TCI Podium 3 - HiFi Equipment Isolation and Absorption Plinths

Introduction

Many may know TCI Cables, hailing from Lisburn in Northern Ireland, for cables and other accessories. Now they’ve moved towards the isolation of components, utilising their knowledge and understanding of materials and audio.

You can be as sceptical as you like about noise isolation, but the fact is, HiFi systems are both mechanically and electrically very noisy environments; this reviewer has come from a place of ignorance when I started this audio journey to a clear appreciation of the value of reducing noise where possible. TCI Cables understands these factors, having survived thirty years in the HiFi industry, and is offering these Podiums as a solution to both mechanical and electrical noise, where many have concentrated solely on the former.

Design

First seen exclusively at Bristol, these TCI Cables Podiums are designed as ‘energy reservoirs’ that isolate and absorb vibrational energy that may be in the air or generated by the electronics placed on top or around them. They feature an array of laminated materials developed for the aerospace industry.

The TCI Podium claims to isolate the Hi-Fi component from low-level frequencies typically attributed to in-room acoustics, such as loudspeaker energy and movement. They also claim to absorb some or all of the internal component energy, such as transformers, motors, transports, and electronic circuits. Finally, each podium is designed to be an inert platform with a negligible sonic signature.

It is unclear in questioning with PR what the laminated materials in the podiums are made of, which is fair enough. Still, presumably, each unknown alloy captures different frequencies and characteristics. The sum of the laminates is called the Vibratium core, which if any parent has seen Megamind (the blue megalomaniac!) that will make you chuckle. The base and top plate layers of the laminate sandwich are made of a magnesium alloy.

The podiums sit on four thin Isoneu feet for ultimate stability, resembling a combination of cork and rubber. There are currently three different Podiums that vary in thickness (and thus Vibratium) as you ascend the range, and the price rises similarly. Each podium can support 70kg. Three further podiums are scheduled for release at the higher end of the price spectrum.

Quality

The Podium itself is very nice to handle, resembling a large, closed laptop with similar touch and feel. If you squeeze the Podium, it is squidgy, suggesting that it gives in the Vibratium Core as one might expect. It looks good too and is very stylish. The slim dimensions and footprint make it fit nicely on a good-quality rack.

Specification and Price

Performance

Sure enough, placed directly on Podium 2, the music is tightened up with a lower noise floor and enhanced delivery

Review Equipment

I’ve had the Podium 2 mainly under the GYRO SE turntable and the Podium 3 under various source electronics. The GYRO SE features a Rega tonearm and Exact cartridge (located in the upper middle of the old cartridge range), paired with the FONO MM phono stage, which connects directly to a T+A PSD 3100 HV preamplifier.  The Kudos Audio Titan 505s are driven by the peerless Moor Amps Angel 6 power amplifier.

The same arrangement is used with the OPPO and Audiolab CD transports, utilising the stunning DAC in the preamplifier.  I’ve done the same with an Auralic ARIES streaming transport connected to the T+A DAC.

Separately, I put the Podium 3 under an All-in-one Naim UNITI Star.

Physically

The Podiums are lovely to the touch, with that Apple MAC silky feel. The key thing is they fit in the Solidsteel rack I have, and being slim will sort out most things, save a chunky T+A HV preamplifier!

The red Podium has attracted comments from youngsters in the household, gathering comments from “that’s cool” to “what is that?”, at least they’ve noticed!

Michell GYRO SE turntable

The Michell GYRO SE is still the best turntable I will ever own, and the recent replacement of springs and belts has created a very quiet environment in which to listen to vinyl. With a brand new (and cleaned) copy of Ryan Adams’ Gold (PaxAm, 2001), I was in for the afternoon. The Podium 2 under the GYRO SE was slightly underwhelming at first, however, I have cups under the GYRO’s ‘low contact area feet’. I’m guessing the spike cups and the upgrades obviated the mechanical advantages of the Podium.

A chat with the PR asking if I could or should remove the cups, risking damage to the silky surface of the review sample (the website does say it’s not suitable for placement under spikes), offered the opportunity to go all in. Sure enough, placed directly on Podium 2, the music is tightened up with a lower noise floor and enhanced delivery; this is quite satisfying in truth. My favourite album of all time transcends the room.

Auralic ARIES G1

Switching to the ARIES, itself a premium low-noise environment, promised to be a challenge for the Podium 3. This ARIES, however, is a G1, not a G2.2, thereby lacking the two linear PSUs with galvanic isolation, designed to isolate electrical noise and the new fancy multi-spring suspension system that is a feature of the new G2 chassis, as well as significant processing upgrades. Thereby, I was expecting a richer and dynamic outcome with the Podium 3; this was the case to some extent, with the same album. However, I suspected the overall design of the ARIES meant there was a narrow opportunity here.

Oppo/Audiolab CD Player

I decided to move to a CD source. Both the OPPO, to some extent, and Audiolab are light and fairly thin on the construction front, potentially offering upside for the Podium to do its thing.

Placing the OPPO BDP-105 in the Solidsteel rack without the Podium 3 and using the digital output to the T+A DAC itself was musical joy personified with the same Gold album, this time of course in CD. However, could the Podium 3 tighten up the soundstage and enhance the experience? Inevitably, and excitedly, it did, and some. Noticeably, the bit you’re listening for, the clearer insight into the instruments, offered plenty of musicality in this swirling maelstrom of music. Classical music, too, receives a lift with the Podium 3 and Max Richter’s Reimagining of the Four Seasons, which proved to be a bit of a showstopper, this time in CD form.

This revealing soundstage, delivered by the Titans and the Angel 6, offered the opportunity of listening for any difference between the Podium 3 and the 2. In my ears, I preferred the Podium 3, the 2 offering improved insight over the naked rack itself.

The same exercise with the Audiolab 7000 CDT offered the same results very satisfactorily.

Naim Uniti Star

I had initially, and eagerly, put the Podium 3 under our All-in-one Naim Uniti Star that usually resides on top of a granite slab that I believed offered a degree of mass and therefore stability on our living area sideboard, that also has a pair of ELAC Carina 243 bookshelves on it, thumping away adjacent to the electronics.  This setup was really a shoo-in for the Podium 3, and it proved thus. These ELAC loudspeakers punch miles above their price point and their combination, with the Podium, revealed genuine insight into Reference albums like Gold (Qobuz, 24-bit, 96kHz), Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue (Qobuz, 24-bit, 192kHz) and current favourite Finneas’ For Crying out Loud (Qobuz, 24-bit, 44.1kHz).

Thoughts

As I have hinted, I’m a believer in noise reduction in Hi-Fi systems, whether mechanical or electrical. Empirically, optical data transit (ADOT), data network filters (EE1 Plus), dedicated power supplies (Plixir), and cable upgrades (Chord Co.) have all delivered results for me in what is currently a very revealing system, as discussed above.

Here, I have teased out more insight and a cleaner midrange, reducing listening effort and contributing to musicality—which is essentially what it’s all about!

Overall

As always, upgrades like this one are a function of your system and your budget. I personally like the Podium 3 under the CD player and prefer it to the Podium 2. I suspect the Podium 5 will be worth looking at when that comes along. As with all these things, though, you’ll probably end up thinking you need about six of them as you progress, but the source intervention seemed to work well for me. It is a pretty easy recommendation here. At a minimum, try to get a demo of the TCI Cables Podium range.