If you want to enhance the beauty of a high-fidelity system, try the Graphite Audio isolation platform Classic 100. It could well become the secret weapon in your audiophile arsenal…
Founded in Poland in 2020, Graphite Audio is not the result of an ingenious do-it-yourself project, but of almost three years of fundamental research into the vibratory behaviour of equipment. The creator’s credo is to help develop the most natural sound possible. As an experienced audiophile himself, he was able to test a large number of solutions. He very quickly realised that hyper-rigid materials were not at all suited to his specifications. He therefore banned any metal, steel, ceramic or glass parts, because of their tendency to colour certain frequencies. On the contrary, he realised that it was important to use materials capable of natural damping in this type of device. After a long series of in-depth tests on a multitude of available materials, he found that adding graphite to a single polymer provided the most natural material for his accessories. We had already had the opportunity to test the IC 35 Premium cones with very positive results. So we naturally asked Graphiste Audio to lend us its new isolation platform.
As its name suggests, the Classic 100 is 100 mm thick. Our test model arrived covered in an attractive satin matt black lacquer. The structure itself is made up of a succession of very thin layers of wood glued together. There are 140 of them! This top-quality plywood is very expensive, but has the distinctive feature of being dense, inert, damped and rigid all at the same time, all qualities sought after to give the full measure of the most demanding audio equipment. Under the platform, 4 adjustable conical feet made of Graphite Audio polymer ensure perfect horizontality. They are combined with cups made of the same materials. The special design of the feet and bases allows the platform to micro-roll. The platform is available in a variety of finishes. If required, the size of the platform can be customised and made to measure.
In use
Although initially designed to be placed on the floor, the Graphite Audio isolation platform can also be placed on a rack or shelf, provided there is sufficient space and load capacity available. For our part, we obtained excellent operating conditions on our Centaure L. We tested the isolation platform with turntables, DACs, CD players, servers and amplifiers. You just need to make sure that your rack is strong enough to support the 15 kg of the platform in addition to your equipment.
The sound
Of course, you may be sceptical about a lot of very (too?) expensive devices to improve the sound performance of your hi-fi installation. But here, all you have to do is place a piece of equipment you know very well on this platform to realise that something special is happening. What strikes you straight away is the sense of calm and contemplation. It’s as if we’ve lowered the residual noise threshold of the installation. Everything is more serene, more composed. The silences are more deeply felt. As a result, the level of dramatic intensity of the reproduction is increased. And, of course, the dynamic behaviour is affected, with acceleration that’s more forthright but also smoother. Generally speaking, the sound is smoother and more fluid. It would seem that this platform also has repercussions on the quality of the sound architecture, with a wider, more evenly distributed soundstage and much more distinct backgrounds. Sharpness in the sense of depth is greatly improved.
Our conclusion
Given the size and price of this accessory, the question inevitably arises as to whether we recommend it. The answer is more subtle than that, because it’s all a question of proportion! The more ambitious and high-performance your installation, the more obvious the contribution of this platform will be. As you will have realised, we recommend the Graphite Audio tablet mainly for fine hi-fi systems where a substantial investment has already been made. In this context, the tablet will enhance the performance of a fine source or amplifier. We should point out that we obtained the best results with tube electronics, probably because Graphite Audio allows us to perfectly control the microphonic effect of the tubes. If you add to that a very wide range of finishes, each more elegant than the last, you have before you the ideal accessory for combining elegance and performance. An interesting alternative to consider if you want to push the performance of your high-end equipment to the limit.
Specifications
Origin: Poland
Price: from 3569 € (Classic 100)
Standard dimensions (including feet): 495 x 465 x 100 mm (+/- 3 mm)
Feet: 4 – regulated (+/- 4 mm) + Bases
Weight: 14.5 kgs
Maximum load : 220 kgs
