GRAND PRIX AUDIO
With extensive testing and development, one occasionally discovers an unfair advantage in the world of racing. Now you can enjoy the same unfair advantage in the battle against vibration. Utilizing the latest in sophisticated computer analysis, unprecedented design talent and hundreds of manhours of instrumented and listening test, Grand Prix Audio has defined the new state-of-the-art in equipment isolation. For the very best performance from your audio components, our revolutionary 8-stage system provides by far the quietest component platforms on the market.
Stereophile Grand Prix Audio Monaco equipment stands: $1250–$5111 Despite their stylish, lightweight design, a four-shelf Monaco stand can carry up to 150 lbs per shelf, for a maximum total load of 500 lbs. PB: "More than anything else, the Monaco brought a sense of focus and a difficult-to-explain sense of calm" to the sound of everything he placed on them. Loading the hollow stainless-steel columns with lead shot produced another increment of improvement: "Backgrounds became quieter, low-level detail retrieval improved markedly, and dynamic contrasts took on greater subtlety and sharper contrasts." Using separate isolation footers under components only "muddled things," providing evidence of the "fundamental soundness of the GPA approach to vibration control." The amp stand is expensive but "works as promised and looks cool too," decided MF. A 3-shelf system costs $2856; 4-shelf system, $3999; 5-shelf system, $5111; base module, $1855; short or tall module, $1235; amplifier stand, $1250; Formula Shelf Carbon-fiber/Kevlar composite shelf, $900. (Vol.24 No.7, amp stand; Vol.25 No.12 Review)
Monaco Modular Isolation system
"...Backgrounds became quieter, low-level detail improved
markedly, and dynamic contrasts took on greater subtlety and sharper
contrasts. Adding the Formula Shelves under
the Ayre D-1x and Classe Omega digital players brought further levels
of stability, image definition and overall refinement to their presentations,
even greater than the effect of loading the stands... Perched atop the Monaco
Modular Isolation System, the Champion's [Clearaudio Level
2] depth of field and downstage resolution improved to a truly surprising
degree, and the Zen-like calm I'd already come to expect from the GPA
stands was immediately apparent. It was as if another $1000 or so worth
of performance had been grafted into the already good-sounding Champion
..." >>
Note: a post-review conversation with the reviewer revealed that the
Champion turntable had previously rested upon an Ultra Resolution Technology
stand, a state-of-the-art exampe of the hyper-rigid design school with
its massive shelves and welded all-metal support structure, proving our
contention that multiple degrees of freedom and visco-elastic damping
outperform the old "high-mass, ultra-rigid" paradigm by a
significant margin.
December 1, 2002: Grand Prix Audio Monaco
Modular Isolation system, by Paul Bolin, Stereophile
......
"...Every track and tune and musical challenge I have thrown at
the Monaco Modular Isolation System has revealed
its extraordinary capacity to improve the way music sounds. EXTRA-ORDINARY
SONIC IMPROVEMENT. Not by a dot or a dollop or an inch. Not "sort
of" or "kinda maybe: why not, uh huh"? but Holy Shit,
can you believe this!..." >>
December 27, 2002: Grand Prix Audio Monaco
Modular Isolation system, by Jim Merod, Stereo Times
......
"... Perhaps by now you can appreciate why Monsieur Monaco won't
be leaving. None of the effects described above are unique per se. Upgrading
speakers nails some of them. A better DAC will enhance resolution just
the same. Likewise, a superior SET will inject more presence and immediacy.
Did I just list three fully fledged components to duplicate the "Monaco
Effect" though? I sure did. Granted, this is not some hard-line
mathematical formula to gauge its magnitude of impact. Rather, it's a
deliberate suggestion. On how, once your components have reached a certain
level of performance maturity, precious little remains to be done that
will effect wholesale quantum leaps without spending obscene amounts
of money. Even then, sometimes it doesn't pan out. Money isn't everything.
Mostly it's the old White House shuffle - two steps forward, one back.
Progress at snail's pace. High-End audio. The big syphon on finances,
patience and ultimately, good faith..." >>
November
1, 2002: Grand Prix Audio Monaco by Srajan Ebaen, 6moons.com
......
"... At the end of a positive review, one often sees the phrase "you
owe it to yourself to hear this product". Here, it might
be wiser to counsel that yes, listen to your music with this stand,
but only if you are ready to spend the money. Be forewarned: every
encounter with music will be fresh, new, and full of pleasant surprises,
even after many months living with the Monaco Modular Isolation System. It
sheds an entirely new light on how important isolation is, so stark
is the improvement in the sound. You may come to the same conclusion
as I did: once you've heard how good it can be, there is no going back..." >>
May 1, 2002: Grand Prix Audio Monaco Modular
Isolation system, by Rick Jensen, EnjoyTheMusic.com
......
July 2001: Grand
Prix Audio Monaco by Michael Fremer, Stereophile, Analog Corner
......
Alvin,
You've seen and responded to my review so there are no surprises. You
already know how I feel about the Monaco Modular Isolation
System I wrote about and now proudly own. Having been in audio manufacturing
myself for years, on the sales & marketing end, I appreciate how
an up-and-coming smaller company relies on word-of-mouth from satisfied
customers to spread the word.
From my perspective, of having been a classically trained musician, High-End audio salesman, High-End audio National Sales Manager for three different firms -- throw in touring the country and visiting some of its top dealers as well as numerous trade and consumer shows -- I have a reasonably close fix on the status quo. As a reviewer for the last four years, even more equipment now passes through on a regular basis than before.
The word? The word is that the eventual marginal improvements we reap if we've been at this endless upgrade game for a few years are relegated by the Monaco Modular Isolation System to where they belong: marginal advances that, at this stage of the game, costs a heckuva lot more. In my reference system (somewhere upwards of $50,000 these days) the $3,500 expenditure of your stand has made a more pronounced across-the-board improvement than any other equivalent dream purchase I could think up. I'm not saying this lightly. I could have thrown the same money at a new CD player. 'cept I know without a doubt that in order to improve over what I have, I'd have to go a lot higher. And knowing the shrinking gap that nowadays separates really good "reasonable" digital from the so-called SOTA efforts, I'm confident that even going after a $10,000 digital setup wouldn't return the kind of overall transformation the Monaco Modular Isolation System did.
In short, for someone like me whose system has arrived at a high level of sophistication (involving years of trial'n'error and don't-ask how many paychecks) the Monaco Modular Isolation System counts as a true highlight purchase and the best investment I've made of late. I'm happy to hear you've decided to offer a home-trial program. Any mature audiophile in a similar boat to mine would be crazy not to take you up on it!
Equipment list:
• Cairn Fog 24/192 upsampling CD player
• Zanden Model 5000 MkIII tube DAC
• Bel Canto Design PRE6
• AUDIOPAX Model 88 monoblocks
• Avantgarde DUO 2.0
• Unison Research Unico hybrid integrated
• AKG K-1000 with Stefan AudioArt custom cable
• Walker Audio Velocitor
• Acoustic Zen, Analysis Plus, Audio Magic, Harmonic Technology,
HMS and i2digital/Sterevox cables
• Grand Prix Audio Monaco Modular Isolation
System with acrylic shelves
Best wishes. You and your products highly deserve 'em! Srajan Ebaen,
publisher, 6moons.com
Mark Levinson 326S Baby version of the Ref 32 Pre-amp at a reasonable cost of £6,995. Like most technologies the benefits of the research for the reference products trickle down into more affordable products like the 326s Pre-amp. You get alot of the quality of its bigger brother, providing a jump in the quality available at this price. |
Ayre Acoustics C-5xe Universal Disk Player Stereophile Extract: "It ought to be fairly obvious that I found the Ayre C-5xe more than satisfactory. I didn't expect it to disappoint, but I was unprepared for just how much it delighted me. I've heard a lot of impressive audio components over the years, but I've heard very few that afforded me greater musical pleasure or sent me on as many voyages of musical discovery through discs I thought I knew well." - Wes Phillips, July, 2005 |
Gryphon Diablo The ultimate reference integrated amplifier at £6100. The Gryphon sonic magic in a reasonable sized and georgeous case, you must hear this as it puts most pre power combo's to shame, pure music at its best. |
Brinkmann LaGrange turntableThe Brinkmann LaGrange turntable is without a doubt the best source component I have ever had the chance to enjoy over an extended period of time. It represents a level of perfection and emotional connection to music that I have never heard before. - Danny Kaey extract from Positive Feedback |
Teac Esoteric DV-50SThe Esoteric DV-50 is the most fun you can have with digital music playback short of the dCS trio reviewed by Michael Fremer in April 2003 (Vol.26 No.4). Given that the dCS gear costs about six times as much as the DV-50, the Esoteric is a screaming bargain, especially considering its hyper-advanced technology, bulletproof build, and exceptional sound. You can even play movies on it. - Stereophile Extract |
ProAc D100 The
imposing new Response D100 takes on the mantle of flagship model
from our legendary Response Four, which has delighted discerning
audiophiles for the last twelve years. |
