Black Diamond Racing

The Pyramid Cones & The Shelf

What is Black Diamond Racing?
BDR was founded to explore the application of advanced composite materials, such as carbon fiber, to alternative structures.

What was discovered?
It was found that vibration has a far more significant effect on audio than most people realized. BDR's research and testing, including evaluation by some of the best equipment and ears in the world, indicated it was a combination of high rigidity along with high damping rates, that provided by far the best results. As carbon fiber has five times the tensile strength of steel, they found it to be the best material for optimal performance available at this time.

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Do they really work?
Absolutely. Using a race car analogy, you could have the best engine in the world, but it is unlikely the skinny tires from Sears will get you the checkered flag. The feedback we have received is the Pyramid Cones alone will improve the performance of a component by 50% or more. The most frequently heard comment, be it from recording engineers, manufacturers, retailers, or consumers, is "I am hearing things in the music I have never heard before." BDR believes the proper isolation structures will allow fine componentry to reach their fullest performance potential.

What should I use?
BDR found a systematic approach works best. Following the recommendation of "The Shelf" by Wes Phillips in the February 1996 issue of Stereophile, we had many people wanting The Shelf for their source component. The overall performance of a system will be best enhanced by Coning the system first, thereby bringing the entire system to a higher level. Then start working on getting the isolation to the next level, The Shelf.

Where, oh where, should my little Cones go?
The feedback we get is the Pyramid Cones are effective virtually everywhere. Transports and DACs. LDs and VCRs. Turntables. Preamps and amps. Speakers. Crossovers. Power supplies. The Cones should be placed under or near the critical elements of the component, such as drive mechanisms, power supplies, circuit board mounting points, etc.

Which end is up?
The rule of thumb is to keep the tip of the Cone to the resonant surface. For example, with a component on a typical MDF shelf, you will most likely want the flat of the Cone to the component. BDR has found, however, that when using a high rigidity platform such as The Shelf in conjunction with the Pyramid Cones, that the components is now the resonant surface, and that excellent results are obtained by keeping the tip of the Cone to the component.

Which Cone do I use?
The Pyramid Cones Mk3 have been designed to be a bit "warmer" sounding, but without top and bottom end rolloff. They are preferred under solid state equipment about 75% of the time. We are also seeing a slight preference for the Mk3s under digital equipment. The Mk4s are linear, and are preferred under tubes about 75% of the time.

I have all solid state; I need Mk3s.
Not! We insist that people try both types of Cones, as you never quite know what will happen in your system. With a satisfaction guaranteed policy, and less than a .005% return rate, we are reasonably certain one or the other, or both, will be a significant improvement in your system. Do not be surprised if you prefer different types of Cones under different components. In fact, you can expect it.

What about The Shelf?
The Pyramid Cones were designed as an initial vibration control structure, and may very well be the best performance for the money in audio. BDR found it necessary to use a panel such as The Shelf to reach the next level of performance. The benefits of The Shelf are best realized by Double Coning. In other words, using Cones underneath the carbon panel to an original structure, and then another set of Cones between the component and the carbon Shelf. By offsetting the Cones so they are not directly opposed, the maximum use of the panel, and therefore its characteristics, can be attained. Remember to allow the component to determine proper Cone location. If there is not sufficient height to Double Cone, damping materials can provide excellent results.

What about The Source?
BDR found under mechanical systems such as turntables and transports, a stiffer panel section can provide additional benefits. The best results have been achieved with tables and transports to date, and with some electronic components.

How do I start?
Get to know your system and its accessories, first of all. For example, metal cones will tend to sound "bright" or hard, as will granite. Damping materials will tend to sound soft, rolling off the top, as do MDF and particle board structures. Rule # l is to trust your own ears, and experiment to find what is really affecting your system; it may not be at all what you suspect. What works for your pal or a reviewer may not be the best for your setup. However, 99.995% of the time...

 
Black Diamond Racing's "Round Things" Record Clamp

The Round Things record clamp is another one of Black Diamond Racing's famous, stable of carbon fiber resonance control products. Its a two-piece clamping system consisting of a thin circular disc called the "coaster", and a thick rounded puck, both fashioned from carbon fiber and finished in a high gloss.

The coaster is the interface portion of the clamp designed to be sandwiched between the LP's label area and the threaded puck. The bottom of the coaster contains a recessed area, said to aid in the coupling of record and clamp, and its edge is beveled to forty-five degrees so as to provide adequate clearance during a cartridge's traversal of the LP's runout groove.

The fibrous material used by Black Diamond Racing enables the Round Things clamp to more effectively damp motor and bearing induced micro-vibrations, as well as those which result from the stylus/vinyl interface itself making the Round Things record clamp superior to all others.

Still, the clamp's musical contributions are nothing short of profound. Music blooms in mid to lower bass region, and has a degree of weight and tautness. The Black Diamond Racing clamp presents a tight, articulate performance.

With the Round Things, music had a newfound energy and vitality without the side-effects of edge or glare, mid and lower bass energy is more focused resulting in better low-end articulation, and complex orchestral passages are more readily unraveled - rather impressive for a device which is, after all, comprised of nothing more than two pieces of machined carbon fiber!