Steve C. – UK

“The Stabiliser lends a slightly more detailed and open presentation to the sound of vinyl, with a tight bass and more transparent midrange and treble apparent.”

“Having auditioned and purchased Stack Audio Auva EQ footers (3 for under my turntable and a set of 4, to support my power amp) back in March, this year, I decided to take a punt on their latest stable additions of Serene Stabiliser (record puck) and Serene platter mat.

The Serene Stabiliser is quite lightweight, for a record puck, weighing in at less than 100g, and costs £195. The Serene Mat sells for £75 and both are available, together with a 60 day, money back guarantee, from The Stack Audio website.

Both items are exceptionally well made and presented in Stack Audio’s usual sturdy packaging and it is obvious that a lot of thought and innovation has gone into their design and manufacturing.

I began by replacing my usual record puck (the substantial Stillpoints LP1, weighing a “satanic” 666g on my TW Acoustics Raven One turntable (a non-suspended design, which I have owned since 2010). The heavy Stillpoints LP1 is not really suitable for a turntable with a sprung suspension, but I have used it in conjunction with my Raven One, without issue.

In comparison, the Stack Audio Serene Stabiliser lends a slightly more detailed and open presentation to the sound of vinyl, with a tight bass and more transparent midrange and treble apparent. I suspect that the weight of the Stillpoints LP1 enhances the bass at the expense of slightly suppressing the mids and highs.

There is no “leanness” to the bass when the Serene Stabiliser is used, but everything comes together, when the puck is deployed in partnership with the Serene Mat.

The combination of the two results in what I would describe as a reduction in “record roar” – the noise of the stylus tracing the record groove and resulting in a reduction in the system noise floor and overall background hash, usually associated with vinyl replay, when compared to digital.

The combination of puck and mat lends a some what euphonic presentation to the sound, by which I mean, that everything sounds very musical and wholesome.

For those interested in the technological background, I would refer you to Stack Audio’s website for a full explanation, but the bottom line is all about vibration control, the puck dealing with vibration from the turntable bearing and spindle and the mat, with it’s four dimple “suspensions” dissipating the vibration within the revolving vinyl record.

The Aussie Audiophile also has some interesting thoughts on his YouTube channel.

With the 60-day money back guarantee and generous forum discount code (maverick5), for an outlay of just over £260 for puck and mat, I would urge you to give it a try!”