Art Dudley Listening

my 3K artificial cervical disk replacement for a fragment of the price.. a fair deal I suppose.

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.

....... 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?

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.

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.

Ah forget it

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).

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...

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.