortlessly and naturally. I got the impression that the Wood Block Rack didn’t serve as a magnifying glass for music (which oftentimes leads to tonal balance upped a bit), but simply sorted things out, filtered the sound in a way and in effect has made it this much more refined.”
HIFI KNIGHTS
From what I understand, the Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc TH were supposed to be proof that it’s possible to create soundly satisfying anti-vibration stands/feet at a reasonable price point, and… And Paweł Franc Skulimowski almost succeeded. Almost, because he calculated a price that was, by audiophile standards, extremely reasonable – just over €200 for a three-pack and just under €300 for a four-pack. However, I dare say he clearly underestimated the scale of the improvement brought by these accessories, which opened his portfolio. During testing, it turned out that the THs, without any inferiority complexes, either with their older siblings or with any of the competition, simply do their job – improve the sound of electronics placed on them. For the uninformed and somewhat distracted, I’ll emphasize the key word – “improve,” meaning we’re dealing solely with progress, not just a change, which doesn’t necessarily mean improvement. At this point, I have no choice but to stop sugarcoating and leave the title footer where they belong and where they worked best – under the Lumin U2 Mini, thus adding them to the permanent components of my regular audio track.
SOUNDREBELS
Using the titular platform for the Danish amp resulted in an interesting re-evaluation of the music’s projection. I perceived these changes as increased breathability and a delicate burst of light in the upper midrange, thus creating a sense of greater lightness in the overall presentation, which is a priority for me. Not a brightening effect, which would result in earache at loud volumes, but a certain airiness. And that’s not the end of the interesting things, because the Fat application, while leaving the midrange energy at a familiar level, in a way known only to me, also contributed to the bass projection. Suddenly, there was a bit more of it. Naturally, still under control, but perceptibly lusher. I admit, the effect turned out to be interesting enough to be worth considering from the perspective of potentially keeping the titular hero permanently. Not that I suffer from any lack of airiness in the treble and upper midrange, or boost in the bottom end, but you can never have too much of a good sound. This is especially true since the music has clearly taken on a greater drive, which, when compared to my extensive repertoire, from jazz to freestyle and hard rock, is invaluable. Typically, such arrangements operate on one level, either adding weight or lightening the presentation, a sort of trade-off. Meanwhile, Franc’s product resonated in two interesting ways. And most importantly, without invasiveness. To the extent that the sonority and effervescence of the quietly played jazz didn’t suffer. On the other hand, despite being more spirited than usual, the boisterous rockers were still very digestible. And it didn’t matter whether I used music as a panacea for heart palpitations caused by everyday life’s problems—meaning, I listened relatively quietly—or as a boost of adrenaline on a cloudy day, to awaken me emotionally—the volume knob cranked up to the level of well-understood pain, the system’s amplification stabilized by its native base always provided a distortion-free, and consequently, transparent and vibrant, excellent insight into each recording. Yes, it sometimes had production issues—if any were present in the material, but precisely because, despite its fine craftsmanship, it was a performance of truth, not a mere slap-dash of everything, the designer deserves a huge round of applause. So genuine from me, that the delivered black-and-white pedestal has never left my sanctuary.
SOUNDREBELS
“In the case of the Wood Block Slim Platform from Franc Audio Accessories, we can confidently say it continues the trend set by the Elbląg manufacturer’s earlier products. Its operation is simple and straightforward – it filters and removes anything that isn’t a useful signal from what reaches our ears. Furthermore, its consistency doesn’t hide anything from the source material, which on the one hand results in phenomenal differentiation between recordings, but on the other makes us look back longingly at the past, when recording simply required the ability to sing and play. If you’re in the mood for such an audiophile polygraph, you should explore Franc Audio Accessories products as soon as possible.”
“The tested platform has all the features essential for business success, such as appearance and sonic properties. Whether this direction of change is right for us after eliminating harmful vibrations is something we must answer for ourselves. However, downplaying these phenomena impoverishes our perception of music by forcing devices to fight things that are not their primary purpose. Let’s relieve them of this process in favor of precisely designed resonators…”
SOUNDREBELS
“Paweł Skulimowski’s platform is flawlessly crafted. This is a hallmark of all his products; once noticed and appreciated, it will become a benchmark for all other manufacturers. This was true in 2010, when I first unpacked his anti-vibration bases, and it remains true today.”
HIGH FIDELITY
“When we used the footers under various electronics, our unanimous verdict was that they added to the stability of the image and lowered the system’s noise floor. Compared to solid footers like cones and plate-ball-plate or ball-on-plate footers which change the overall sound, the Franc Audio Accessories footers left the tonality of the sound unchanged. We thus didn’t get ‘more bass’ or ‘sparklier highs’ which can suddenly appear after putting a device on new footers. With only one set of three Franc Audio Accessories footers on hand, the most beneficial outcome for us was when they were deployed under our Phasure NOS1 DAC source component. In conclusion we can say that the clever way of constructing this multi-tiered multi-stage vibration control device is highly effective. Besides isolating the device from its support surface, the footer also neutralizes casing vibrations without altering the sound’s core tonality. Lower noise not changed timbres could be the product’s slogan…” (Marja&Henk)
6MOONS
“What happened when I first switched to the Ceramic Disc Slim Feet was simply sensational: whereas previously the buzzing in my legs seemed to come from one direction when I tapped my feet, now I could suddenly hear a slight spatial shift with each footstep. The drumbeats no longer came with the same tremendous force every time, but now varied significantly in intensity. Thanks to the Franc Discs, the LumenWhite speakers simply conveyed more information. Speaking of details, the differences compared to the Harmonix speakers are truly more than subtle! To avoid accusations of mindless euphoria, I briefly returned to the Harmonix speakers. But this only confirmed how exceptionally well the Franc Ceramic Disc Slim Feet speakers sharpen the sound under the DiamondLight speakers.
STATEMENT
The Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc Classic speakers provide a significant improvement in sound quality in my room, with both tube and solid-state power amplifiers, compared to placing them directly on the floor. They also outperform previously optimized speaker placement in many comparisons. The effect of the Ceramic Disc Slim Feet is—and I’ll happily repeat it—simply sensational: they give my speakers significantly more detail. They are simply irreplaceable. More to the point: you absolutely must try them!” (Dirk Sommer)
HIFI STATEMENT
“Contrary to appearances, Ceramic Disc Classics don’t smooth or embellish sound. They merely prevent what’s meant to reach the speakers from being contaminated or degraded by unwanted, yet unfortunately ubiquitous, vibrations. They provide a highly effective barrier against both external vibrations trying to penetrate the bowels of our precious devices and mutual interference between individual components of the audio chain. In my opinion, they earn a sincere recommendation.”
SOUNDREBELS
This is the first review of the Ceramic Disc Classic from Franc Audio Accessories, which appeared in the audio press in October 2009 in the Polish magazine Audio. Since then, everything has changed, and the company has begun to gain momentum.