Cat Paw
Isolation foot system.
For light weight components to 50 pounds

The PAW by Granite Audio is the ultimate support for all your audio and video gear.  You will uncover previously hidden improvements in the soundstage such as more air and space around instruments.  Each musical instrument will be better defined and more precisely located in the 3-dimensional soundstage the way it should be.  The piano will have its own space and no longer be smeared with other stringed instruments.    The bass region of the music will be fuller and cleaner with less muddiness.  Vocals will be smoother with less grain and less unwanted micro-phonics.  Cymbals will be crisper and sound more like brass rather than aluminum.  The cymbals will also be free to ring naturally and then fade naturally without the unwanted micro-vibrations associated with other  brands of component platforms & footers.  All of these possible benefits will get you closer to the original live performance and more in tune with the performers' emotions and subtle phrasing of the notes.

The options for configuring and adjusting the PAW are virtually  unlimited.  Each PAW can be configured with between 12 to 20 loops to adjust the load capacity, stiffness, resonance, and weight distribution of the PAW.  The top and bottom of each PAW is threaded for an 8-32 bolt, so the PAW can then be fitted with an endless variety of cones and feet.  You can easily change the configuration of your PAW to get the optimum benefits for your own ears in your own system.  Then if you change components, simply reconfigure the PAW again.

The PAW is handcrafted from the finest materials and designed to give optimum performance for many decades.  The 1/2" thick top and bottom are milled from our renowned proprietary acrylic-granite material.  This material has proven itself many times over to be an excellent material for damping and vibration control.  The acrylic-granite is coated with high-gloss high-solids water white lacquer for an extremely attractive look.  The loops are made from aviation quality braided spring steel cable that is then extruded with a special vinyl sleeve as part of the overall resonance design.  The optional factory cone is made from aviation quality black anodized aluminum and is threaded for an 8-32 stud, which is supplied with the cone.  The optional factory rubber foot is made from high quality rubber and has an imbedded metal washer for long life and the added feature of resonance coupling adjustment that can be varied with the tightness of the supplied attaching bolt.  The cones and rubber feet can be attached to either the top or bottom of the PAW, or both.  You can also use cones and feet from other manufacturers for even more options.

Each PAW is supplied with 20 loops.  Only the loops on the corners (loops 1 & 5) on each side can be removed.  The 3 loops in the middle of each side (loops 2, 3, & 4) are not removable.  These 3 loops are installed with a custom proprietary epoxy rated to 1500psi.  This will maintain the core strength integrity and initial basic resonance of the PAW.  To remove the installed corner loops, simply pull them straight out.  They are held in place by the friction created by their own spring tension.  To reinstall the loops, first insert one end into its hole.  Then bend the loop into an arc and insert the other end into the opposite hole.  It may be helpful to slightly compress the corner of the PAW by squeezing the top and bottom.  It is important to only compress it slightly, about a 1/4" maximum to avoid loosening the other removable loops or causing them to "walk."

Sometimes the loops become slightly flared at the end and a stray wire may keep the loop from going into the hole.  If you do have a stray wire situation, install that end into the granite first.  Simply tip the loop end into the hole at an angle that forces the stray wire into the hole first.  It will flatten out, letting the rest of the loop go in.  Then arch the loop and install the other non-flared end last.  If both ends have a stray wire, make sure the stray wire is on the inside of the arc.  This way it will already be tilted as it goes into the hole, causing the stray wire to enter the hole first and flatten as it goes.  If any loop end becomes too flared to install, simply contact your dealer or the factory for another loop.  If at any time you want to make the corner loops more secure in their holes, put a drop of silicon glue into the hole and then insert the loop.  The loop can still be removed with a pull, but will require a little more force to remove it.  Rub off the silicon glue on the loop's end and reinstall it again at any time.

The placement of the PAWS will vary on each component and depend on whether you use 3, 4, or more PAWS per component.  The weight distribution of most components is not uniform and may be due to a heavy transformer in one corner.  If this extra weight on one PAW causes the component to be out of level, simply add loops to the PAW under the transformer or remove some loops from the other PAWS.  You can easily adjust the loaded height of each PAW by adjusting the number of installed loops on each PAW.  But always make certain that you have enough loops to carry the weight of the component.

Do not overload the PAW by exceeding the load limits in the chart.  The load limits are established to keep the PAW horizontally stable.  If you exceed the specified load limits the PAW can become physically "mushy" and the component may become unstable.  As you can see in the specification chart, the PAW compresses only slightly between "No Load" and "Maximum Load".   When the PAW is over-compressed it loses some of its great sonic benefits.  If your component is too heavy for 3 or even 4 PAWS, then you will need to add more PAWS to maintain the designed benefits and optimum resonance characteristics.

The PAW is engineered to be tweaked and adjusted.  You are no longer confined by the limited constraints of other types of component supports and footers.  You are no longer forced to choose one type of footer or another.  With the PAW you can combine all the best sonic benefits of acrylic-granite, audiophile cones, various feet, and proprietary resonance-designed spring steel.  With the PAW you are in control and you can fine tune the sonic benefits your system is craving.