At Reference Sounds we don’t make decisions overnight. We do not simply add a new brand to our range. We have to be really enthusiastic about it ourselves and believe that it is a good addition not only sonically but also synergistically.
HRS Audio Stands are much more than a nice piece of audio furniture. They provide the audio components with an ultra-stable home that minimizes the ingress of mechanical vibration. A much underestimated interference factor in high-quality music reproduction. You can best compare the effectiveness of an HRS Audio Stand with an optimized mains filter for the supply voltage. In fact, it forms a block for mechanical vibration that can obscure fine nuances and peace in the sound image.

HRS is one of the few manufacturers of Audio Stands where suppressing vibrations is the most important principle of the design. Just compare the stability, stiffness and weight of an HRS Stand with any other design and you will understand what we mean. Just like a successful knuckle test on a speaker cabinet, the HRS Audio Stand is completely silent. Not an indicator of quality, but it is clear that vibrations have little chance. No wonder we quickly grew to love HRS!

Harmonic Resolution Systems – history

HRS was founded by Engineer Michael Latvis. For more than 40 years, Michael developed vibration and resonance isolating systems for military applications and the aviation industry, among others. With six patents, he has fully specialized in suppressing and isolating mechanical vibration, shock and resonance during his career. In 1999, he decided to link that experience to his greatest passion and started Harmonic Resolution Systems, which he grew into the world’s most respected manufacturer of vibration isolating components for audio products.

the sound of silence

Almost every electronic component is sensitive to vibrations. Mechanical vibration of coils or capacitors, for example, translates into minute voltage variations and unwanted electrical signals. The electrical term is microphonic effect, HRS aptly summarizes this as noise. Our audio products, in which signal processing is carried out at the cutting edge, are particularly sensitive to these vibrations. They obscure and smear the micro-detail of the music signal. Mechanical vibrations reach the components in our audio circuits mainly through the housing. HRS is therefore fully committed to isolating and/or dissipating vibrations by minimizing panel resonance and eliminating vibration from the subsurface. What is special is that the HRS systems are adaptive. Chassis made of sheet steel or solid milled aluminum, draining energy or insulating, disconnecting a piece of furniture or high-end audio rack, HRS always has a product that fits optimally. That ends with the ultimate high-end audio racks for the absolute purist, but starts with very accessible, interesting add-ons that, when used correctly, can have a huge impact on the sound.
Below we describe the Nimbus Isolation Feet, the DPX Damping Plates and the Isolation Bases. Insulating elements that once heard should not be missing from any system.

NIMBUS ISOLATION FEET

The HRS Nimbus system is a highly effective solution to minimize chassis vibration from the bottom of the audio component. Applicable to any surface and especially suitable for components with a chassis made of sheet steel. The special HRS polymer on the top and bottom of the solid aluminum spacer is connected to the surface on which the device stands and the cabinet itself – not on the feet. Due to the composition of the polymer, the surface of the Nimbus seems to grip the bottom plate, as it were, thereby isolating the vibrations. With at least 3 Nimbus insulators under the chassis, systematically placed, a remarkable gain is achieved at rest. Tones are more clearly defined and displayed with more contrast. The sound image gets a few stripes more resolution and becomes slightly more transparent. The bass also becomes more stable and has more gradation. The Nimbus series has three sizes so that there is always a suitable model with the correct height where the existing feet no longer make contact with the surface.

HRS DPX DEMPING PLATES

Where the Nimbus chassis counteracts vibrations from the bottom plate and thus forms an effective isolator for vibrations from the surface, the DPX Damping Plate minimizes vibrations from the top of the cabinet. The DPX Damping Plates combine a heavy, aluminum plate with the insulating effect of the HRS polymer. For us, the DPX especially has a major effect on the bass reproduction. The sound advantage is subtle but also not. The increase in definition and control in the bass reproduction provides a blacker background with more peace and subtle nuances that you don’t want to miss after you hear them. Although the degree of improvement in our experience is somewhat dependent on the stiffness and mass of the chassis, the DPX does amazing things, especially in combination with the Nimbus elements. DPX Damping plates are available in silver and black and in 3 sizes.

HRS ISOLATION BASES

The Nimbus Isolation Feet form an isolator between the existing furniture or audio rack and the audio component to isolate chassis vibration. The HRS Insulation Bases go one step further. They combine the (freely selectable) insulating footers with a heavy, isolation base constructed from composite, highly insulating materials. The Isolation Base is placed on a piece of furniture, on the floor or in the HRS Audio Rack. The audio component is then placed on the base directly or via Isolation feet such as the Nimbus. The effect is an even deeper and quieter background. The contrast between the notes increases even further and the sound image becomes further separated from the speaker. The great thing about the Isolation Bases is that they are adaptive. The isolation feet can be adjusted to the weight of the audio component so that optimal decoupling or energy drainage can always be achieved. After all, an extremely microphonic-sensitive tube amplifier requires a different form of insulation than a solid-state one in a solid aluminum housing. The Isolation Base grows with you because the isolation feet on the bottom can always be adjusted. In addition, all Isolation Base models fit in the HRS Audio Racks.

The Insulation Bases are available in different sizes, suitable for each component and different variants, each with its own structure of the insulating sandwich construction in the base with the substrate. The HRS Insulation Bases in combination with special EXR Brackets form the ultra-stable foundation of this modular design. With a wide choice of spacers, each rack can be tailored to the components used. Smart and attractive at the same time, but above all an ideal starting point for vibration-free placement of your sensitive audio equipment!