There have been many updates starting with the upgrade to Legacy Valor speakers & Wavelet (now v2) and continuing on through upgrades across the entire system through February 2024. The combined effect of all these upgrades is a significant up-leveling of all aspects of system playback and musical realism.
Many system configurations have come and gone since the 1970s growing up.
My first exposure to RTR Tape and Vinyl as well as playing music was with my father who had a local jazz swing band, played trumpet & piano and arranged music. He taught me the love of playing and listening to great music, how important it was in life and so much more.
Many thanks to the countless people I have spoken with, read posts from, interacted with and learned much from over the years. The system has attained a state of organic and natural qualities and pure enjoyment of music that I have sought for a very long time and I'm very grateful to have it all.
Dimensions: 17’ × 14’ Medium
Ceiling: 8’
Excellent power cables....I have multiple in my system.
I owned a large rack system of multiple racks of Adona AV45 going back to 2003 & 4 with very good results. The AV45 racks can be assembled in many different variations/configurations and i've had alot of them between my old 7.1 & 2 ch hybrid system that I had in CT from 2003-2007 and then moved to other homes I've had in SC prior to me selling off all the HT/multimedia components and speakers in 2008-2009. The flexibility of Adona allowed to treat is as an "audio erector set" if you will and rebuild into many different rack configurations from 2009 until last years in several different homes and system configurations. If you look back at my virtual system and scroll down, you can see a sampling of photos that show the systems while also seeing a few of the rack configurations I was able to build out of all the parts.
Adona AV45 (and his other racks) have varying levels (as you go up the model list) of use of sound constrained layer damping techniques both in the multi-layer platforms as well as the use of different materials in the racks themselves. These CLD techniques help capture and channel vibration away from the gear.
Many of us have also found that supplemental use of higher-end footers, fine-tuned additional platforms and/or or damping platforms helps refine the performance even further. Roxy, Mike L and others all have long experience with Adona as do both myself and 9 other people I know who either have a newer line (ERIS) or the AV45 line with a heavy emphasis for those who have bought in the last 5 years of adopting the ERIS models. There an additional 2 who have gone with the Zero GX and the level that replaces it (Altaira). Others like Mike L have the top model, the Zero GXT for their most important turntables and related components.
After 19 years with the AV45 racks, I decided last year to begin the process of swapping out my AV45 one rack at a time and moving to the Zero GX (has 3" columns while the Zero GXT has 4", both have slightly different aspects to them). From what Paul tells me the Zero GX has been replaced by the Altair for both design and supply chain reasons (the Altair is the next-gen design). I finished the Zero GX upgrade with the last rack section early this year.
I was alway very happy with both the flexibility, price, overall value, function and look of the AV45 gear. The Zero GX performs and looks even better and I an extremely happy. The fit and finish of the Zero racks and other new models is even better and in the case of the Zero GX I was able to hear an even better sonic result in imaging performance and other aspects.
The great thing about Adona is that the multi-element platforms will hold any weight component I've had on them from 15 lbs to 150 lbs (and I'm told others put more on them). The platforms are the same for all Adona racks and can be made into custom sizes in addition to the stock 18x18 (inch) and 19x24, 19x,21 stock sizes. You can by the platforms with your first rack once and then use them over many different Adona rack models.
The Zero and his latest models are a meaningful improvement; the AV45 however is nonetheless still a great performer for the money.
There are higher cost, more sophisticated (i.e. more detailed tech and designs), even more beautiful and fancier racks and platforms out there. Some of have limitations in terms of configurability, movement of shelves after initial build at time of purchase, etc... there are several major names on the "uber racks" list that frankly I think are great options from US, UK, Europe, South Korea. All are excellent. All have one thing in common,....the uber rack options are all extremely, and sometimes outrageously expensive. They will also take months to build and deliver and while frankly Adona builds at time of order and this can range from 2-8 weeks in my experience depending size of order, materials supply, previously in queue how they are still much faster than the 4-6 month timeframes and less costly than the uber options I looked at both in 2002-3 and over the last couple of years.
Adona gets the job done and at a fair price. The direct-sale model helps with the economics too for obvious reasons.
You can pay multiple time more and get more or different or better in some way but honestly, I cannot justify the $75K-$100K+ (or more) that it would take in 3 different other manufacturers rack and platform systems based on quotes I have procured to try to do what I need with my 3 favorite uber-rack manufacturers.
There many, many options out there as well for alternate solutions at the same price points as Adona, many available in all countries, some not available outside of Asia or Europe or Eastern Europe (or other areas) that also great options.
For me, it's Adona for over 20 years and for the foreseeable future.
YMMV and IMHO and ll that :-)
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Just completed a major upgrade in terms of totally decoupling an almost 300 lb speaker that stands 6 feet 1 inch tall from the room to eliminate the prodigious amounts of energy this speaker can produce from feeding into the floor and subfloor (and crawlspace under house) and ultimately feeding back into the speaker. This delivered a lot more than even the highest expectations I had. I'd researched available options for over a year and even considered going back to the use of Stillpoint Ultras 5's (now v2) or other footers like Magico MPODs (sized for M6 speakers) or the larger IsoAcoustics footers and received a great recommendation from a friend to look at Townshend Audio from the UK.
Townshend Audio custom podium journey….began this design project back in January after several months last year of investigation into many other excellent products in this space from HiFiStays, Magico MPODS, IsoAcoustics and many others.
I decided upon Townshend after quite a few conversations with other “big speaker owners” who had bought and used all other top offerings for high-end footers with the larger speakers models from YG Acoustics, Wilson, Magico and also Legacy Whisper XDS and MBL 101e MkII and MBL Extreme owners. They all wound up with Townshend’s podiums as their preferred solution, some after spending many thousands more on competing solutions.
Townshend makes 5 different standard sizes of the platforms for different combinations of size plinth and weight-bearing capacity from 50kg up to 200kg. They can accommodate any speaker over 200kg of any weight through a custom design and going from 4 to 6 load cells.
Due to the unique angled back profile, the size of the Legacy Valor plinth, a 298-pound actual weight of my speakers as-built and the height (6 feet 1")
plus their load distribution a custom sized Townshend product was needed. The same is true of the other Wilson, larger Magico, MBL and YG owners
I spoke with. The process of collaborating with Townshend was great and they were extremely responsive at all points even allowing me first hand calls and emails with their lead engineer to arrive at the CAD drawings needed to commission the project. As a result, they now have an option for any Legacy VALOR owner in their design portfolio.
Townshend completed the order after commit in the shortest time possible (about 5-6 weeks) and then shipped them in custom-built real wood crates. They arrived without any issue whatsoever.
The finish quality is heavy duty, beautiful and first class in every way. I am very happy with the end product. This project was measured and designed down to millimeters to facilitate the CAD and laser-cutting processes. When I got them out of the crates, they were exactly to promise and to measure.
Pardon the blue masking tape in the photos...I am still tweaking final speaker position based upon original best-position.
The playback quality of the speakers once installed on them far exceeds any expectations I had, and have markedly improved every single aspect of playback, including bass of course, all the way up through midrange and treble clarity, total imaging, soundstage depth, density, 3D rendering, etc..
It's also an amazing thing to see an almost 300 lb, 6' 1" speaker "float" and when pushed, easily move in 3 dimensions, and quickly absorb the shocks and return to stationary in a matter of seconds. The bigger surprise is to feel absolutely zero vibration and resonance in the floor directly in front of the speaker and yet feel the force of bass, mid-bass, etc...moving air.
Very happy with the results and looking forward to listening to a lot more music to re-explore my speakers!