Thirty three and a third.

[aligreto]

That is the key. Power amp/speaker are crucial match. Ivor Tiefenbrun, of Linn Sondek, argued that the front end is the most important part of any system and where the greatest investment should be made. A manufacturer of a TT would say that, but he has a point. As you say no system has the ability to convert rubbish.......

I believe that the speaker end ultimately defines the overall sound but that the "voice" of each of the various components has a contribution to make. The "sound" of each individual, overall system is a product of the synthesis of its various components. For me, in yesterday's various setups, the best combination was the vinyl/speaker combination followed by the Digital Download/Speaker combination [I forget what model DAC he has]. The biggest deficit in his otherwise quite fine setup is his CDP which, to my ears, is far too "bright". That is primarily down to that particular component. However, as we all well know, these things are very subjective and every pair of ears are different.

That Project 10 is a cracker, however.   

[Spotted Horses]

That Project 10 is a cracker, however.

I feel tempted to get a turntable again, until I remember I threw away all of my LPs.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hi PD,

Electrostatic speakers work differently when compared with "conventional" cone speakers. They are particularly good at reproducing small ensemble acoustic music and the human voice, I find.

As you know, every conventional speaker has a crossover unit which transfers the relevant frequency to the appropriate speaker cone. And so it is here; the top panel basically receives the mid and the treble frequencies whose that "box" below is basically a subwoofer which receives the bass frequencies.

Thanks.  Nice to know that I wasn't going crazy as earlier I was thinking that looks like a subwoofer?!  Just a bit hard for me to imagine how the upper part works--so used to seeing cones!

The electrostatics sound like they would be best (from what you've said) for things like jazz and acoustic music and singing (non-operatic).  Did you try to listen to any "bigger" groups and things like rock, opera and symphonic while you were there?  What kind of music does your friend primarily listen to by the way?  And how tall were they roughly (the speakers--not your friend)?

Hauled out an old LP set today (half-way through it):  "Wings Across America".  I should have cleaned it before putting it on (did a quick look at it), but have done so now.  Despite a few pops (now quieter), it still sounds good--even better than when I first purchased it!  Even though it's a live performance, I can hear a lot more detail in the music than I could before on my younger self's old junky equipment.    Fun to revisit it!

PD

[aligreto]

The electrostatics sound like they would be best (from what you've said) for things like jazz and acoustic music and singing (non-operatic).  Did you try to listen to any "bigger" groups and things like rock, opera and symphonic while you were there?  What kind of music does your friend primarily listen to by the way?  And how tall were they roughly (the speakers--not your friend)?

PD

Yes, PD, Jazz, Folk and anything with acoustic instruments and the human voice are the primary forte of electrostatic speakers, in my experience. Anything acoustic that is intimate really shines with this technology.

Did you try to listen to any "bigger" groups and things like rock, opera and symphonic while you were there? 

Yes to Baroque music, but to a limited degree. We listened to some Bach Cantatas but the CD recording was poor and this was reflected and magnified via the system.
Rock was represented by the Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" album. It was illuminating how restricted the bass playing was on the album which is something that I had not previously noticed. To be fair, I will revisit that album and critically analyse the bass playing further as bass playing is something that I pay particular attention to.
No Opera was sampled on the day.

My friend's music of choice are both the genres of Ambient and Electronica and both fared very well through his system. 

[aligreto]

Hauled out an old LP set today (half-way through it):  "Wings Across America".  I should have cleaned it before putting it on (did a quick look at it), but have done so now.  Despite a few pops (now quieter), it still sounds good--even better than when I first purchased it!  Even though it's a live performance, I can hear a lot more detail in the music than I could before on my younger self's old junky equipment.    Fun to revisit it!

PD

I, too, have a copy of the Wings Across America triple vinyl album:





I am a die hard fan of McCartney and Wings and I treasure this vinyl set. It captures terrific performances of Wings at the zenith of their performing career.

[aligreto]

Here is another interesting article that I came across on Discogs over the weekend.


The Importance of Isolation and How to Fix Vibration in Your Turntable Set-Up

Jeffrey Lee Puckett posted March 4, 2021


A lot of people dismiss the idea of isolating stereo gear from vibrations with a smirk and two words: snake oil.

Those people clearly don't live in a 100-year-old home with springy wood floors that turn it into a really big bounce house. Maybe they live in a newer home, or more likely in their parents' basement; a concrete floor cures a lot of ills.

But for a lot of people, isolation is a must because we can't walk across the room without making our turntable skip. Others consider isolation crucial no matter the circumstances, believing that even marginal resonances negatively impact the sound.

Maybe those folks do enjoy the occasional shot of snake oil after dinner, but I'm writing this story because I'm the poor sap who lives in a bounce house, and I have a box filled with isolation devices to prove it.

The Discogs down-and-dirty guide to reducing bad vibes will not be a scientific paper but instead a look at practical solutions. We'll discuss cheap fixes, esoteric options, and a couple of products that can perform minor miracles. We may even try and make something involving a serving tray and playground sand.

Let's get started.

We only pick the coolest stuff because we like it. However, when you purchase something through our affiliate links, Discogs may earn a commission.


Isolation v. Vibration

Nothing can get a flame war started quite like a forum thread about putting your turntable and speakers on the same surface. People lose their minds. Those who go hard against the practice are inevitably called "audiophools." Those who are fine with it are often called much worse. The internet even got mad at President Obama for having his turntable and speakers on the same surface, and dude was giving us all quality affordable health care.


Friends, let's take a breath and approach this logically.

A turntable's primary job is to keep the stylus in the groove, because that's where the music is. It's a delicate operation, in some ways a literal balancing act, and vibration can get in the way of that operation. If the stylus isn't getting a smooth ride, you won't get good sound. Meanwhile, a loudspeaker's primary job is to turn a signal into music, and part of that job requires the speaker to vibrate. That's how they reproduce music (see: every video on YouTube showing a pair of woofers pumping during "Bass I Love You").

So, logically, you should keep these two things far apart but: It depends.

It's entirely possible to put a pair of moderately-sized speakers, ones that are well-made and don't generate excessive bass, on the same surface alongside a turntable without problems. I've seen it done, and with great success. A friend with whom I've shared many all-night listening parties has a set-up that, on paper, should be a disaster but it sounds great. That's because his floors are rock solid, the furniture used is old-school solid wood that weighs a ton, and most of his bass is handled by a subwoofer that sits on the floor.

But the "down-and-dirty guide to reducing bad vibes" is for people with vibration issues. These could be from footfalls, speakers that are cranked loud enough to cause occasional skips, and even acoustic feedback. The latter is borderline frightening and occurs when the vibration of your woofers is picked up by your stylus, which creates a loop. The same signal is being amplified twice and all hell breaks loose as the woofers begin pumping like mad while howling. Feedback is an incontrovertible fact, no matter how many dumbass "experiments" you stage to prove that it isn't an issue.

So, let's start with two common scenarios and use those as our baseline. One is my own situation, the vintage bounce house, and the second is for those who are forced to put everything on one surface and aren't as lucky as my friend. Here are some very affordable solutions


Where to Start

There's a common product available under a variety of names but they're all essentially alike. They're heavy-duty isolation pads made with cork and rubber that are often used under heavy equipment in an industrial setting. They come in a variety of sizes and have a layer of cork compressed between two layers of rubber. There's a variant that has an extremely dense layer of blue foam between layers of rubber and they perform just as well.

If you have minor issues with footfalls affecting your turntable, put it on top of three or four of these. If you have more serious issues and are using something similar to an Ikea shelf, you could start by using the pads underneath the cabinet — or under both the shelf and the turntable for a double whammy of isolation. These pads are readily available from industrial supply houses, big box hardware stores, or Amazon, which has the widest variety and best prices. You can get an eight-pack of small ones, which are 2" x 2" x 7/8", for $10. The larger 4" x 4" x 7/8" pads, perfect for under a bigger shelf, are $7 for four.

If your turntable has feet taller than 7/8", then consider making yourself a turntable platform by using an Ikea bamboo chopping board, the Aptitlig, for $10 (thinner) or $20 (thicker, which is better). Place the chopping board on the pads and you have a pretty sharp platform for next to nothing. I use this method for most of my tubed equipment  — tubes don't like to be bounced around — and I don't think it's my imagination that the music has more clarity and focus.

I know for a fact that in many situations, this platform will at least cure your turntable's footfall problems (it worked in a former home but not this one). It might help if you're getting feedback at higher volumes; if you are, it's possible that the easiest and cheapest solution is to move your speakers.

Options, Options, and More Options

I've gone through a lot of isolation crap, some ridiculous, mostly to help with footfalls. There was a brief problem with feedback, however, which I'll get to in a minute.

Here's a list of everything I've tried other than the cork and rubber pads, with varying levels of success:

DIY sand-loaded platform: This is a pandemic project that was cheap and reasonably fun but ultimately wasn't quite good enough. Sand has been used for resonance damping in the audio world for decades; there are a number of speaker stands that can be filled with sand, and even a few speaker designs that have a rear cavity for sand loading.

For an equipment platform, all it took to DIY one was a serving tray, sand, and a cutting board at a total cost of around $25. I glued some thick, laminated paper over the inside of the open handles, lined the tray with plastic, and filled it with sand. The cutting board went on top of the sand, and it was fairly easy to shift the sand around in order to get a level surface. It looks surprisingly good and did a fairly good job — not good enough but it was encouraging. I suspect the tray isn't deep enough at 1.5 inches. A 3-inch tray would let me use around 40-45 pounds of sand, which would likely dampen anything.

Vibrapod isolators and cones: These slick little buddies come in two flavors. One is a vinyl composite pad, and the other is the pad combined with a cone that's topped with a metal ball. It kinda looks like a 1988 Madonna bra. If you have minor footfall issues and are concerned about aesthetics, a set of pads (no cones) placed under a cutting board may be all the isolation your turntable needs. A four-piece of No. 2 isolators will support 24 pounds and cost only $24. The price is the same no matter which version you buy, Nos. 1 through 5.

Sorbothane: This stuff is good for squeezing when you're feeling anxious but it has never solved any problems for me. Your mileage may vary, and it's readily available and pretty cheap unless a brand name is attached.

Spikes: Spikes are fairly controversial considering how they're just spikes, but there's a fundamental misunderstanding about them. They don't isolate your equipment from a surface but instead couple your equipment to a surface. Regardless, some people like the result and some don't. I can take them or leave them, but since I have hardwood floors I mostly leave them. A set of self-adhesive spikes can be had at pretty much all price points, so if you just want to experiment you can without burning too much cash.

Wooden blocks: Many years ago, there was a buzz about these tiny maple blocks meant to be used anywhere you needed isolation. Of course I bought some, even though the cost-to-size ratio seemed way off, and they've been sitting in a box for a decade. While a thick maple butcher's block can be highly effective (and expensive), these little guys did nothing for me. However, because I'm dumb, I bought some much large isolation pads made of birch plywood sandwiched by cork from a carpenter/audiophile who has since retired, or perhaps run out of birch plywood. These were actually pretty good and cleared up some midrange congestion in an old pair of Spendor monitors.

Marble platforms: This seems like such an '80s thing, but there are still people who use marble. I have one marble turntable platform and it doesn't help with footfalls (at my house and with my turntable). I can see where a thick slab under a speaker or subwoofer might do some serious isolating, but marble ain't cheap.

Gingko Audio: My Gingko Audio platform is probably the most embarrassing audiophile thing I own but it is highly effective. It's a three-part isolation system that starts with an acrylic platform, then squash balls are situated on indentations in the platform — yeah, I know — and they're covered by another acrylic piece that hides the fact that you're using squash balls. The thing is, it works, but at a cost — like $500. When I bought a monster pair of floor-standing speakers 10 or so years ago, they overloaded my room with deep bass, which caused violent feedback even though my turntable was four or five feet away and sitting on a wall-mounted shelf. I added the Gingko, which I thankfully found used because these things are way overpriced, and the feedback was solved. So I'm a big fan but still. Squash balls.

Wall-mounted shelves: These steel shelves, made by a variety of manufacturers, all do the same thing and do it well. They aren't that expensive, usually around $150, but they require you to punch six long, heavy-duty screws into your wall, preferably into some studs. It's a highly effective but fairly extreme solution, in terms of effort and overall destruction, and your turntable won't skip even during a B-52's party. After repainting the living room, however, I haven't been able to bring myself to ruin that beautiful wall again. Plus, it's a serious pain in the ass to mount these shelves correctly.

Luckily, out of the blue, an affordable, elegant solution arrived.


The Best (So Far)

Since the early 1990s, I've read reviews of hundreds of audio accessories and tweaks. Some were solid, practical engineering and some were absolute nonsense, like the recommendation that you put photos of yourself in the freezer for improved sound, or anything marketed by PWB Electronics. I've never seen such unanimous praise as I have for products made by IsoAcoustics, many of which are beyond my price range. But as I was formulating this story IsoAcoustics randomly reached out via DM and offered to send review samples of their zaZen I turntable platform ($199) and Iso-Puck Mini ($99 for eight). I was stoked but cautious. Turns out I should have just been stoked.

The zaZen platform replaced an elaborate two-tiered isolation setup involving cork pads, bamboo cutting board, and the crazy squash ball thing — all of which worked but looked insane. The zaZen, with its dense platform and IsoPuck feet, is unobtrusive at 1.5 inches tall, looks elegant, and does a better job.

I took a cautious step. I took a normal step. Then I took an aggressive step — let's just call it a drunk step — and nothing happened except music. No skips.

I was pleasantly shocked. Maybe $199 sounds like a lot of money, but after struggling for years with skips and occasional feedback, it feels like a screaming bargain and I'm buying the review sample.

Excited by the results, I went online and found a used set of eight standard-sized IsoPucks, which are designed for heavier loads, to put under my vintage ADS speakers. They objectively tightened the bass and improved the overall clarity. There was no doubt. None. The ADS are a recent purchase and I love everything about them except for slightly muddy and overemphasised bass. The IsoPucks improved this to a degree that the sound went from really good to holy shit.

The IsoPucks are made of a proprietary material and make clever use of suction. The top half of the IsoPuck melds itself to the bottom of a component and the bottom half does the same with the surface on which the component sits. Inside is a design based on stud isolators used in the flooring of buildings. The ultimate purpose is to decouple the component from a desktop, shelf, speaker stand, or floor.

Decoupling prevents the transfer of vibration-based energy from speaker to surface or from surface to component. Imagine the energy getting trapped in the middle of the pucks, leaving the component free to do its job. The zaZen is a double whammy as the feet and platform work together to isolate.

If you're forced to keep speakers on the same surface as a turntable — and are having issues, of course — I highly recommend the Iso-Puck Mini. I can't imagine them not working. Of course, you absolutely should first explore the cheap alternatives detailed above if money is a problem. Even if the cork and rubber pads don't work, they'll come in handy someday, guaranteed — if you ever have a washer go rogue and start loudly spasming, just slip the pads under that rude boy and enjoy the silence while you listen to "And Justice for All."

And there you have it, one man's journey into isolation, which is pretty appropriate given the current state of the world.

Again, if you feel like you don't have any vibration issues then don't bother. If you think that problems caused by vibration are fake news, then don't bother. This guide is meant to help anyone whose listening is compromised, period, and it isn't based on conjecture but results. Now get out there and crush those lovin' good vibrations under the heel of your cork-and-rubber boots.


                                                                          -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I live in one of those bouncy older houses with wooden floors.
My main rig is housed on a tiered rack and I do not use any isolation for the components on the shelves.
However, my power amplifier sits on the floor directly under the rack and I do use isolation for that component. I use a type of cup that I came across in a hardware shop years ago which are meant to be used for the feet of a clothes washing machine to stand in.
A few years ago I had a Linn Sondek TT sitting on the top of the rack and that was very problematic for me. A bouncy platter in a bouncy room was not an ideal setup. I now have a much heavier TT on the rack so it is no longer a problem.
I do also have my speakers, with spiked feet, sitting on two marble slabs.

In another room I have a secondary system which rests on a set of wooden bookshelves.
I have that CDP sitting on a large wall tile and the TT sits on a glass chopping board. Both solutions work for me.

When I first started using isolation under my components I started with a squash ball cut in half, dome shaped, with the CDP standing on these. This was a good solution but impractical for me due to the necessity to move the CDP to move various input and output cables in and out [as it is also a CD recorder]. Once I moved the CDP it obviously toppled off the squash balls. Now I simply move the tile and the whole unit moves freely.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Here is another interesting article that I came across on Discogs over the weekend.


The Importance of Isolation and How to Fix Vibration in Your Turntable Set-Up

Jeffrey Lee Puckett posted March 4, 2021


A lot of people dismiss the idea of isolating stereo gear from vibrations with a smirk and two words: snake oil.

Those people clearly don't live in a 100-year-old home with springy wood floors that turn it into a really big bounce house. Maybe they live in a newer home, or more likely in their parents' basement; a concrete floor cures a lot of ills.

But for a lot of people, isolation is a must because we can't walk across the room without making our turntable skip. Others consider isolation crucial no matter the circumstances, believing that even marginal resonances negatively impact the sound.

Maybe those folks do enjoy the occasional shot of snake oil after dinner, but I'm writing this story because I'm the poor sap who lives in a bounce house, and I have a box filled with isolation devices to prove it.

The Discogs down-and-dirty guide to reducing bad vibes will not be a scientific paper but instead a look at practical solutions. We'll discuss cheap fixes, esoteric options, and a couple of products that can perform minor miracles. We may even try and make something involving a serving tray and playground sand.

Let's get started.

We only pick the coolest stuff because we like it. However, when you purchase something through our affiliate links, Discogs may earn a commission.


Isolation v. Vibration

Nothing can get a flame war started quite like a forum thread about putting your turntable and speakers on the same surface. People lose their minds. Those who go hard against the practice are inevitably called "audiophools." Those who are fine with it are often called much worse. The internet even got mad at President Obama for having his turntable and speakers on the same surface, and dude was giving us all quality affordable health care.


Friends, let's take a breath and approach this logically.

A turntable's primary job is to keep the stylus in the groove, because that's where the music is. It's a delicate operation, in some ways a literal balancing act, and vibration can get in the way of that operation. If the stylus isn't getting a smooth ride, you won't get good sound. Meanwhile, a loudspeaker's primary job is to turn a signal into music, and part of that job requires the speaker to vibrate. That's how they reproduce music (see: every video on YouTube showing a pair of woofers pumping during "Bass I Love You").

So, logically, you should keep these two things far apart but: It depends.

It's entirely possible to put a pair of moderately-sized speakers, ones that are well-made and don't generate excessive bass, on the same surface alongside a turntable without problems. I've seen it done, and with great success. A friend with whom I've shared many all-night listening parties has a set-up that, on paper, should be a disaster but it sounds great. That's because his floors are rock solid, the furniture used is old-school solid wood that weighs a ton, and most of his bass is handled by a subwoofer that sits on the floor.

But the "down-and-dirty guide to reducing bad vibes" is for people with vibration issues. These could be from footfalls, speakers that are cranked loud enough to cause occasional skips, and even acoustic feedback. The latter is borderline frightening and occurs when the vibration of your woofers is picked up by your stylus, which creates a loop. The same signal is being amplified twice and all hell breaks loose as the woofers begin pumping like mad while howling. Feedback is an incontrovertible fact, no matter how many dumbass "experiments" you stage to prove that it isn't an issue.

So, let's start with two common scenarios and use those as our baseline. One is my own situation, the vintage bounce house, and the second is for those who are forced to put everything on one surface and aren't as lucky as my friend. Here are some very affordable solutions


Where to Start

There's a common product available under a variety of names but they're all essentially alike. They're heavy-duty isolation pads made with cork and rubber that are often used under heavy equipment in an industrial setting. They come in a variety of sizes and have a layer of cork compressed between two layers of rubber. There's a variant that has an extremely dense layer of blue foam between layers of rubber and they perform just as well.

If you have minor issues with footfalls affecting your turntable, put it on top of three or four of these. If you have more serious issues and are using something similar to an Ikea shelf, you could start by using the pads underneath the cabinet — or under both the shelf and the turntable for a double whammy of isolation. These pads are readily available from industrial supply houses, big box hardware stores, or Amazon, which has the widest variety and best prices. You can get an eight-pack of small ones, which are 2" x 2" x 7/8", for $10. The larger 4" x 4" x 7/8" pads, perfect for under a bigger shelf, are $7 for four.

If your turntable has feet taller than 7/8", then consider making yourself a turntable platform by using an Ikea bamboo chopping board, the Aptitlig, for $10 (thinner) or $20 (thicker, which is better). Place the chopping board on the pads and you have a pretty sharp platform for next to nothing. I use this method for most of my tubed equipment  — tubes don't like to be bounced around — and I don't think it's my imagination that the music has more clarity and focus.

I know for a fact that in many situations, this platform will at least cure your turntable's footfall problems (it worked in a former home but not this one). It might help if you're getting feedback at higher volumes; if you are, it's possible that the easiest and cheapest solution is to move your speakers.

Options, Options, and More Options

I've gone through a lot of isolation crap, some ridiculous, mostly to help with footfalls. There was a brief problem with feedback, however, which I'll get to in a minute.

Here's a list of everything I've tried other than the cork and rubber pads, with varying levels of success:

DIY sand-loaded platform: This is a pandemic project that was cheap and reasonably fun but ultimately wasn't quite good enough. Sand has been used for resonance damping in the audio world for decades; there are a number of speaker stands that can be filled with sand, and even a few speaker designs that have a rear cavity for sand loading.

For an equipment platform, all it took to DIY one was a serving tray, sand, and a cutting board at a total cost of around $25. I glued some thick, laminated paper over the inside of the open handles, lined the tray with plastic, and filled it with sand. The cutting board went on top of the sand, and it was fairly easy to shift the sand around in order to get a level surface. It looks surprisingly good and did a fairly good job — not good enough but it was encouraging. I suspect the tray isn't deep enough at 1.5 inches. A 3-inch tray would let me use around 40-45 pounds of sand, which would likely dampen anything.

Vibrapod isolators and cones: These slick little buddies come in two flavors. One is a vinyl composite pad, and the other is the pad combined with a cone that's topped with a metal ball. It kinda looks like a 1988 Madonna bra. If you have minor footfall issues and are concerned about aesthetics, a set of pads (no cones) placed under a cutting board may be all the isolation your turntable needs. A four-piece of No. 2 isolators will support 24 pounds and cost only $24. The price is the same no matter which version you buy, Nos. 1 through 5.

Sorbothane: This stuff is good for squeezing when you're feeling anxious but it has never solved any problems for me. Your mileage may vary, and it's readily available and pretty cheap unless a brand name is attached.

Spikes: Spikes are fairly controversial considering how they're just spikes, but there's a fundamental misunderstanding about them. They don't isolate your equipment from a surface but instead couple your equipment to a surface. Regardless, some people like the result and some don't. I can take them or leave them, but since I have hardwood floors I mostly leave them. A set of self-adhesive spikes can be had at pretty much all price points, so if you just want to experiment you can without burning too much cash.

Wooden blocks: Many years ago, there was a buzz about these tiny maple blocks meant to be used anywhere you needed isolation. Of course I bought some, even though the cost-to-size ratio seemed way off, and they've been sitting in a box for a decade. While a thick maple butcher's block can be highly effective (and expensive), these little guys did nothing for me. However, because I'm dumb, I bought some much large isolation pads made of birch plywood sandwiched by cork from a carpenter/audiophile who has since retired, or perhaps run out of birch plywood. These were actually pretty good and cleared up some midrange congestion in an old pair of Spendor monitors.

Marble platforms: This seems like such an '80s thing, but there are still people who use marble. I have one marble turntable platform and it doesn't help with footfalls (at my house and with my turntable). I can see where a thick slab under a speaker or subwoofer might do some serious isolating, but marble ain't cheap.

Gingko Audio: My Gingko Audio platform is probably the most embarrassing audiophile thing I own but it is highly effective. It's a three-part isolation system that starts with an acrylic platform, then squash balls are situated on indentations in the platform — yeah, I know — and they're covered by another acrylic piece that hides the fact that you're using squash balls. The thing is, it works, but at a cost — like $500. When I bought a monster pair of floor-standing speakers 10 or so years ago, they overloaded my room with deep bass, which caused violent feedback even though my turntable was four or five feet away and sitting on a wall-mounted shelf. I added the Gingko, which I thankfully found used because these things are way overpriced, and the feedback was solved. So I'm a big fan but still. Squash balls.

Wall-mounted shelves: These steel shelves, made by a variety of manufacturers, all do the same thing and do it well. They aren't that expensive, usually around $150, but they require you to punch six long, heavy-duty screws into your wall, preferably into some studs. It's a highly effective but fairly extreme solution, in terms of effort and overall destruction, and your turntable won't skip even during a B-52's party. After repainting the living room, however, I haven't been able to bring myself to ruin that beautiful wall again. Plus, it's a serious pain in the ass to mount these shelves correctly.

Luckily, out of the blue, an affordable, elegant solution arrived.


The Best (So Far)

Since the early 1990s, I've read reviews of hundreds of audio accessories and tweaks. Some were solid, practical engineering and some were absolute nonsense, like the recommendation that you put photos of yourself in the freezer for improved sound, or anything marketed by PWB Electronics. I've never seen such unanimous praise as I have for products made by IsoAcoustics, many of which are beyond my price range. But as I was formulating this story IsoAcoustics randomly reached out via DM and offered to send review samples of their zaZen I turntable platform ($199) and Iso-Puck Mini ($99 for eight). I was stoked but cautious. Turns out I should have just been stoked.

The zaZen platform replaced an elaborate two-tiered isolation setup involving cork pads, bamboo cutting board, and the crazy squash ball thing — all of which worked but looked insane. The zaZen, with its dense platform and IsoPuck feet, is unobtrusive at 1.5 inches tall, looks elegant, and does a better job.

I took a cautious step. I took a normal step. Then I took an aggressive step — let's just call it a drunk step — and nothing happened except music. No skips.

I was pleasantly shocked. Maybe $199 sounds like a lot of money, but after struggling for years with skips and occasional feedback, it feels like a screaming bargain and I'm buying the review sample.

Excited by the results, I went online and found a used set of eight standard-sized IsoPucks, which are designed for heavier loads, to put under my vintage ADS speakers. They objectively tightened the bass and improved the overall clarity. There was no doubt. None. The ADS are a recent purchase and I love everything about them except for slightly muddy and overemphasised bass. The IsoPucks improved this to a degree that the sound went from really good to holy shit.

The IsoPucks are made of a proprietary material and make clever use of suction. The top half of the IsoPuck melds itself to the bottom of a component and the bottom half does the same with the surface on which the component sits. Inside is a design based on stud isolators used in the flooring of buildings. The ultimate purpose is to decouple the component from a desktop, shelf, speaker stand, or floor.

Decoupling prevents the transfer of vibration-based energy from speaker to surface or from surface to component. Imagine the energy getting trapped in the middle of the pucks, leaving the component free to do its job. The zaZen is a double whammy as the feet and platform work together to isolate.

If you're forced to keep speakers on the same surface as a turntable — and are having issues, of course — I highly recommend the Iso-Puck Mini. I can't imagine them not working. Of course, you absolutely should first explore the cheap alternatives detailed above if money is a problem. Even if the cork and rubber pads don't work, they'll come in handy someday, guaranteed — if you ever have a washer go rogue and start loudly spasming, just slip the pads under that rude boy and enjoy the silence while you listen to "And Justice for All."

And there you have it, one man's journey into isolation, which is pretty appropriate given the current state of the world.

Again, if you feel like you don't have any vibration issues then don't bother. If you think that problems caused by vibration are fake news, then don't bother. This guide is meant to help anyone whose listening is compromised, period, and it isn't based on conjecture but results. Now get out there and crush those lovin' good vibrations under the heel of your cork-and-rubber boots.


                                                                          -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I live in one of those bouncy older houses with wooden floors.
My main rig is housed on a tiered rack and I do not use any isolation for the components on the shelves.
However, my power amplifier sits on the floor directly under the rack and I do use isolation for that component. I use a type of cup that I came across in a hardware shop years ago which are meant to be used for the feet of a clothes washing machine to stand in.
A few years ago I had a Linn Sondek TT sitting on the top of the rack and that was very problematic for me. A bouncy platter in a bouncy room was not an ideal setup. I now have a much heavier TT on the rack so it is no longer a problem.
I do also have my speakers, with spiked feet, sitting on two marble slabs.

In another room I have a secondary system which rests on a set of wooden bookshelves.
I have that CDP sitting on a large wall tile and the TT sits on a glass chopping board. Both solutions work for me.

When I first started using isolation under my components I started with a squash ball cut in half, dome shaped, with the CDP standing on these. This was a good solution but impractical for me due to the necessity to move the CDP to move various input and output cables in and out [as it is also a CD recorder]. Once I moved the CDP it obviously toppled off the squash balls. Now I simply move the tile and the whole unit moves freely.

Thanks for that article Fergus.  Are the comments at the bottom yours or are they updates by the original article writer?

In any event, I too live in a bouncy house.  Have to be somewhat careful when I'm playing records in my living room.  About a year ago, a friend lent me a spare turntable for upstairs.  I had thought that it would be cool to be able to listen to in my study or when I was in my bedroom.  Alas, my setup there is even bouncier and the record would skip if I did anything other than walk like a mouse.  My walls are plaster and he was reluctant to try and install a shelf for it there.   

PD

[Irons]

What a subject! I came up with the perfect solution, more anon.

Very much horses for courses. The article makes a very important distinction of the floor, in my case uncarpeted concrete with wood parquet covering. I very much agree with thumbs down for Sorbothane, a disaster under my un-sprung TT. I preceded to put them under my speakers with even worse results. Also squash balls are mooted. Loricraft use them (whole, not cut in half) under the top plates of their plinths. My first plinth was designed in this way and they do work. I think it was "Target" who sold wall shelves specifically designed for TTs. They sold well and it makes a lot of sense to isolate the TT from the floor. I think maybe wall shelving more suitable for suspended TTs though. Townsend Audio came up with the Seismic Isolation Platform which is pumped up with a bicycle pump. Incidentally, the owner Max Townsend recently passed away. 

In my situation the best results are mass - more the better. I have used for the last 25 years a slate TT stand manufactured by Slate Audio who ceased to trade in 2000. Very heavy and impossible to lift by a single person. This is spiked to the floor.

We were finding housing equipment and even more so record collection extremely difficult. My wife is understanding but we reached the stage something had to be done or get rid of it all. We were able to build a small extension on the front of our house, only 5x1 1/2 metres approx. All LPs and CDs are shelved at one end which are out of sight and equipment at other. A hole drilled through the connecting wall leading to living/listening area which speaker cables are passed through.

One thing which I believe of great importance and had this demonstrated to me. Never share the same stand with turntable and amps etc.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

What a subject! I came up with the perfect solution, more anon.

Very much horses for courses. The article makes a very important distinction of the floor, in my case uncarpeted concrete with wood parquet covering. I very much agree with thumbs down for Sorbothane, a disaster under my un-sprung TT. I preceded to put them under my speakers with even worse results. Also squash balls are mooted. Loricraft use them (whole, not cut in half) under the top plates of their plinths. My first plinth was designed in this way and they do work. I think it was "Target" who sold wall shelves specifically designed for TTs. They sold well and it makes a lot of sense to isolate the TT from the floor. I think maybe wall shelving more suitable for suspended TTs though. Townsend Audio came up with the Seismic Isolation Platform which is pumped up with a bicycle pump. Incidentally, the owner Max Townsend recently passed away. 

In my situation the best results are mass - more the better. I have used for the last 25 years a slate TT stand manufactured by Slate Audio who ceased to trade in 2000. Very heavy and impossible to lift by a single person. This is spiked to the floor.

We were finding housing equipment and even more so record collection extremely difficult. My wife is understanding but we reached the stage something had to be done or get rid of it all. We were able to build a small extension on the front of our house, only 5x1 1/2 metres approx. All LPs and CDs are shelved at one end which are out of sight and equipment at other. A hole drilled through the connecting wall leading to living/listening area which speaker cables are passed through.

One thing which I believe of great importance and had this demonstrated to me. Never share the same stand with turntable and amps etc.

A couple of questions for you Irons:  So, your have spikes for the slate that goes into your wooden flooring?  Or do you have something underneath them?  And the same for your speakers?

And what is the reasoning behind not having your amp and preamp on the same stand as your turn table?

PD

p.s.  And how close are you to running out of room in that storage/equipemnt room for your LPs (and CDs too??)? 

[aligreto]

Thanks for that article Fergus.  Are the comments at the bottom yours or are they updates by the original article writer?

In any event, I too live in a bouncy house.  Have to be somewhat careful when I'm playing records in my living room.  About a year ago, a friend lent me a spare turntable for upstairs.  I had thought that it would be cool to be able to listen to in my study or when I was in my bedroom.  Alas, my setup there is even bouncier and the record would skip if I did anything other than walk like a mouse.  My walls are plaster and he was reluctant to try and install a shelf for it there.   

PD

Yes, those final comments are comments from me PD and refer to my past and present exploits in this area.

[aligreto]

What a subject! I came up with the perfect solution, more anon.

Very much horses for courses. The article makes a very important distinction of the floor, in my case uncarpeted concrete with wood parquet covering. I very much agree with thumbs down for Sorbothane, a disaster under my un-sprung TT. I preceded to put them under my speakers with even worse results. Also squash balls are mooted. Loricraft use them (whole, not cut in half) under the top plates of their plinths. My first plinth was designed in this way and they do work. I think it was "Target" who sold wall shelves specifically designed for TTs. They sold well and it makes a lot of sense to isolate the TT from the floor. I think maybe wall shelving more suitable for suspended TTs though. Townsend Audio came up with the Seismic Isolation Platform which is pumped up with a bicycle pump. Incidentally, the owner Max Townsend recently passed away. 

In my situation the best results are mass - more the better. I have used for the last 25 years a slate TT stand manufactured by Slate Audio who ceased to trade in 2000. Very heavy and impossible to lift by a single person. This is spiked to the floor.

We were finding housing equipment and even more so record collection extremely difficult. My wife is understanding but we reached the stage something had to be done or get rid of it all. We were able to build a small extension on the front of our house, only 5x1 1/2 metres approx. All LPs and CDs are shelved at one end which are out of sight and equipment at other. A hole drilled through the connecting wall leading to living/listening area which speaker cables are passed through.

One thing which I believe of great importance and had this demonstrated to me. Never share the same stand with turntable and amps etc.

That is very interesting. It is, however, a luxury that I probably will never possess due to limitations of space.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, those final comments are comments from me PD and refer to my past and present exploits in this area.

Thanks, I suspected as much but since they were within your quote, I wasn't positive.  I'll reread them. 

PD

[Irons]

A couple of questions for you Irons:  So, your have spikes for the slate that goes into your wooden flooring?  Or do you have something underneath them?  And the same for your speakers?

And what is the reasoning behind not having your amp and preamp on the same stand as your turn table?

PD

p.s.  And how close are you to running out of room in that storage/equipemnt room for your LPs (and CDs too??)? 

Yes, PD. I have small brass cups which I purchased from a plumbing store but coins do the job just as well.

Terry Sullivan of Loricraft Audio demonstrated to me the importance of isolation of TT from the other equipment. This was with a bomb proof Garrard I dread to think the result with suspended TTs. The problem is that all equipment, far as I'm aware, use transformers and transformers vibrate, sometimes obviously as you can hear and/or feel it. Other pieces of equipment, pre-amps for example, is not detectable and we are unaware but the super-sensitive cartridge stylus isn't! The frame of a hi-fi rack acts as a conduit of the micro-vibration from transformers lower down to the TT which is planted at the top.

I buy less LPs then I did - saying that picked up a lovely mint box set of Saint-Saens violin concertos on Saturday. I do have overflow shelving in another room. CDs are becoming a problem though.

Yes, those final comments are comments from me PD and refer to my past and present exploits in this area.

Your situation is challenging but fun trying things that may come up with a solution. Air is the area I would explore. Heard stories of TTs sitting on children's swimming rings! Wouldn't go that far, but I would try a heavy board sitting on top of four whole squash balls at corners.   

[aligreto]

Your situation is challenging but fun trying things that may come up with a solution. Air is the area I would explore. Heard stories of TTs sitting on children's swimming rings! Wouldn't go that far, but I would try a heavy board sitting on top of four whole squash balls at corners.

As stated before I did find squash balls were successful, to some extent, for me before. However, and perhaps I am being really stupid here, I cannot get my head around the stability concept of the whole squash ball. I obviously do not want my TT rolling off the top shelf of my rack and crashing onto the floor. That was why I originally cut the squash balls in half, for stability. Does the weight of a heavy board and TT depress the squash balls thereby creating a greater surface for them to "grip" the shelf? Otherwise, surely using something else to stabalise the squash balls and thereby prevent them from rolling will create its own vibration issue?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, PD. I have small brass cups which I purchased from a plumbing store but coins do the job just as well.

Terry Sullivan of Loricraft Audio demonstrated to me the importance of isolation of TT from the other equipment. This was with a bomb proof Garrard I dread to think the result with suspended TTs. The problem is that all equipment, far as I'm aware, use transformers and transformers vibrate, sometimes obviously as you can hear and/or feel it. Other pieces of equipment, pre-amps for example, is not detectable and we are unaware but the super-sensitive cartridge stylus isn't! The frame of a hi-fi rack acts as a conduit of the micro-vibration from transformers lower down to the TT which is planted at the top.

I buy less LPs then I did - saying that picked up a lovely mint box set of Saint-Saens violin concertos on Saturday. I do have overflow shelving in another room. CDs are becoming a problem though.

Your situation is challenging but fun trying things that may come up with a solution. Air is the area I would explore. Heard stories of TTs sitting on children's swimming rings! Wouldn't go that far, but I would try a heavy board sitting on top of four whole squash balls at corners.

As stated before I did find squash balls were successful, to some extent, for me before. However, and perhaps I am being really stupid here, I cannot get my head around the stability concept of the whole squash ball. I obviously do not want my TT rolling off the top shelf of my rack and crashing onto the floor. That was why I originally cut the squash balls in half, for stability. Does the weight of a heavy board and TT depress the squash balls thereby creating a greater surface for them to "grip" the shelf? Otherwise, surely using something else to stabalise the squash balls and thereby prevent them from rolling will create its own vibration issue?

Are you gents sure that that idea for using squash balls wasn't created by a turntable manufacturer--wanting you to have to buy a new t.t.? 

Pd

[Irons]

As stated before I did find squash balls were successful, to some extent, for me before. However, and perhaps I am being really stupid here, I cannot get my head around the stability concept of the whole squash ball. I obviously do not want my TT rolling off the top shelf of my rack and crashing onto the floor. That was why I originally cut the squash balls in half, for stability. Does the weight of a heavy board and TT depress the squash balls thereby creating a greater surface for them to "grip" the shelf? Otherwise, surely using something else to stabalise the squash balls and thereby prevent them from rolling will create its own vibration issue?

I get your point but a slab of marble isn't going anywhere or even that great mainstay of a tweaker, a wood chopping board. The squash ball will be flattened by the weight so won't roll. By cutting the ball in half you are losing the one great advantage of such a system, air. Which is the best decoupler of all.   

[aligreto]

I get your point but a slab of marble isn't going anywhere or even that great mainstay of a tweaker, a wood chopping board. The squash ball will be flattened by the weight so won't roll. By cutting the ball in half you are losing the one great advantage of such a system, air. Which is the best decoupler of all.

Cheers, Lol. I may check that out some time in the future. If I do I will report back. The squash balls will be no problem but finding an appropriate sized chopping board or slab of marble fot underneath my YY might be an issue. Anyway, I will keep my eyes open.

[Irons]

Cheers, Lol. I may check that out some time in the future. If I do I will report back. The squash balls will be no problem but finding an appropriate sized chopping board or slab of marble fot underneath my YY might be an issue. Anyway, I will keep my eyes open.

May not be the be all and end all Fergus, but you never know until you try. Keep it in mind and if you come across flat and heavy material of roughly the right size and importantly cheap.....

[aligreto]

May not be the be all and end all Fergus, but you never know until you try. Keep it in mind and if you come across flat and heavy material of roughly the right size and importantly cheap.....

Cheers, Lol. I fully understand the concept of air as the isolator. It is the belief in a non rolling whole squash ball that I have an issue with. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

May not be the be all and end all Fergus, but you never know until you try. Keep it in mind and if you come across flat and heavy material of roughly the right size and importantly cheap.....

Cheers, Lol. I fully understand the concept of air as the isolator. It is the belief in a non rolling whole squash ball that I have an issue with. 

I wonder how many squash balls have been killed in the quest for a vibrationally-isolated turn table?

But seriously, how are you supposed to use this setup?  What goes on what and where?

PD