Why Stillpoints Are Worth Taking Seriously
There is a version of hi-fi that stops at the components — the amplifier, the turntable, the speakers — and a version that goes further. Stillpoints belong to the second version. They are vibration control devices: precisely engineered supports and isolators that sit beneath your equipment and between your room and your signal chain. The effect, for those who have heard them properly demonstrated, is not subtle.
Stillpoints are made in the USA and have been refining their approach to resonance control for over two decades. The principle is straightforward: mechanical vibrations — from motors, transformers, floor movement, and airborne energy from your speakers — corrupt the signal path. Stillpoints intercept and dissipate that energy before it reaches the components that matter.
What Stillpoints Actually Do
Every piece of hi-fi equipment sits in a mechanical environment. Turntables, CD transports, and DACs are all sensitive to vibration in ways that manifest as smearing, reduced low-level detail, and a flattening of the soundstage. Stillpoints use a patented bearing and ceramic ball system to drain vibrational energy away from the component rather than simply absorbing it. The distinction matters: isolation alone can cause problems with some equipment; controlled dissipation is a more precise solution.
The result, in practice, is tighter bass, improved imaging, and a lower apparent noise floor — the kind of improvement that makes familiar recordings sound as though something has been cleaned from the signal.
The Range We Stock
We stock a focused range of Stillpoints products, each suited to a different application.
The Stillpoints Ultra 1 S is the entry point into the Ultra series — a compact, high-performance footer suitable for a wide range of components. If you are new to Stillpoints and want to understand what they do on your system, this is the place to start.
The Stillpoints Ultra 5 V2 steps up the performance considerably, with a more sophisticated bearing arrangement that handles heavier components and delivers more of the resolution and dynamic control that the technology is capable of.
For those seeking the fullest expression of the Ultra series, the Stillpoints Ultra 6 is the flagship footer. It represents the most refined implementation of Stillpoints' resonance dissipation technology and is the choice for ambitious systems where the last measure of performance is the goal.
The Stillpoints LPI is a record weight designed specifically for turntable use. It couples the record to the platter more effectively and applies the same vibrational control principles to the source itself — an elegant solution for vinyl systems.
For rack-level isolation, the Stillpoints ESS Rack builds the isolation directly into the furniture. It is a serious piece of equipment for serious systems, and it removes the compromise of placing isolating footers on a rack that is itself poorly controlled.
The Stillpoints Aperture II takes the approach into the room itself — a room treatment panel that uses Stillpoints technology to address the acoustic environment rather than the equipment. For rooms where treatment is needed but conventional foam panels are not acceptable, it is a sophisticated and considered alternative.
Where to Start
If your system is already well sorted and you want to hear what it is genuinely capable of, Stillpoints footers are one of the most effective and reversible upgrades available. They do not change the character of your equipment — they remove interference that is obscuring it.
The Ultra 1 S under a DAC or CD transport is a low-risk starting point. Under a turntable, the LPI in combination with footers can produce a significant change in how the system handles the low-level detail that vinyl is capable of.
Hear Them at Our Norwich Showroom
We can demonstrate Stillpoints at our Norwich showroom — and a demonstration is the right way to assess them. The improvement is not something that translates well into words; it is something you hear immediately when a familiar track is played with and without them.
Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. Dave and Chris are on hand to discuss hi-fi and to help you work out where Stillpoints would make the most difference in your system.
Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.
