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my 3K artificial cervical disk replacement for a fragment of the price.. a fair deal I suppose.
IsoAcoustics Inc., 39 Main Street N., Unit 5, Markham, Ontario L3P 1X3, Canada. Tel: (905) 294-4672. Web: www.isoacoustics.com. US distributor: Audio Plus Services, 156 Lawrence Paquette Drive, Champlain, NY 12919. Tel: (800) 663-9352. Web: www.audioplusservices.com
Audio-Creative, Rutenberg 9, 8103RE Raalte, The Netherlands. Tel: (31) (0)6-423-73-473. Web: audio-creative.nl
my 3K artificial cervical disk replacement for a fragment of the price.. a fair deal I suppose.
Methinks you may have found a real use for these things!
Only $3k? Where did you get yours done?
Interestingly, my multi-level lumbar fusion required a cadaver, I can only hope that my IsoAcoustic Oreos currently under my PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp require no such sacrifice! :)
At least isoAcoustics won't make chiropractors go out of business :-) ..........
I like their video about small studio monitors... http://www.isoacoustics.com/video-isoacoustics-demo-at-metalworks-studio/
It certainly helps. But for the JBL observer, one cannot but notice the real "pro made" speakers on the wall, featuring 15" JBL 2226s... and horns. When these studio guys want basses and uncolored midrange, no substituting.
Those big monitors at Metalworks Studio 6 are almost certainly George Augspurger monitors, an older version of their Classic 215H (link https://augspurger.com/product/augspurger-classic-215h-dsp2-1500-with-2-way-amp/ ) and before custom drivers they used TAD pro drivers (the ones at Metalworks are probably TAD TL-1601 woofers and TAD compression drivers with beryllium diaphragms for tweeters).
Pretty much nobody uses JBL for studio monitoring any more, they fell entirely out of favor by the early 90's. Still pretty popular for live sound.
And when studio guys want accurate bass/uncolored mids/flat response they go for the likes of Genelec, Barefoot, ADAM, Neumann, ATC, plus some Dynaudio and Focal (they have separate pro divisions, though Dynaudio isn't that well regarded in the studio world). They're all active and all listened to in the near or mid-field. Soffeted mains (like you see at Metalworks) are really only there to check real deep bass and hype the band - you really don't mix on them, except in the rare case where the room is designed around the monitors like a Tom Hidley designed room with Kinoshita Monitors (which use, you guessed it, TAD pro drivers).
Check the tinsel leads. They are those of a JBL 2226 (longer, closer and slanted) not a TAD 1601 (symetrical and wide).
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/1016/03/jbl-2226h-speaker_1_05d597d491dd6f1b7d889eced138548e.jpg
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0511/03/tad-tl-1601a-speaker_1_249c27029776988a7a1ca4a70bf36fb8.jpg
....... I elected to try the IsoAcoustics devices under my Garrard 301 and its plinth..." quoted Art Dudley.
Whatever "tweaks" put on for our audios, the last thing is to spend big bucks for them. That's always MY way.
All my audio components are lifted off their supporting substrates by
up-pointed steel spikes or acoustic cones since day one decades back.
The sonic improvement is very prominent in terms of image resolution & details, soundstaging & transparency. The cost for me was dirt cheap as NO costly brandnames were involved.
My vintage Thorens 125II turntable now I am still actively using with my MM phono cartridge, is lifted off from its own discrete stand with 4 up-pointing steel spikes at its four legs !!!!
On playing fire cracker music like Tchaikovsky 1812 cannon roaring battle-field effects via my 3 active subwoofers: L, R & L+R, no sweats!
Listening is believing
Jack L
Canada
... squash balls for isolators?
Have you actually tried that, and succeeded in keeping your equipment in one place? I tried stuff like that decades ago, and gave up. The power cables kept pulling things off the shelves.
I'd love to see the squash balls that will work under Wilson loudspeakers. I'm less eager to hear the mush created by the movement of all those squash balls during loud percussion volleys. This is another way of saying, "Squash that thought."
... the suspended type, so I don't need to put extra springs underneath them.
As for speakers, they (or the stands on which they are sited) are all coupled to the floor with spikes.
O-rings under the squash balls, or some Blu-Tack, will keep them from possibly rolling around.
If you're using a heavy "audiophile-style" power cord, fasten it to the rack with zip ties in such a way as to minimize the tension on the component.
Interesting!
How about tennis balls cut in half?
'Deflategate' :-) .........
And, you need to use the international style squash balls (which are very soft) and not the ones that people in the US use (hard as a rock.)
So yeah, have done. I was using them under my original large Advents, then under some medium-range B&W bookshelves. Also under my reel to reel decks, and turntables. (I had a turntable with a massively heavy base, and a massively heavy platter.) Now you know how long ago that was - Advents and reel to reel. Four halves under each. Could isolate from normal vibrations. But if people started to pogo, all bets were off. I'm much more conventional now... sorbothane, a couple of different densities stacked, shrink-wrapped to keep them from staining my wood shelves and desk.
I don't know the Wilson speakers, other than I seem to remember they're super heavy... so maybe the US style hard squash balls would be better.
But the Iso-Acoustic stands work remarkably well with bookshelf loudspeakers. Have a pair under my Quad S-2s, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s, and Acoustic Energy AE100 and each loudspeaker sounds more open and detailed. Way better investment than idiotic $$$$ cables.
under my Dynaudio active desktop speakers.
Are those Dynaudio Focus XD-200? ....... If so, may be you (JVS) could do a comparison follow-up review of the new similar Focus XD-20 active speakers? :-) ..........
The demo at RMAF of the speaker feat was amazing. Also, Dynaudio includes Isoacoustics stands with some of their desktop active professional monitors.
Bought a set for my Vandersteen Treo CTs and was rewarded with stronger bass and better stereo imaging. Noticeable right away.
ETA 29 May: Wrote to Vandersteen to see about how to set the vertical alignment of the speakers, since the math of the standard method of washers under the back spike wouldn't work on higher feet. Richard Vandersteen called me and, after a long discussion, convinced me that what I thought I'd heard was wrong.
Yes I know that sounds ridiculous, but after the talk I re-computed the distance and put the standard cones and spikes back. I was happier with this outcome, and sent the Gaias back to Amazon. Go figure.
The Townshend Audio Seismic products have gotten a fair amount of press in the UK, by as usual U.S. critics are late to the party. It's true a quad of the Pods cost more than the same of the GAIA III (but less than the GAIA I, for under heavy speakers), but far less than a Herzan or Minus-K isolation table, which are SOTA for tables.
I'm going to experiment with (same-thickness) Herbie's pads underneath the bottom metal plate of the product and see if that will contribute positively to additional absorption (for use with a turntable).
I wonder how well the bottom piece is secured to the bottom metal plate. If it comes up in one 'scrape', I'll be in luck.
I have the pesky sorbothane feet on my SME 10 that stick to everything and make adjusting the table a pain. I wonder if these would fit as a replacement to the stock feet. They might look a little out of place, but if they improve the sound then, why not.
Suspended in disbelief :-) ..........
The investment is nominal, and I believe the combination of de-coupling and damping (upper & lower) is a sound mechanical approach.
I would, however, like to see inside the unit to understand a bit more. If that is not possible, perhaps ever, that is fine by me.
I think Herbie's products, specifically the platinum-cured line, would even enhance the performance substantially. I am confident I could have the right dimensions as an inexpensive, custom request.
The "grunge-buster' material just has greater initial, resistive memory that it doesn't demonstrate the physical compression characteristics that Sorbothane exhibits. It seems more initially 'resistive' and then releases energy much faster... 'Fast in, Fast out'.
For instance, applying pressure with a screw-down clamp and releasing it leaves a depression of where the pressure existed. Then, a simple touch of one's finger tip on the edge of the mat, the material snaps back instantly and to it's original shape. One of the strangest materials I've felt, and I've been using them for years in various turntable applications (but not the footers).
Forgot the sorbothane feet are threaded not with a threaded shaft the way they appear in the photo. Oh well.
I think completing products in the price range that only use ball-bearing de-coupling are missing half the picture in vibration control (even when Delrin or other more inert materials included). I do believe they work better than Sorbothane pucks, but still lacking compared to this 'combination' approach.
The manufacturer does make custom threads for most applications and free of charge. My impression from others in various forums is to purchase, then contact the mfg. to have them send the replacement-thread screws. (I will do this process with my VPI turntable.) If there is doubt, contact the mfg. first...
However, doubt they will but will call, the SME10 feet are threaded around the circumference of the feet, there is no shaft so they would have to offer something similar, a threaded shaft will not work in this situation. Will send them an email.
Otherwise the article comes off as anecdotal at best. So if I have a Garrard 301 with stiff feet resting on a rack of unknown properties on flooring of unknown properties playing mandolin music at unknown volume levels- then adding these devices could make the mandolin sound louder in the mix?
What if my turntable has soft rubber feet?
Is the vibration it reduced originating from the turntable and reflected back to the tonearm and cartridge or was it air borne acoustic energy? Did you try it using headphones? How effective was the isolation at different volume levels? How solid is the rack that the turntable rests on? How close are the speakers to the turntable? What type of flooring is used?
If you provided more detail and did some basic experimentation to show the cause and effect relationships the article could have been useful.
Tony,
Chicago area
... the turntable sitting on an inflatable lawn decoration.
I bought the last three issues after avoiding hifi magazines for many years. The present issue rightly celebrates John Atkinson's tenure at Stereophile. I last read HiFi magazines seriously when he was with HiFi News!
I switched out because clearly inaccurate and highly subjective things were being written which any professional musician like myself could see were just there to keep the magazine and the industry afloat.
Now comes this article. Like another commentator here I say - of what interest is this to someone who doesn't happen to own a Garrard 301 set up in similar fashion. To what extent will there be changes if your musical diet doesn't consist of music at a dynamic level that rarely changes.
For example, if I'm listening to the last movement of Mahler 9 I might only notice any changes at the loudest points.
With respect, this article seems to be highly subjective waffle that deserves no place in a magazine of this quality.
I installed IsoAcoustics Gaia III under my old but wonderful VPI HW-19 Mk. IV with Graham tonearm.
The sound was indeed better with a much lowered noise floor. Blacker blacks!
But please be careful! Note this: the Gaia footers are like suction cups adhering the turntable to the underlying shelf. In lifting my 50+ lb. turntable to adjust positioning, I have pulled out the original VPI threaded inserts from the bottom—twice.
I ended up having to re-glue the threaded inserts, and to place some slick plastic sheets under the Gaia footers.