This is my third review of WELLFLOAT devices, following my initial testings of the WELLFLOAT Babel and the WELLFLOAT Babel BASE | Double 4548 — all highly effective, unique mechanical decoupling products from Japan.
The WELLFLOAT Pegasus II high-end rack expands the portfolio of this innovative and forward-thinking Japanese manufacturer. As you’ll read throughout the review, it builds upon established technologies and products, pushing boundaries with a design that is both impressive and distinguished on many levels.
G CLEF Acoustics, founded in Osaka in 1978, has spent over four decades developing and supporting professional-grade systems for mixing consoles and recording equipment, including renowned brands such as SSL and Studer. Their clientele spans concert halls, television broadcasters, municipal institutions, research facilities, universities, and major corporations across Japan.
The concept behind WELLFLOAT’s signature pendulum mechanism dates back to the early years of its chief designer, Ryoji Nagata. Drawing on his 40 years of technical and acoustic experience at G CLEF, Nagata sought to adapt this idea for high-end audio applications, resulting in the creation of WELLFLOAT.
WELLFLOAT’s chief collaborator is Shiro Nakamura, the globally acclaimed automotive designer behind icons such as the Nissan GT-R and Fairlady Z. Beyond his automotive legacy, Nakamura is also a passionate musician—a jazz bassist and classical cellist. His personal experience using WELLFLOAT for instruments led him to contribute to the development of what he envisions as the ultimate mechanical isolation solution, realized in the form of the BABEL, Double, and the brand-new Pegasus II ultra high-end audio rack.
WELLFLOAT Pegasus II
WELLFLOAT Pegasus II is the world’s first four-layer, multi-stage pendulum high-end audio rack, incorporating all the technologies of the WELLFLOAT Babel—which set the benchmark as a top-tier mechanical audio insulator—combined with the attributes of equally high-performing WELLFLOAT Double.
The lower shelf section of the WELLFLOAT Pegasus II is constructed from three robust stainless steel plates, providing high structural rigidity and a low center of gravity. Even on its own, this component functions effectively as a two-tiered, multi-stage pendulum audio rack.
At the core of the design, a dedicated stabilizer allows the dual pendulum stages to move independently and with precision, ensuring stable performance across a range of load conditions. Integrated with the Double 4548 structure, this two-stage base achieves a four-stage pendulum effect, matching the performance level of the WELLFLOAT Babel and extending its mechanical isolation principles into a more compact form, readily suited for high-end audio rack applications.
While optimized for this system, users also have the flexibility to integrate their audio boards as needed.
Multilevel Pendulum
The concept of the multilevel pendulum addresses a critical yet often neglected aspect of high-end audio performance: the impact of vibrations on sound reproduction. Mechanical vibrations, whether from airborne sources or inner resonance, subtly but significantly alter the performance of exposed audio components.
A pendulum system, by nature, operates on the principle of resonance. When tuned correctly, it can absorb specific frequencies, preventing them from transferring into the audio chain. The effectiveness of such a system is demarcated by two key factors: the “Q” value, representing how efficiently it oscillates, and the number of pendulum stages, each level adding a layer of rectification in vibration suppression.
For instance, a two-stage pendulum tuned to a resonant frequency of 300 Hz can reduce oscillation levels exponentially. Applied practically, if a loudspeaker emits a 300 Hz tone at -60 dB, the pendulum system can attenuate residual vibration by as much as 80 dB, significantly lowering mechanical interference. This becomes essential in setups involving analog sources such as turntables and tube amplifiers, where micro-vibrations can blur detail and timing.
But the story doesn’t end with analog. Vibrations also affect the electrical behavior of digital systems. Every digital audio device—from DACs to servers—relies on the movement of electrons through conductive pathways.
These trails, housed within the chassis, are susceptible to disruption from mechanical energy, where even the tinniest aggravation can alter electron flow, affecting everything from clock accuracy to data transfer stability.
Moreover, in digital circuits, error correction mechanisms are employed to maintain data integrity. While necessary, they introduce additional processing overhead and timing inconsistencies. Combined with vibrations, this can lead to jitter—minute timing variations that degrade both tonal accuracy and spatial resolution.
A multilevel pendulum system helps preserve sonic integrity by isolating critical components from these unruly forces. It ensures that both analog warmth and digital precision are maintained, disencumbered from the subtle mechanical interferences that often go unnoticed but are always heard.
In high-end audio, it’s not just about what is added, but what is prevented. And in this context, effective vibration control remains one of the cornerstones of true fidelity.
The music
As with each of my evaluations, a carefully curated selection of reference recordings, each chosen for its unique sonic fingerprint, or lack thereof, reveals any idiosyncrasies.
The audit of sonic conduct observed sets the WELLFLOAT reference audio rack apart from others in its category. Pegasus offers a rare consistency—an unflappable sense of authority and tonal balance—delivered without coloration or peculiarities, and with equal sonic confidence across genres both demanding and refined.
Counting Crows August And Everything After
When a system achieves a top-tier balance—or when a particular component finds its appropriate, optimal place within a high-end setup—Counting Crows’ iconic album August and Everything After reveals its full depth, both sonically and emotionally.
I wouldn’t describe the guitar work on this album as raucous, but it certainly demands a specific weight and presence to establish equilibrium. Only then can the eerie vocals and expressive drums inhabit the mix innately along with other instruments.
That same level of attention and finesse is required to shape the melodic phrasing properly. Despite being a studio recording, August and Everything After carries an unmistakable raw energy, largely due to it being fully recorded, mixed, and mastered in analog.
Based on my experience with the two previously reviewed WELLFLOAT devices, I anticipated a certain level of sonic density. However, the Pegasus II exceeded those expectations by shifting the focal points and revealing even more layers within the music’s fabric, offering a substantial increase in depth and resolution.
It’s all too easy to distort the album’s distinct Technicolor analog character. Yet, the Pegasus II proves there’s far more at play than mechanical engineering alone. WELLFLOAT ultimate rack is a finely tuned, deliberately voiced passive component that heeds the integrity of the music, allowing it to flow freely. It preserves the raw emotional essence without distorting harmonic overtones or timbral nuance—never working against what was baked into the tape.
Many high-end accessories can create an artificial sense of space, distancing the listener from the emotive essence of the recording.
In stark contrast, the WELLFLOAT reference rack maintains the organic flow of the music at all times. It lifts a subtle veil, offering a clearer, more dynamic, and convincing presentation, rich with vibrancy and the essential contour that this album not only benefits from but demands.
Tanner Usrey “Take Me Home”
The WELLFLOAT Pegasus II rack arrives with an impressive set of dynamic and interactive characteristics, revealing a consistent pattern of performance that quickly distinguishes it from its peers.
Take the track “Take Me Home”—a well-recorded and expertly produced piece. On lesser mechanical accessories, racks and shelves, the instruments can sound disjointed, as if merely stacked together rather than forming a coherent musical whole. This is precisely the difference between a mid-tier product and one that operates at the highest level. Pegasus II avoids mechanical accentuation, instead delivering balance, authority, and a dynamic range that breaks free from the confines of pro-studio compressor phenomena. It projects a raw physical energy that feels intimately real—conveying true color, tone, and timbral nuance.
While many high-end and ultra-high-end racks suffer from inconsistent or debatable implementation, the WELLFLOAT reference rack cuts through to the core. It does not operate within the typical sonic opposites but transcends them, offering a performance that exists near or in the music itself.
Based on the level of high-end audio set-up elevated state, the Pegasus II will accordingly unravel the layers of mechanical noise that mask subtle musical information. It doesn’t impose itself on the sound, but rather, unlocks what’s already there—revealing details, structure, and space in a way that feels naturally integrated, not artificially enforced.
Like other WELLFLOAT devices, Pegasus II demonstrates a uniquely compliant mechanical design that works in sync with the component without obstructing its potency. Its passive architecture prioritizes musical energy preservation, yielding a more focused presentation with reduced blur, expanded vertical and horizontal dimensionality, and a notably broader aural sphere. The music doesn’t feel projected—it’s experienced, fully absorbed, or partially revealed, all depending closely on what the system allows.
Achieving the exalted level of immersion isn’t simple. Most racks reach their limits before such spectacle becomes apparent. Pegasus II builds beyond those limits, extending the spatial horizon and offering a more palpable rendering of instruments and performers. The capacity to create physical presence and dimension is something even many costly racks fail to manage. Some excel at specific extremes—resolution, tone, or imaging—but few succeed in uniting all these elements into a believable whole where music feels grounded in reality.
The impact of Pegasus II is immediate and tangible.
When mechanical friction and hysteresis are not addressed properly, notes fall flat, introducing disharmony and dissonance. Poor mechanical choices can interfere with tone formation across octaves, degrading the very essence of the performance.
This is where engineering meets a trained ear. Longtime readers know I refrain from calling high-end audio gear “musical instruments”—because they are not. Our goal in high-end audio is to faithfully reproduce musical instruments, not dealign with one. Instruments, by their nature, operate in specific tonal, timbral, and harmonic domains—none are omnipotent.
What Pegasus II offers is a distinct kind of sonic elevation—one that extends its benefits across the full mechanical bandwidth, with no artificial emphasis or peaks. It introduces a higher order of spectral refinement—a shift into a more resolved and elevated sonic plane.
The WELLFLOAT Pegasus II deserves high praise for its unique responsiveness to minute changes, and TakéDaké with Neptune – Asian Roots is a perfect recording to showcase this ability.
This iconic album is easily prone to sonic congestion when any imbalance is introduced—or already present—in the system. Mechanical devices, in particular, offer countless paths for design decisions to go wrong, ranging from subtle to detrimental effects.
At the heart of the Double 4548 lies a passive system reflecting the innerworkings of some professional lab-grade anti-shake mechanisms. Unlike many active platforms, which vary widely in real-world effectiveness due to unknown variables, the Pegasus II remains firmly in the mechanical domain. This deliberate choice avoids the unpredictable outcomes of active designs and anchors performance in traceable, sonic benefits.
Asian Roots is a sonic tour de force. It can reveal—or expose—a system’s strengths and weaknesses on many levels, beginning with its remarkable dynamic impact. In my explorations of several active isolation platforms, I’ve found that the sonic benefits often align more closely with purely mechanical solutions, such as the WELLFLOAT reference rack.
Active devices can smear the leading edges of drums and diminish percussive energy, and Asian Roots quickly becomes a toothless tiger if its thunderous, lightning-fast narrative is disrupted by such unwanted influences.
In contrast, Pegasus II performs exactly as described: a masterfully engineered, highly effective audio rack system. Its refined mechanical design absorbs and redirects unwanted energy—be it micro-vibrations, resonances, or mechanical friction—transforming it with minimal or no sonic imprint.
TakéDaké with Neptune Asian Roots is a standout recording on its own. But with Pegasus II in place, the musical bar is lifted significantly. It never goes against the grain; instead, it achieves a higher-order balancing act with newfound verisimilitude and tonal accuracy, embracing the real-world characteristics of timbre, tone, and color without compromise.
Pegasus II unveiled the full momentum of Asian Roots percussion ensemble with high-octane dynamics and rich timbral and tonal texture, never losing grip on the musical intensity.
Like the Babel, Babel Base, and Double 4548 before it, Pegasus II continues WELLFLOAT’s legacy of mechanical excellence. It raises the standard for what a high-end audio rack can—and should—deliver.
The conclusion
As with the Babel, WELLFLOAT’s chief designer Ryoji Nagata approached the Pegasus II with a blank canvas—each mechanical component thoughtfully designed and deeply researched to act on its own, as well as an integral part of a harmonious whole. What may seem like a minimalist approach conceals a wealth of complex mechanical thinking, all elegantly comprised within the refined industrial aesthetics of Shiro Nakamura.
From the ground up, WELLFLOAT devices operate fundamentally differently from most isolation solutions. Their interaction with high-end audio components responds to both micro and macro vibrations—whether those vibrations originate within the components themselves, travel through the floor, or drift in through the air. When left unchecked, these disturbances can considerably unbalance the system and compromise sonic integrity.
Like the Babel, Pegasus II uniformly addresses varying weight and mass across its structure, balancing damping and stiffness—two qualities traditionally at odds. Thanks to its frictionless mechanical design, there is no wear over time, and the structure maintains its performance indefinitely. As with all WELLFLOAT products, the rack exhibits a sense of enduring rigidity and longevity.
More than just a mechanical structure, Pegasus II carries the same commanding presence as the Babel and Double. Its self-contained design, executed with precisely chosen materials and refined passive elements, operates harmoniously across all components. The three-shelf structure accommodates varying mass and weight distribution without compromising performance, and most strikingly, it achieves a delicate balance between damping, stiffness, and the elimination of mechanical instability.
As with other WELLFLOAT devices, the Pegasus II introduces negligible or no self-induced resonance. An almost complete absence of internal oscillation or wavering means that both micro and macro vibrational energy redirects and dissipates in a controlled, musically non-intrusive way.
WELLFLOAT’s fully passive system, governed by natural physics, operates through layered dissipation and absorption of mechanical energy. It behaves as a singular, cohesive unit—the sum of carefully calibrated parts—each contributing to the sonic neutrality and clarity of the whole.
Mechanical noise comes in many forms, and unlike electronic noise, it’s not only measurable but unmistakably audible. It disrupts timing, masks detail, and introduces fatigue. Pegasus II doesn’t just neutralize mechanical interference—it prevents it from ever entering the sonic chain.
The design pays tribute to Nakamura’s industrial sensibility, ability to impart a mechanical clarity that, while preserving the essence of music, also removes any excess—mechanical or conceptual, and the multi-stage pendulum structure builds upon the success of the Babel, Bable Base, and Double 4548, expertly tackling polyphonic noise and electronic interference at their root.
At first glance, Pegasus II may seem utilitarian, but its mechanical elegance reveals itself under closer inspection. Its poised structure offers a clear understanding of its purpose and effect: quieting mechanical chaos while restoring sonic order.
Keeping the core functionality intact, the Pegasus II supplies the legacy of Babel to the audio rack universe. With heightened precision and refined engineering touchpoints, it transcends the Nero Opaco, hinting at something even deeper—Vanta Black levels of tonal blackness and silence.
WELLFLOAT’s reference rack blends Bauhaus-inspired form with uniquely Japanese craftsmanship and discipline. Every mechanical element serves the music, designed with the scrupulousness of fine watchmaking—strategic, refined, and always ticking at the right speed.
That such a performance can be achieved with steel and mechanical isolation alone seems improbable, yet Pegasus II affirms, like Babel before it, that music can be rendered with striking coherence and realism—closer to the source, closer to the truth.
As a rare example of “form follows function” done right, the Pegasus II proves that industrial design can transcend and include the elegance of aesthetics. WELLFLOAT reference audio rack has been designed, built, and voiced by someone with a genuine passion for music—someone able to find that elusive equilibrium between mechanical precision and emotional engagement.
Pegasus II will resonate most with listeners who value both clarity and musicality—those in pursuit of a mirror-like reflection of the original recording, untouched and uncolored, right at the foundation of the signal chain.
Perhaps most importantly, Pegasus II activates something deeper. It triggers subconscious associations tied to live performance and enables the surrounding equipment to disappear from awareness. That alone is deserving of the highest praise.
It remains rare—even at this level—to encounter a rack or platform system that so successfully unites purpose, engineering, and execution. Pegasus II isn’t just a rack—it’s a fully realized concept that proves itself in practice.
Following in the footsteps of the Babel Base and Double 4548, Pegasus II elevates the WELLFLOAT legacy: music first, always.
It works silently and effectively, never rounding off transients, never interfering with timing. It simply operates—quietly, confidently—beside the music, revealing new levels of transparency, dynamics, and structural consistency across the full frequency range.
Pegasus II adds a new dimension to the high-end audio engineer’s cache—an ultra-reference-grade audio rack with meaningful objectivity and practical mechanical fabrication on multiple levels.
For its outstanding performance, innovative engineering, and purposeful industrial design, I’m pleased to award the WELLFLOAT Pegasus II the Mono & Stereo 2025 Editor’s Choice Award.
Products like Pegasus II ignite a deeper response—one that reawakens curiosity and keeps the listening spirit fully alive. ❖
The price
- USD 33.000.00
Specification
- Design： 4-layer “multi-stage pendulum” structure comprising 2 layers of rack shelves and 2 layers of Double 4548 boards
- Material： Stainless steel (shelf), aluminum (pole)
- Dimensions： 635 x 501mm (floor installation size)）
- Load capacity： 95kg/static load per shelf (When using Double4548, equipment weight up to 85kg）
Contact
G CLEF ACOUSTIC Ltd.
Postcode 563-0023
1-10-19, Iguchido,
Ikeda-shi, Osaka,
Japan
Web: wellfloat-global.com
Email: Link