Synergistic Research is known in the high-end audio world for creating some rather esoteric products. It comes as no surprise then that their MiG (Mechanical Interface Grounding) component footers are surrounded by controversy. A simple Internet search reveals rave reviews from audiophiles claiming they’ve infused new life into their components, while several more hi-fi enthusiasts who rely on scientific testing and precise measurements to validate any tweak swear there’s no way these things can make a difference. While they’re caught up in heated debates, I’ll simply listen for myself.
Synergistic Research claims the MiG component footers “deliver vast improvements to all systems.” After spending some time with them in my system and in The Sound Lab, The Sound Apprentice and The Music Maestro (The Spirited Uncle M) have some notes to share.
What’s a MiG?
Looking like simple tiny chrome bowls, Synergistic Research says the MiGs “re-tune a component’s mechanical resonance, while providing a lightning fast drain of mechanical energy to ground. The result is a much larger soundstage with a lower noise floor for blacker backgrounds. Other benefits include sweeter highs with extended air, a more layered and relaxed mid-range, and deeper, tighter bass. MiGs are especially beneficial when improving the performance of digital components such as transports, D to A converters, CD players, and even digital clocks.”
Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if your eyebrows are raised higher than Steve Urkel’s pants after reading that, but it’s only fair to hear them out before jumping to any conclusions. Synergistic Research suggests two setups to fine-tune your system’s performance:
“When two MiGs are placed ‘round side up’ and one MiG is placed ‘round side down’ under a component … you hear a more ambient soundscape that is especially pleasing when room acoustics are somewhat ‘live’ or undamped. You may also prefer this combination if you like a slightly more liquid presentation, or if you often listen to large orchestral works. When two MiGs are placed ‘round side down’ and one MiG is placed ‘round side up’ under a component … you hear an immediate pin-point presentation of images. This combination is especially pleasing in rooms that are very damped, or for people who prefer intimate recordings, such as small scale jazz.”
Can three tiny resonating bowls intended to drain the vibrations from your components seriously make a difference to your system’s sound? Let's take a listen.
Notes from The Sound Apprentice
Honestly, I was excited to try these footers; I won these things—I never win anything! Excitement aside, Synergistic Research’s claims had me expecting great things to happen after introducing these into my entry-level system. Angels were going to emerge from the sound waves and sing sweet songs into my ears as they carried me off to Audio Nirvana, or something like that. Since I am still here to write this, that didn’t quite happen.
Unfortunately, my first night of listening was uneventful. I popped a favorite disc into my Sony DVP-S9000ES that usually sits on three EVA/rubber vibration isolation pads to tune my ear with a couple of tracks. I started my MiG listening session with the 28-pound copper-clad chassis of the Sony sitting on them in the “pin-point” positioning, and… nothing. Not a change. Could that be?
I switched back to the EVA isolation pads for a track. Yep, sounds the same. So I repeated the process in the “ambient” setup only to hear… nothing. Four times I went through the process and the only thing that changed was that I grew more impatient waiting for the gods of Audio Nirvana to sweep down into my listening room.
Naturally, I had to ask, “Am I doing this wrong?” I called it a night, disappointed that my prize from the acclaimed (and often controversial) Synergistic Research seemingly did nothing for my hi-fi system.
The following evening, with my gear thoroughly warmed up, I set out with Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue to challenge my listening skills again. With the EVA isolation pads back beneath the solidly-built Sony, I listened to the entire album to really let my ears settle into the groove. Lights turned down, eyes closed, I tried to “stare with my ears” as The Spirited Uncle M would say. I focused on the brushes circling the snare drum, the sound of Davis’ spit passing over the reeds and the hair on the back of my neck was standing up with every wail of his and Coltrane’s horns (Damn that is a great album).
Seeking to squeeze the most detail out of my system, I started the second round of MiG testing in the “pin-point” positioning. This time I thought I heard the slightest change in clarity; the brushes on the snare didn’t sound as smothered by the tape hiss still present in the remastering, and the horns seemed to have a bit more brass, as if the MiGs introduced a dash of “sizzle” into the system. Placebo effect? Expectation bias? Maybe I’m just crazy?
I sampled the MiGs in every possible configuration that evening, but I couldn’t hear a difference from one position to the other. That was troubling. Synergistic Research says there should be an immediate and pronounced difference in the system’s sound depending on the MiG setup. I decided I needed to leave the MiGs in place for extended listening.
A few weeks later I was listening to the Deftones’ latest album Koi No Yokan, a poorly-mastered album (IMO) that’s hard to enjoy on revealing equipment, when I decided to replace the MiGs with my EVA isolation pads again. In doing so, I thought I noticed a slight drop in clarity and separation throughout the dynamic range. During the song “Rosemary” for example, at 1:28 the kick drum seemed to enter with less punch and the guitars seemed to lose a bit of their precision. But I’m talking about subtleties here; so subtle, in fact, that I am challenged to definitively conclude that I heard a change at all. But that raised a new question: How would they perform in a far more revealing system?
First Impressions from The Spirited Uncle M
The Sound Lab was set up to audition the MiGs beneath a Linn Ikemi CD player paired with a Herron Audio VTSP-1A/166 tubed line stage preamplifier, Pass Labs Aleph 30 solid state amplifier, and a pair of B&W DM602 speakers. Each piece is also individually isolated on dedicated stands. The Spirited Uncle M chose a test track his sensitive ears know well: “C-Jam Blues” off of Dave Grusin’s Homage to Duke.
TSUM describes this as being one of the best recorded and mastered jazz albums in his collection. Every instrument maintains excellent separation and gusto without ever being harsh or overpowering. “What can $150 little metal balls do for it,” he asked (keep in mind TSUM does use SR power cords with certain devices).
The MiGs were tested in their “ambient” position first. TSUM noted immediately that something wasn’t quite right: “It sounded thin right off the bat. When the horns kick in, it’s a really tight chorus and it just sounded thinner and brighter than it should, and the bass should really have had more gusto to it.”
After listening to the track again with the Linn Ikemi on its stock footers, TSUM noted that the sound returned to being “just right, full and solid.” Speculating that the MiGs pushed the sound the wrong way because the recording is very accurate and the room is acoustically treated, he repeated the listening process with the MiGs in the “pin-point” position. This time, TSUM noted that the familiar meaty sound of the Linn Ikemi remained mostly intact, but something else happened. “I heard something else going on; it’s almost like the MiGs were amplifying the sound, but the sustain was missing and everything sounded over-the-top.”
Final Thoughts
Absent of calibrated testing equipment, we can only offer a recount of what our ears perceived. Meaning our conclusions are entirely subjective. Despite Synergistic Research’s claims of vast system improvements, we didn't experience the magic of the MiGs.
I was convinced great things would happen when using the MiG component footers, but I instead found myself challenged to hear the slightest changes throughout the entire listening experience, both in my listening room and in The Sound Lab. While I do believe there was a more noticeable effect in The Sound Lab, I can't define it as an improvement, nor can The Spirited Uncle M. A person who passionately spends countless hours critically listening to his equipment, he summed up his experience like this: “When you live with a Linn Ikemi, and then you put something else in with it, you’re like ‘Eww.’” Not scientific, but blunt honesty nonetheless.
We can only hypothesize that any impact from these, if there is one at all, will be entirely system-dependent. If you’re curious about these footers, I would suggest demoing them before making the purchase. I’m a believer that only your ears can decide what’s best for your system.
“Snake oil, smoke and mirrors make up 90% of high-end audio, but when you find that 10% of reality, it is worth its weight in gold (only your golden audiophile ears know for sure).”
– The Spirited Uncle M
Test Systems (TSA; TSUM)
Speakers: Axiom Audio M3v3; B&W DM602
Amplifier: NAD C 326BEE Stereo Integrated Amplifier; Pass Labs Aleph 30
Preamplifier: N/A; Herron Audio VTSP-1A/166
CD Player: Sony DVP-S9000ES; Linn Ikemi
Interconnects: Wireworld Equinox 3+; DH Labs Silver Sonic Air Matrix
Speaker Cable: Gotham Cable 50040; Kimber Kable 8TC
Speakers: Axiom Audio M3v3; B&W DM602
Amplifier: NAD C 326BEE Stereo Integrated Amplifier; Pass Labs Aleph 30
Preamplifier: N/A; Herron Audio VTSP-1A/166
CD Player: Sony DVP-S9000ES; Linn Ikemi
Interconnects: Wireworld Equinox 3+; DH Labs Silver Sonic Air Matrix
Speaker Cable: Gotham Cable 50040; Kimber Kable 8TC
- October 15, 2013
- 15 Comments
