Isolation

http://forum.hifichoice.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10294
Just looking at this thread on HFC but as its such a pain to post I thought i'd stick it here. I've just been down to Wilko's after someone suggested their cabinet door knobs were a cheap alternative to oak cones. They have all kinds of isolation type things in there including cork discs and little plastic self adhesive things that look very much like these http://www.brightstaraudio.com/isonode.htm
Only £1.50 for a load!
Anyway when you do this do you take the feet off the component or put the things (squash balls, powerballs whatever) under the feet?
Ta
Hm

 

It was me I did it I confess.............oh your not complaining !

I put the feet [3] inside the normal feet [4] on theflat surface of the base of the equipment. With the super balls you need to be creative, I used large washers to sit the superballs in , and then placed the gear on top. If you don't the things tend to wander off on there own ...which is a little disconcerting. I've not tried the felt disc....wel not for hifi anyway. I now have a flexy shelf that the super balls sit under in the holes for the threaded rod. This sits on thetop of the stack orientated so that the balls are in opposite cornersto the threaded rod.

If you use a stethescope to listen to the shelves its clear how much attenuation these measures add. Method hold stethescope to floor, drop marble and listen, move stethescope to rack drop marble from same height and position and listen to the difference.

 

Cheers Zanash, thought you might have been the culprit! Think I might just experiment with what I can find to put under components. I guess the general rules are to make feet out of some kind of firm rubber or squidgy material that is still firm enough to support the component. I thought the cork discs in Wilco might look quite good as I'll be putting them on nice wooden shelves. Powerballs in washers sounds good assuming i could find the right size of ball. I'll have a think.
Cheers,
HM

 

another thing to try are the artificial pumice stone foot scrubbers. they are blocks about 10cm x 5cm x 2cm. buy 2 and cut them in half. they do make a difference (i wasn't keen on the difference they made but you may differ).
alternatively try some bubble wrap under a bit of mdf for a cheap air platform / seismic sink.
cheers


julian

 

I fail to see what dropping marbles has to do with anything at all, other than dropping marbles, that is.

You can fart about in this manner if it pleases, but you really need Mana.

 

...unless you want more detail in which case you want Hutter or Isoblue, or go Mana if you want more leading edge information, or if you want to liven up your system, but if it is too bright already then go Hutter or isoblue.

Bub Mana is not always the right solution it depends on what the problem is!

 

If you want it all, why compromise

To the point

 

"...unless you want more detail...."

Erm. You are wrong about this, sorry.

 

This is just daft.

Let's keep things real

Whatever you put under your kit, sand, jelly, virgin flesh, it's really not going to make that much difference!

Yes I say this without trying a great deal.

But ffs! ANY difference will be absolutely minimal if indeed any!

 

Do we have to get "Noddy does HIFI" out again ?

Some people are just naysayers. If these thing have no effect under your gear why go to the expence of buying Mana ?

Its like cables everyone knows they have no effect......

The marble is to provide a wave front or impulse in to the isolation system to moniter the effectiveness of that system. You could tap it with your finger or screw driver, but that is not as consistant.

If you have not tried something, you can hardly have an opinion as to how effective it can be, stands to reason.

It might help if people actually post constructive suggestions other wise it will be "Noddy does HIFI".

 

Mmmm, then why do you feel equiped to pass such an absolute opinion? It strikes me either you expect the "objectivist" brigade to back you up, or that you *imagine* there cant be much benefit. Either way its not really a formed opinion. Would you agree?

I heard equally obvious audible differences when I moved my components onto a basic system support and played around with a mains conditioner as when I tried a pair of £1600 Sonus Fabers in comparison to my £279 Ruark speakers.

 

Greg sir,

please take a step back from that statement, you are obviously still suffering from the effects of some 'wild forrest growing fungi' you recently my have ingested.
You realise that you cannot possible have heard a difference, you just merely *suggested to yourself* you did

 

now you mention it Tony I've realised it was all a dream. I woke up to find my AIWA midi system stacked on a sideboard fully cabled with T&E and yes it sounds great!

 

Personally Id like to read a thread without derision.

I HAVE tried loads of stands, and I think the improvement they give is small. That doesnt make me stupid, or incorrect.

If you have heard a big difference, that equally doesnt make you gullable and a fool.

Lets stick to answering the original question which was perfectly valid IMO.

Cheers everyone
Chris

 

Fair comment Bottleneck, just a bit of gentle fun but I shall desist. my first response was a genuine contribution though.
Cheers
Greg

 

:cry: :newbie: :cry:

 

Personally I can't be bothered with the stand issue. I've never noticed any improvement. Differences maybe, but there is no evidence to suggest that these things work.

 

I generally use superballs in doorstoppers and place the equipment on top. The doorstops are made of a rubber material that works in conjunction with the superballs. Usually the superballs are under the equipment chassis, not under the feet

However, there are exceptions. My cdp is a top-loader and there is no room for the doorstop/superball configuration in the rack. Here I use a semi-superball (sliced in two) under the original feet. Generally, I haven't removed equipment feet, although I wouldn't rule it out.

I would experiment, Heavymental.

My new listening room has a concrete floor and I use the originally supplied 'coney things' on my Michell Mycro turntable. However, in my old house the stylus kept jumping when the kids walked (or danced) past. I tried the doorstop/superball technique but, on that occasion, discovered that doorstop/squashballs (yellow-spot) worked better. Squashballs are an air isolation device.

Superballs, squashballs ... Is it all just balls? They have the advantage (over Stillpoints, Mana, etc.) of being very cheap tweaks so what do you have to lose by trying them? The effect will vary depending on equipment, room, etc., etc. and the differences are generally small. However, I've found that it's often a combination of small, subtle differences that makes a great system.

 

Phew! Sorry about that boys, the fur started flying pretty quickly. Unfortunately...or maybe fortunately....my budget of loose change found down the side of the sofa rather rules out Mana or any other ready made rack. Although I probably won't be trying the marble thing due to lack of a stethoscope I will certainly take on the principles suggested. I'm not expecting big differences as my main motivation is simply aesthetics! Although i must admit I find it hard to imagine that differences depending on what surface the system is on will be massively evident. Speaking as a layman it just doesn't seem likely.
Cheers,
HM

yeah I guess so.
HM

 

It's cheap It works

If you are working on a strict budget, I have found that you can get an old Sound Organisation rack for next to nothing. If you substitute the chipboard shelves with shelves made from around quarter inch Welsh Slate the sound is really very good indeed.

if funds are REALLY limited you can just buy one shelf for the main source, and add others as money becomes available.

I would be very interested in anyones opinion who may have tried slate for speaker stands. I don't want to build them and then find they are worse than my steel open frame jobs.