Accessories Reviews, Racks / Stands / Feet Reviews

Artesania Audio Exoteryc Pro Upgrade Kit

Christiaan Punter 21 November 2025 No Comments

Listening – Pro Footers

Before listening to the combined Pro upgrade, let’s first compare the new massive Stainless Steel Footers to the standard Spikes. For this test, I returned to the CH A1.5 amplifier and once again used two identical Aire platforms with Carbon Fiber Linear Arms, but both with the standard Nylon Cylinders.

The new Pro Footers, like the Pro Cylinders, exhibit a strong sense of quality and elegance. Finely crafted, they are exceptionally heavy and feel very solid. When installed, they seamlessly round off the rack, making it appear as if this is how the racks should have always looked.

The footers alone make a significant difference in the sound quality. The improvements are not as significant as those of the new Pro Cylinders, as they do not alter the resolution, focus, transparency, or precision. However, they do provide a significantly more stable, robust, and full sound. The bass, in particular, becomes more solid and considerably fuller.

Smaller speakers, particularly monitors, or systems that lean towards the lean side, will benefit significantly from these new Pro Footers. While the bass does not go deeper, its increased solidity provides significantly more impact, creating the impression of greater depth.

Listening – The Full Pro Upgrade Kit

Now was the time to assess the entire Kit with all parts in place. Adding the Pro Footers to the Aire Rack, which was already fitted with the new Pro Cylinders, further solidifies the bass, making it even fuller and more sonorous. Despite the immense mechanical stability, the sound does not take on an analytical quality and remains as organic and free-flowing as ever.

The much fuller sound imparted by the Pro Kit made me reassess these racks in relation to earlier assessments when reviewing the HRS EXR Audio Stands (which I simply refer to as racks). Whereas the Exoteryc and Aire racks previously offered a very different perspective compared to the HRS EXR racks, the full Pro Upgrade Kit brings them closer together. They still have distinctive qualities, but particularly in the bass, the two are now much more alike than before. Nevertheless, the racks still offer significant differences in character to make either a better or a less ideal choice, depending on circumstances and personal preference. For instance, the HRS racks still provide a more grounded and earthier sound, while the Aire and Exoteryc still offer a slightly sweeter rendition with greater fluidity and treble air.

The new Pro Footers’s substantial size makes the Aire Floor Platform quite a bit taller. On the left is the Aire with standard spikes and new Pro Cylinders. On the Right is the Aire with new Pro Footers and standard Nylon Cylinders.

During this test, I had access to several speakers. The advantages of the Pro kit are evident, regardless of the speakers used. It significantly enhances the level of audiophile sophistication. While the kit maintains the natural, organic, and free-flowing characteristics of the racks, it also makes the sound noticeably fuller and heavier, and this particular enhancement may complement some audio systems better than others.

The Kit worked superbly with the Final Model 15+ electrostats (review forthcoming), Diptyque DP 140 MkII magnetostats, Driade Premium Model 9 monitor speakers, and the relatively compact floorstanding Apogee Centaurs. In these contexts, the Pro Kit significantly improves bass solidity and impact, along with all the aforementioned benefits, creating a uniformly improved experience.

When using the Magico S1 MkII or Apogee Duettas, however, I have mixed feelings. The enhancements in precision, focus, and refinement are just evident with these speakers, but the bass becomes a little too voluptuous for my liking. These speakers naturally produce a rich, full-bodied sound with deep, sonorous bass. In the case of the Duettas and in my room at least, arguably even a little too much at certain frequencies. This is just to say that my observations should not be seen as absolute, but rather depend on the listening room. Then again, given that many rooms will have excess bass, one should be mindful that adding the Pro Upgrade Kit can exacerbate this aspect.

Conclusion

I’m still surprised at times at the massive sonic differences that even seemingly minor changes can incur. The Artesania Audio Pro Upgrade Kit looks visually stunning and massively enhances the performance of Exoteryc racks and Aire Floor Platforms. As usual with Artesania products, the audiophile improvements are delivered without any sacrifices in the naturalness or organic nature of the music. The kit preserves the natural, organic qualities of the racks while offering greater sophistication, tonal saturation, and maturity.

The Carbon Fiber Linear Arms and Pro Cylinders, in particular, are so immensely beneficial that it becomes almost impossible to return to the Rack’s standard incarnation. I wholeheartedly recommend adding the Carbon Fiber Linear Arms (for a cleaner, more articulate, and crisper sound) or the Arms and Cylinders combo (for a tidier, yet fuller, smoother, and more sophisticated sound).

The Full Pro Kit, including the Pro Footers, provides the benefits mentioned earlier, in addition to further increased bass solidity and overall tonal fullness, especially benefiting smaller or leaner-sounding systems. These Footers also offer a substantial upgrade for many systems and are recommended where they work synergistically; however, they can potentially be too much for setups that are already bass-heavy.

Associated Equipment