In Part 1 of this review, I had a great time listening to the awesome but temporarily incomplete Gingko VCS Toolkit, and I was looking forward to receiving the Cloud22 Bases to complete the review. When the bases did arrive I was intrigued to find that Vinh Vu also sent me the new Cloud22 wool balls that are a replacement for the rubber balls that Gingko has used for many years in their Cloud turntable isolation platforms. So, this review now includes the complete VCS Toolkit but also two bonus vibration control components, the Cable ARCH and the aforementioned Cloud22 wool balls.
An aside. While waiting for the remainder of the toolkit to arrive I discovered a mystery titled Written in Dead Wax from Andrew Cartmel's The Vinyl Detective series. A riveting read from a vinyl lover's point of view. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Check these out.
If you haven't read the VCS Toolkit review Part 1 is (HERE)
In Part 1, I was particularly fascinated with the performance of the new Equipment ARCHs, especially when they were installed directly on my floorstanding speakers in place of their existing spikes. I left those in place, along with the Equipment ARCHs under the Doge Clarity preamp and the Mini-ARCHs under the DENAFRIPS Pontus DAC. I also left the Cable ARCHs in the system for Part 2, which concentrates on the Cloud22 bases, and also the Cloud22 wool balls vs. the original rubber balls in my Cloud 9 turntable isolation platform.
Small Cloud22 Bases with tube monoblocks
I've owned my hand-wired Quicksilver Mid-monos for a decade and still love 'em. They're still in production, unlike most audio products from more than a decade ago. They are that classic push-pull EL34 sound, and as long as you do a good job matching speakers you'll be rewarded. They've been upgraded with after-market power cables, Equa-rack multi-footers, Audyn German copper foil caps, and tube-rolled with PSVANE EL 34s, Shuguang Treasure 12AX7 input, and GE NOS 6922 driver tubes.
I installed the Cloud22 bases directly under the chassis, close to the feet. I felt the more contact they had with the chassis case the better. I brought up Roon, pressed play, and suddenly the amps came alive, as if they were almost a little dull before. The presentation evolved such that it was much easier for me to pick out previously obscure detail. Transients, attack, pace, timing…wow. I began to hear subtleties I previously hadn't thought about, and found myself pulsing along with the music, and not in an insignificant way. More like what I feel on stage during a performance that's really working. Instruments/voices combined to produce textures I began to understand in a different way. The highs and lows improved, but the midrange…damn. These little half-balls of wool treated my ears to a new sophisticated version of vivid mids I've never heard before in my system. Good recordings really benefited, and great recordings….sweet. I preferred them to the more expensive footers I was using up until now.
From the Gingko website: "The Cloud22 products use wool, in the shape of a ball or hemisphere, as vibration control material. When compressed under load, the wool fibers turn vibration energy into heat. The inert structure and composition of wool do not have a natural resonance that can add spurious vibration and smear the sound."
Small Cloud22 Bases with 150 watt Solid-State Power Amp
Been listening to a couple of solid-state amps for the first time in many years. As a result, some of my fellow tube lovers are throwing a little shade my way. But hey, as summers get hotter I decided a summertime SS amp to counteract the heat that accumulates from my EL34 monoblocks should be in my future.
I installed the Cloud22 bases under a borrowed 150 watt 55 lb solid-state amp biased heavily into Class A, and to say I was surprised is an understatement. The amp sounded pretty damn good to start with, but I never expected to hear a vibration control device do much for a big brute transistor amp. With the Cloud22 there was again glorious midrange. Clean, clear, almost tube-like. A bit of smearing in the vocals I never noticed before was gone. Soundstage textures seemed a bit thicker, in a good way. The 3-D depth of the soundstage increased. Vocal image was slightly wider, and sibilants more natural. Because the mids had me so captivated it took a while to notice that the bass became better integrated, and highs had a teensy more sparkle. Once again, I'm moving, pulsing. Not to the music, but with the music.
I've never before heard an accessory (other than power conditioners and power cables) do so much for a solid-state power amp. It's a cost-effective way to upgrade your SS amp without buying expensive accessories or changing any of the discreet circuitry. The Cloud22 bases made it easy, in fact exciting, to accept a seasonal silicon-based power amp into my system.
The performance of the Cloud22 Bases was impressive on both tube and SS amps. To understand more, read the whitepaper on this unusual product (HERE)
A Bonus: Wool balls for the Cloud 9 turntable platform
Up until this point in the review I'd been doing all my listening streaming Qobuz via Roon. A few years ago when I evaluated Qobuz I spent some time comparing the streaming service tracks to the files burned into my SSD. At the end what I experienced was a bell curve. Most of the music was so similar I had to really strain my ears to notice any difference. And yup, a few sounded worse, but a few sounded much better. Given the popularity of Qobuz, you probably experienced the same. You probably also experienced the convenience. So easy to sit in the spot, open a Golden Monkey (a Belgian-style Tripel that gets my vote as one of the best brewed in the U.S.) and enjoy almost unlimited high-quality music at your fingertips without getting up.
But, time to go analog. It had been a few weeks. My VPI Scoutmaster is a little long in the tooth, but it still performs well, and when I compare it the oh-so-convenient streaming—it sounds so much better. You forget.
Components that stay in my system a long time are those I never think about, just enjoy. Along with the VPI, I've used the Gingko Cloud 9 for many years, and for me it's a must have if you use a low to mid-priced deck. With the Scoutmaster I've been using a Panasonic EPC 451 Strain gauge cartridge, and with its matching Panasonic SE-405 CD-4 Disc Demodulator amp—built for 4 channel records many years ago. I could go on about this cartridge, but let's just say everyone who hears about it has a perplexed look…until they actually hear it.
The Cloud22 wool balls were calling, meant to replace the existing rubber balls that are sandwiched between the Cloud 9 and the 'table. I remember when I first heard about the wool balls. What would you think? Wool? I was a bit skeptical. But then again, I was skeptical about the original ARCHs.
Making the switch from the rubber balls in my Cloud 9 platform was easy. I didn't even had to move the 'table or platform, just carefully slide the rubber out, slide in the wool. But when I dropped the needle, the effect was so pronounced I thought: is this the same table?
As much as the speaker ARCHs improved my floorstanders, the new Cloud22 balls did for the VPI. Actually, more. I mentioned the midrange goodness the Cloud22 bases provided, but this was a step up. Vivid, lush, midrange magic. It was like the entire midrange band—which vinyl loves anyway—just came alive. In addition, because of the properties of the wool balls—they don't just bounce right back like rubber—I could level the deck just by gently pressing down on the spots the level said were high. I checked later, and it was still level. Interesting.
As listening continued the next thing I noticed was emotion. Momentum. Jump. We can get into much discussion here about prat and timing etc., but the way I think about it is in jazz terms. A group that has a drummer and bass player who are not only in sync with each other, but both play a little on top of the beat—i.e. playing a little ahead of the beat without rushing. When that is working you feel the swing. If it's not, you're yawning. The wool balls turbocharged this effect, possibly even more than what I heard with the Cloud22 Bases on my amps.
It's hard to relate how much this changed my vinyl playback—which I really enjoyed already—but the proof was how many discs I listened to long into that night. The music was swinging. And not just jazz. Everything swung. I did not want to sit still.
After a while I realized I was playing records louder than normal. And I enjoyed it. I don't normally listen very loud, but a little more volume seemed right. Bass was tighter, fuller, with an overall sweetness. Attack, especially on cymbals, shakers, and other higher pitched percussion, was noticeably faster. Decay was likewise longer. Like some inertia had been lifted, I noticed much less ambiguity of exactly what the recording was all about, and heard more layering of dimensional depth in the soundstage.
The Cloud22s will emotionally transform your 'table. If you own a Gingko platform don't even think about it, just buy the wool balls. For a paltry $7 each you can quickly and easily enhance the performance of your turntable.
Summary
The Gingko VCS Toolkit, Cable Risers, and Cloud22 Wool Balls are cost-effective winners. Okay, I've been gushing, but it's seldom I'm so pleasantly amazed. Listening to these vibration control tools put a big smile on my face. The improvement I experienced installing the equipment ARCHs directly into my speakers in place of their spikes noticeably improved their performance. The Cloud22 bases were a total surprise. Even after reading the whitepaper I'm not sure how wool can have this extraordinary effect, especially on a solid-state amp. Possibly the biggest surprise was the Cloud22 wool ball turntable platform replacements. Both the Cloud22 bases and the Cloud22 wool balls allow the midrange to shine through like nothing I've heard before, and make you want to dance. Gingko has some real champs on their hands here, and I recommend that you audition any or all of the products in this review. Easy enough with Gingko's 30-day return policy. But if you heard what I did, I don't think you'll be returning.
Is these very strange economic times where everyone wants a bigger piece of your funds, it's great to come across an audio delight with a very attractive price tag that delivers.
Gingko now has a VCS Toolkit Introductory Sale until June 30, 2022 (HERE)
Gingko Audio VCS Toolkits
Starter VCS Toolkit
Retail: $599 ($499 until June 30). 4 Small Cloud22 Bases, 8 Mini-ARCHs, 8 Equipment/Speaker ARCHs, 1/2" thick
Premium VCS Toolkit
Retail: $899 ($749 until June 30). 8 Small Cloud22 Bases, 12 Mini-ARCHs, 12 Equipment/Speaker ARCHs, 1/2" thick
Cable ARCH
Retail: $249 – $299
Cloud22 balls
Retail: $7 each
Small Cloud22 Bases
Retail: (4) $159
Large Cloud22 Bases
Retail: (4) $199
Gingko
