[ Home TNT-Audio | Staff & Contacts | HiFi Playground | Listening tests | DIY & Tweakings | Music & Books ]

Esseci Relaxa Aequilibrium

A true technical tour de force

Product: isolation platform for electronics and speakers
Manufacturer: Esseci Design - Italy
Recommended Retail Price: ± 3600€
Reviewer: Piero Canova - TNT-Audio Italy
Reviewed: February, 2025

Premise

What are we talking about

I had already tested the Relaxa 750 magnetic levitation platform in January 2022, obtaining very positive results, and I thought that this technology had reached the limit that could be achieved, but as usual I was wrong. At Esseci, they have posed the problem of how to take the concept of the spike as a support base to the extreme. Without going into too much detail, when we decide to replace the standard feet under our devices, we use two different approaches: insulating and damping materials or rigid couplings that connect the device to the support surface below. Among the latter, the most common solution is the spike. I believe there have been treaties written on spikes and you can find them in various shapes and very different materials. They have their own sound imprint in the sense that, generally, the use of spikes is associated with a drying effect on the bass and a general effect of cleaning the sound. Normally, three or four of them are used under the device that you want to treat, in most cases combined with tailstocks to avoid damaging the support surface.
Esseci asked themselves the question of whether it was possible to build a base that rests on a single spike and that has a maximum capacity of 100 kg. As you can understand, designing a spike that can support 100 kg without deforming, that can stay balanced and that can play well is not a trivial exercise, but in the end they succeeded and presented it at various fairs, obtaining first prize at the AA Award Grand Prix in Japan last December, so we are faced with a product that has already received important approval. From a construction point of view, it consists of two metal frames of significant mass that are kept apart by four magnets placed at the corners; a very thick glass surface rests on the upper frame on which our component rests. In the image below you can see the detail of one of the corners.

The lower magnets can be adjusted in height to level the platform. The upper frame has a deep slot in the center where the spike that will support the entire load is inserted. It is a spike of significant size and mass made of three different materials: stainless steel below, brass in the center and aluminum to fill the brass. In the photo below you will see the spike, the tailstock and a mouse to help you appreciate the size of these two pieces.

The spike and tailstock are not in a fixed position. Since the component usually weighs more on one side because it contains the power supply and transformer, you will have to move the tip in the direction in which the plane slopes. Also, the small play that allows you to insert the spike disappears and all the mass is supported by it. The question at this point is how it behaves and what effects it has on the sound of our components.

How does it sound?

The first thing I was advised to do was to put a device with a certain mass on it. I was expecting a super spike sound and instead the result is very different. Let me explain: that drying effect at the lower frequencies tending to arid that I have found in many tests is not there and this intrigued me a lot. I asked for clarification and the answer was that, above a certain load, the spike is built to behave like a spring; it may seem strange but elastic elements in solid metal are normally used in the automotive industry and are called torsion bars. In this case, the construction provides that one metal of the spike acts as an elastic element while another probably plays the role of vibration damper. The result is a sound that is halfway between that of an elastic element and a spike. It could be close to that of a very well damped spring suspension but without that tendency to thicken the sound that springs often have. I could sum it all up by saying that it adds up the positive aspects of both solutions while cancelling the negative ones. I tested it by placing it under turntables, CD mechanics and amplifiers and the most obvious advantages are, in my opinion, under the turntables and mechanics. Under the amplifiers you notice less and in many cases I had to add weight on top of the device. Putting a DAC on top is a losing game. In most of the tests carried out, the result was an improvement compared to the classic systems that are used; it does not add its own sound and this is sometimes confusing since you go back to listening to the sound of the component without the overlapping of that of the normal feet. It is strictly forbidden to add together the feet and the platform in the sense that you no longer understand if the sound you hear is due to the platform, the feet or their interaction.

Cons: the base alone weighs 23 kg and if you put a device on it that weighs at least 10 kg, make sure the cabinet holds. It is not difficult to assemble but requires time and patience to centre everything. It costs a lot and therefore needs an adequate system to express itself; at least check the possibility of listening to it first at the distributor to evaluate whether you like the result or not.

Conclusions

This platform is a real technical tour de force of mechanics and statics. It costs a lot but given the construction quality and the technical solutions adopted it cannot be otherwise. Undoubtedly it works very well but it must be evaluated in your context. I forgot that it is truly beautiful aesthetically; I could see a pair under two class A power amps or one under a turntable with a somewhat particular design like a Scheu all in shiny acrylic. Seeing this crystal plate that floats without constraints except for a large central spike is truly a beautiful example of design. Last but not least, thank you Silvano Cremonesi for the interesting discussions and the courtesy of giving me the sample to test.

Did you enjoy this article? You can support our free, advertising-free magazine with a small Paypal donation using the button below. Thank you!

© Copyright 2025 Piero Canova - piero@tnt-audio.com - www.tnt-audio.com

[ Home TNT-Audio | Staff & Contacts | HiFi Playground | Listening tests | DIY & Tweakings | Music & Books ]