Lacking Bounce

Well yesterday I bought an expensive rack Today it's for sale on hififorsale, it just doesn't do what I want in my system.

Playing around, we found some really interesting stuff for those who look to Ikea for all stands HiFi. Basically Ivor had a point

For some time I have had my Tact preamp placed on a Seismic Sink, which in turn sat on a £12 Ikea Lack table. Something just sounded right about the combo. Problem was that it looked crap. plus it took up too much space, with a standard rack next to it.

I had tried the old angle iron and glass, not for me So I went for a Finite Element Pagode, the looks are stunning and it has been getting good feedback for a long time.


Well once assembled, the sound was changed considerably. Bass became tighter and more powerful, soundstage increased and the top end was smooth as silk. Problem was, in a very controlled system, such as mine, it was also drier and took away some of the presence. I could see it working absolute marvels in a lot of setups, but in mine, I was losing too much bounce and presence. The FE exibited tremendous control though.

First thing was to reinstate the Sink under the Transport. Better! The system loosened up a bit and flowed a little better. Next we put the other Sink under the Tact. Again an improvement in what you guys would call groove. We now had a similar presentation to the old setup, but with better bass definition, speed and impact.

But the feeling was still there that the old Ikea setup flowed better. With this in mind we put the Tact & SS back on the Lack boogie's back Now the system bounced and flowed like before, but with enhanced bass from the rest of the kit on the FE.

Problem was the system was now just as spread out, and nearly as much of an eyesore as before (plus I'd just dropped a grand on a stand that I preferred to use with Sinks and Ikea tables ).

So the final tweak, was to remove the legs from the Ikea table, and use the top as a platform under the Sink on the FE (still with me ). Sounds bloody great Yep there's more colouration in the lower mid/upper bass than with the FE alone, but the boogie factor is there in abundence.

So I reckon Mr Teifleburn was right. He used a suspended component placed on a Lack table. the LP12 was all about the groove, screw the coloured upper bass, just get into the music. Well placing your component on a Seismic Sink and placing those on the Lack top shelf is actually the same idea (ie suspended component on Lack). And it works really well, presence galore, with fruity bass that flows and gets you into the music.

So I reckon those of you using sinks, should try a Lack underneath it and see if it's to your taste. I'm selling the Pagode (which would work superbly in a more lively system. ie. valves etc) and thinking of making a copy, using a combination of Lack shelves, marble shelves, and Seismic Sinks. BTW, the Lack without it's legs, looks proper Audiophile

 

A [much] cheaper alternative to Torlyte methinks !

 

Re: Re: Lacking Bounce

Yep Voodoo a lot cheaper. To my mind they make Seismic Sinks far more entertaining too, so value for money all round. Give it a go, after all £12 ain't gonna break the bank.

 

I don't know what TT you are using Merlin, but it is almost universally accepted that the best support for the Linn LP12 is Mana.

 

:duck:

 

Is that Lack table, the very plain square top effort with 1ft ish legs? I have two in the loft. Is it really worth me digging them out then, and placing the sink on top of the Lack? How did you mount the Lack top onto the rack - if i remember rightly, aren't they about 1ft square? Was it not a bit wobbly as you had it before with the table? Unless you mount spikes on the underside of the legs, don't they sway a bit, plus they are very light?

 

Clearly not by the manufacturer eh there Bub

Of course he does seem to indicate excellent results with pneumatic suspension (eg Seismic Sink)

So before this becomes the first casualty on ZG of the M*** marketting team, let me state catagorically that I tried their product, did not like the colouration, and sold it to Lee. Nothing wrong with it, just not for me.

Now can we concentrate on the Ikea Lacks

 

Cookiemonster,

yep they are the ones. Just take the legs off (unscrew them) and sit it on your existing support with the sink on top. Worth a go, you might like it , you might not. The affect however is noticeable. If you like it, then start thinking of spikes, bluetack and all the other parafanalia. Oh and the table itself is actually very rigid, not wobbly at all.

 

Well, the Trampolinn 'upgrade' has been widely criticised by those who have heard it, so there you go, Merlin.

I think Linn have lost the plot where proper hi-fi is concerned. They are more of a 'lifestyle' company these days.

Why not just type Mana? M*** seems a little juvenile.

I wouldn't call that an endorsement of anything.

 

Just as an update, placing cones underneath the Lack at three points is a good way of fine tuning the balance between boogy and colouration. I wouldn't use spikes as the paper filling and particleboard outer is somewhat fragile and can easily crumble.

I've got a couple of tables spare if anyone want's to try it for themselves prior to visiting Ikea.

 

merlin

do you think this would work coupled to a flexy rack?

i was going to use granite/slate/marble of somekind on cones and then innertube or ss
so it would go

component
ss/inner tube
stone slab
cones
MDF shelf of flexy

would the lack be a good try over the stone?

 

I reckon it's worth a go Penance sure!

The mass option, as in the granite, will tend to dampen the sound, the Lack will probably offer more presence. It does in my setup, but these affects are very system dependent.

I'd try the Lack table top in place of the granite and see which you prefer. It will only cost you £12, you have an Ikea in Bristol, and worst case ,you get a sturdy coffee table

 

worth a shot
i havent traced down the stone yet anyway

 

Not necessarily. Ivor could have been referring to other pneumatic isolation devices such as the Vibraplane.

 

I think that's pretty likely, Markus. The 'Bruce Kinch' geezer (who he?) quoted above asked him: "Does Linn have opinions about the use of pneumatic bases such as the Vibraplane?"

The Lack tables are cheap, which is just as well, considering.

 

Doh. Missed that in the original quote.

On a related note, please, folks, stay away from granite as support for hi-fi. It never, IME, sounds good. A concrete slab (garden paving stone e.g.) is much better, if too ugly for most unless dressed up a little. Slate is also good, often better than concrete.

Granite tends to make for a tonally unbalanced sound, with an emphasis on upper mid/lower treble sounds that becomes very tiring very quickly.

 

i cant soure any slate either
well not at a reasonable cost

 

Reading these postafew things spring to my fevered mind.

The LP12 was [in my youth, ha] always supported by a light but stiff TT table. I mass was added to the system it started to effect the prat.

The flexy is not a stand for TT, I've got one I use an Origin live Skyline. As for other shelves I've been working on one that provide damping and isolation. Under my Denon dcd920 it really opens the presentation out.

This wonder of a shelf what is it ?

two 6mm sheets of MDF seperated by a foamed butyl rubber.

Is that it ? Yep !

There's a long descripiton on the pink fish forum in the DIY section.

The isolation self is at present under the CDP which is on the top shelf. If I were to use this method for a flexy self the lower mdf sheet would be the current shelf. On top I would lay the 15mm thick sheet of butyl rubber and a 6mm sheet of mdf placed between the supports, but not touching them. When I have a moment, this upgrade to my current flexy will be carried out.

 

Penance,

you could also try Terrazzo.