Stack Audio Serene

REVIEW
Ed Selley
Jul 21, 2026

Turntables can be frustrating devices when viewed objectively. A friend of mine once described them as ‘a collection of resonances you happen to like the sound of’, and I’ve found this to be uncomfortably accurate over the years. Because many different resonances are at play, all affecting the overall presentation, you inevitably conclude that everything on a turntable makes a difference. Controlling specific resonances is therefore essential, and numerous products are available to help you achieve this. What becomes interesting is that these products approach this task in contradictory ways, often competing with each other.

Take the Stack Audio Serene Record Dampener. At first glance, it looks like a record weight designed to sit on the turntable spindle and help manage resonances on the playing surface, but importantly, the ‘weight’ aspect of this purpose is quite minimal. Weighing only 95 grams, the Serene doesn’t exert much pressure. This might lead you to think it’s the handbrake your rowing boat has always needed, but Stack Audio uses a different approach to resonance control that doesn’t depend on mass.

Silicone softness

Instead, the Serene has a bottom surface made of a soft silicone membrane. This enables gentle contact with the record label. The only significant point of physical contact is the outer edge of the aluminium chassis that forms the top part of the body. There is no threading inside the centre section, and in all the record players tested, it was possible to make almost no contact with the spindle at all.

It’s what’s on the other side of the silicone that makes the Serene work. It’s filled with lightweight rubber particles that, within limits, can move around inside the Serene. The idea is that energy transferred to the Stack Audio Serene is dissipated as heat rather than being squashed out of existence. Designer Theo Stack argues that this method works better across the full spectrum of possible vibrations, rather than being a one-size-fits-all solution.

There are additional benefits as well. The lightness of the Serene means it exerts less strain on the bearing itself and performs better on suspended decks compared to some heavier alternatives. This includes devices like the Linn LP12, a turntable famously designed to withstand a considerable weight on the bearing, which requires a suitable degree of flexibility.

The Serene followed the Titanic Audio Newton weight through testing, and it might be fair to say that, in terms of the time you spend idly fondling it, the Stack has a disadvantage compared to the more expensive Titanic. The actual build quality of the Serene is excellent, but it feels somewhat odd due to that pliant underside. The concave edge is a nice touch, though, and it becomes second nature to flick it quickly on and off the playing surface.

Offering benefits

The lightweight design of the Serene offers benefits we’ll examine shortly, but it also has a clear limitation. When used on an AVID Ingenium Twin — a device with a threaded spindle for a supplied clamp — the Stack Audio cannot apply enough force to flatten a warped record. The copy of Jamiroquai’s Travelling Without Moving [Sony] that I usually use for this test still posed a challenge for the AVID’s arms, which was more effectively addressed by both the AVID’s clamp and heavier record weights that are readily available.

From there, the Stack begins to deliver greater success. When used on the AVID, it adds a delicacy to the upper registers that isn’t always present with the clamp in place.

Easier to notice

Listening to Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood’s Black Pudding [Ipecac], there are fine details that are easier to notice with the Stack in place than with the clamp. What’s also interesting is that, while the last bit of bass extension might have weakened slightly, it’s far from significant and still represents an improvement over running without anything on the spindle.

What has been far more surprising to me, though, are the benefits of using the Serene on turntables that have not traditionally responded positively to anything placed on the record. The resident Rega Planar 10 was a prime example. Historically, it has not been a happy hunting ground for record weights. Still, the Stack Audio Serene enhanced the ability to refine fine detail, even within the more aggressive boundaries of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. From the midrange upwards, there is more information to discern and greater context to understand how it fits within the music. The overall tonal balance and presentation of the Rega remain unaffected, which is something that has rarely been the case with other weights.

Twin Vertere

This also applies to the two Vertere turntables available during the test period. Vertere is a company notably averse to contact through the bearing, to the extent that you can remove the spindle from their more ornate turntables. Here, the effect of the Stack was somewhat mixed, with improvements in detail but some of the effortlessly open presentation of the MG-1 MkII being slightly diminished. However, on the more affordable DG-X, which features a more traditional spindle, the effect was entirely positive. The eponymous debut album by Skalpel [Ninja Tune] can sound slightly confused and discordant, even on very capable turntables. With the Serene in place, the DG-X can extract more depth and open out the music in a way that makes it much easier to follow.

The Serene’s entirely different approach to resonance control doesn’t follow the usual rules you might expect from such a device — in fact, when dealing with warps, it actually has a disadvantage. Instead, it greatly expands the range of situations where these devices can be effective and offers them at a very competitive price. Turntables might be full of resonances, but the Serene ensures there are fewer to worry about.