I used multiple Mana levels under my LP 12, to great effect. But the CD555 began to put it up to vinyl and Fraim was competing in the furniture stakes.
Multi level Fraim, with the LP12 on top can’t compete with Mana dedicated to LP12, so something had to give, to prevent ‘Hi-fi real estate creep’ (a constant threat to marital harmony), so while LP12 still sits atop my twin Fraims, I hardly ever listen to it because the Mana support was so much better.
Everything changes……
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I think part of the reason for the sound is the bright steel angle used. I found this out by accident some time before Mana was even known about. I had a pair of Meridian M2 active speakers and thought the stands were pretty naff, so decided to make something far more rigid. I only had some bright steel angle to mock up the prototype before making them out of good solid box section steel however when finished the angle stands always sounded so much better than the solid box section.
A friend of mine, who use to have a fabrication business, made some stands for his system using angle steel but with oak boards and it does sounds better than my system using a Fraim.
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Ugh. There’ll be a ‘Peter Belt’ thread next 
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I think there are some big differences though… We aren’t talking about drawing green lines around CD edges or flux dumpers, the quality and the properties of the equipment support CLEARLY affects the sound….
…how and to what degree is where the interest comes.
They are still in business - although I think on a much smaller scale. There are members here excitedly waiting deliveries as we speak!
To be fair, Peter Belt would also have said his tweaks CLEARLY affected the sound…
I think in both cases the evidence is mostly anecdotal, right? Although perhaps not where it concerns speaker stands?
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Much like Linn…Naim…
Not sure I get the point being made. Some Naim users REALLY like it. I think I get you don’t, but discussing it is what forums are for.
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It’s a curious thing Mana. People pile up their stacks with multiple empty levels chest high, and beyond looking ghastly, surely the acoustic reflections coming off all that edged steel can’t do the replay any favours.
Can’t help thinking it would be a lot better to simply avoid the deleterious vibration from the floor structure by mounting speakers on the likes of stillpoints, Gaias or maybe best Townsends. It seems it is the classical principle of peeing your pants to try and keep warm. ATB Peter
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It appears that way until you realise Mana works quite differently to what now seems to be the accepted norm of isolation and control of vibration. I think Mana doesn’t attempt to effectively isolate or control vibration - instead it adds an effect, which alters the sound of a device placed on it. If you like the effect, then you add further levels to enhance the effect. That would be one explanation why people got obsessed by adding ridiculous amounts of levels - the cumulative effect of it. Of course the more Mana you introduce, the less your system sounds like the original equipment manufacturer(s) intended.
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Was never a fan of Mana,to me it seemed to hype up the sound by tuning the feedback, making everything sound forward and aggressive.
Still each to their own ,if you like it good.
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I have a soft spot for Mana and in my mind, there’s no doubt the frames work and Linn/Naim systems benefit from them. I’m not so sure of the value of multiple empty levels. I used to have two stacks, one for the Linn LP12 and a separate 5 level for the Naim boxes. Mrs Fifty hated them in our living room and their ability to act as dust magnets. 20 years later and in a different house, there’s a Fraimlite stack in the room.
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I think it had a glass top actually.
Mana doesnt seem to be on the web…how may one contact Mana?
Think you can reach John Watson via Instagram
I’m a Mana fan
Try Sound Supports on Google. they have the Mana franchise.
Has the rights to the use of the name but it’s not the real mana
I’ve met the owner of that company he’s a nice guy and a excellent fabricator but I’d want the the Original
I have old original and some new. I think Shaun’s ? new Mana is as good or better than the original and would buy again without hesitation.
I will order some and try it out
I wonder if anyone has the Chrome/Polished Manas that I saw being used for demo at one of the HiFi shows years ago?
I still chuckle at the review in the back pages of Hifi Choice… merely said ‘Dust trap par excellence’ iirc
I have a Reference Table in stainless steel collecting less dust than the black ones 
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