Apex -
the highest point - is the world's most advanced dual-purpose
vibration isolation interface. As used in cutting-edge race cars
and jet fighters, Apex employs hand-laminated
carbon composites for the outer skin and core/base and high-pressure
cures them in a dedicated vacuum environment. It then decouples
these structural composite elements via a proprietary hi-tech
polymer which we co-developed with aerospace applications and
materials sciences engineers. With its ball-bearing tip, Apex can
be used as a component footer or become the floor-to-column interface
of GPA and other equipment isolation supports. Our unique cup/ball
geometry utterly avoids the frustrating instability that plagues
other bearing-based designs which cause supported components
to wobble and move when barely touched. Threaded "knuckle" adjuster/levelers
securely surround the ball bearing with a polished stainless
steel cup.
By replacing a stand's fixed spikes and adding an additional
two degrees of horizontal freedom, Apex generates
very remarkable performance enhancements without introducing
any unsteadiness of the main structure.
Our stock 3/8-16 thread, 0.875 diameter, 2-inch long leveler
fits our Monaco Modular, Le
Mans, Monza, Laguna,
and Monaco Amplifer Isolation Systems
and allows 0.625" of height adjustment via keyed thru-holes.
Sizes for non-GPA supports are also available.
Apex details: Our well-documented
race car background allows us to collaborate with advanced special-applications
engineers to develop materials and manufacturing processes for
very specific employment in our own designs. The super-dense
polymer separating the core/base of Apex from its outer skin
was developed with one of our former aerospace partners and is
merely one of many technological advances Grand Prix Audio enjoys
over its competition.
This polymer (also used in the upright columns of our Monaco
SE ) exhibits a far higher energy dissipation
ratio than any of the metals or compounds commonly used for
component isolation footers. By presenting three dissimilar
materials boundaries to the energy pathway between floor/column
or shelf/component and using materials without inherent grain
or crystal structures, the bi-directional flow of vibration
is heavily attenuated to measurably lower resonances and
system noisefloor.
The common diameter of our ball bearing allows the end user
to experiment with a variety of bearing materials readily available
in this standard 0.5" size (ceramic silicon nitrate, Tungsten
carbide). Music lovers with substantial investments in conventional
high-mass metal stands reap significant dividends by "floating" these
structures on our Apex devices. While
incapable of approaching the performance of our complete thru-engineered
isolation solutions, such an upgrade provides a very cost-efficient
means to drastically improve the poor self-damping characteristics
of metal stands that are really vibration transmitters (think
bells) rather than isolators.
We invite you to put us to the test where "the rubber meets
the road" - between equipment support and floor, and component
and shelf. We're confident you'll agree that Apex is
an entirely new ball game in the realm of component footer isolation
devices.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
| Diameter |
2.5 inch |
| Height |
1.45 inch |
| Weight |
130 grams |
| Center of Gravity |
ca. 1 inch above base |
The Apex comes in:
- Carbon Composite Footers (includes
3 x 1/2" hard-chrome balls) in set of 3
- Polished
Stainless Steel Cup, Threaded "Knuckle" Adjuster/Levelers
in set of 3
Apex Options
- Leveler, Adjuster Knuckle 3/8-16" Thread (standard thread)
- Leveler,
Adjuster Knuckle 1/4-20" Thread
- Leveler, Adjuster Knuckle 5/16-18" Thread
- Leveler, Adjuster
Knuckle 8mm x 1.25 Thread
- Leveler, Adjuster Knuckle 10mm x
1.5 Thread
- Leveler, Adjuster Knuckle 12mm x 1.5 Thread
- Silicone Nitride,
Upgrade Ball for Apex
|