Isolation devices (anti vibration)

[Tangent]

Just wondering about various isolation devices (from vibration) that are available, either DIY or purchased. Does anyone have any recommendations, experience or stories they can share?

I came across the following thread a few years ago and tried it. Much to my astonishment, it works! Costs about $0.44 a foot!

http://db.audioasylum.com/scripts/t.pl?f=tweaks&m=71904

I've heard that solid rubber can be an effective isolation device. Has anyone tried it? What did you use? Did it work?

I was told that a shelf bolted to a load bearing wall works best for turntables. A load bearing wall is probably NOT an inside wall... . I've not tried this - yet. Has anyone?

Then there's iso-bearings, Symposium platforms, air bladder platforms and probably tons of stuff that I have never heard of.

And now my story.... at one time I built my own rack out of 2X4 lumber. Very solid - you could stand on the sucker! I designed it specifically for my stereo components. It was great - and then I read somewhere that wood was just about the worse material you can use for a rack. So I built this:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/flexye.html

Again, I could not believe my ears. There was actually a sonic improvement.

In my world, to my ears (yadda-yadda-yadda) and on my 'main' system, isolation devices can remove a veil from the sound just like an interconnect can. It's not so apparent on my "house" system. YMMV.

I'd be interested to hear other stories!

 

[OvenMaster]

I used 3" thick foam rubber underneath my Dual, so that the footsteps wouldn't be amplified and transferred to the speakers. Worked great.
I gotta admit that FleXy table looks like a great idea!
Tom

 

[ozmoid]

A load bearing wall is probably NOT an inside wall...

Interior walls can be load bearing. Look for a wall running perpendicular to the roof pitch near the centerline of the structure. In a two-story, just about any 1st floor wall will qualify. Check underneathe the house, and look for your pilings - the walls over them should be load bearing.

 

[Tangent]

Heck, man, I have trouble operating a hammer, let alone identifying a load bearing wall!



Seriously - good point!

 

[Mister Pig]

There Are the Ikea Rack Threads

Awhile ago Ken Lyons, who runs Nuence audio, posted on Audiogon about DIY'ing some great racks with Ikea coffee tables. His theory is low mass leads to quicker dissipation of stored energy. Apparently the Ikea tables do this well. He cuts the legs a bit shorter, and then puts a spiking kit in them. The tables are cheap, but you need several to build a good rack. Do a search on Audiogon or Audio Asylum to find the posts. I ahve never built them, but I am tempted to do so this winter.


Regards
Mister Pig

 

[PhilMcL]

i've got it on a solid wood table, leveled by Magic:the gathering cards, and all of the feet of the table are isolated by cardboard and nicaraguan currency.

 

[Tangent]

Isn't that nicaraguan currency just too, too rubbery?!?!?

 

[PhilMcL]

Isn't that nicaraguan currency just too, too rubbery?!?!?

i find that it actually pleasantly de-stratifies the subharmonic reference supertonics. furthermore it coagulates the soundstage submediant, which in turn dominates the phyrigian transparency coefficient. :tresbon:

 

[Jack Lord]

I have thought of attaching brass audio spikes to a slab of one inch thick plexiglass. Would that work?

 

[Tangent]

The spikes should work - not too sure about the pexiglass. Try either MDF or perhaps a wooden butcher's block (from Ikea?) type of thing. The heavier and more solid, the better.

What are you trying to isolate?

I've tried spikes and superballs under my CDP, amp and pre amp. I liked the superballs better. And if you don't like 'em, toss 'em as they've only cost you less than $2.00.

And.... can anyone translate PhilMcL's last post.... ??

 

[drspiff]

I think PhilMcL is trying to say that with the appropriate acoustic isolation, the farambuloid makes a positive contribution, psychoacoutically speaking.

 

[Mark W.]

I was getting a lot of feedback vibration when I turned my stereo up loud. and I thought it was due to sound bouncing off the walls around the TT (it is in a pocket 18" X 18" x 18") So I was looking into various sound absorbing panels I could make. Then last night I tried something.

I took a Fuji film can (milk plastic) I placed to 1" diameter disks of black art foam (foam rubber about .090" thick in the bottom then cut a piece that would just fit around inside the can making a foam rubber pocket. Into this I placed a 1" Diameter gum ball machine super ball I then placed a single 1" diameter art foam disk on top of the super ball then a second super ball. I placed 4 of these assemblies under the corners of my TT and cranked the stereo well past the point when I would get feedback before I had none only really loud Led Zepllin!

Cost about $3.00 for the 8 super balls .25 each and the art foam .99 a sheet 12 x 18"
the film cans I have hundreds of and if you don't have any your local drugstore with a 1 hour will be glad to give you some.

 

[Jack Lord]

What are you trying to isolate?

Turntable. I thought it would look cool resting on a slab of plexiglass.

 

[PhilMcL]

I think PhilMcL is trying to say that with the appropriate acoustic isolation, the farambuloid makes a positive contribution, psychoacoutically speaking.

oh absolutely. without a doubt.

And.... can anyone translate PhilMcL's last post.... ??

:scratch2: :scratch2: :scratch2:
'twas a joke, apparently one that worked pretty well.


in all seriousness isolation is definitely important in my opinion, and worth doing something about, but not worth losing sleep over. my silly, silly way of isolating does plenty of good for my sound, and i remain unconvinced that i need anything expensive to do better.

 

[Tangent]

'twas a joke, apparently one that worked pretty well.

Yes, I was playing along (after I stopped laughing, of course).

I'm not sure about how various isolation devices or methods would work. But I do know that I prefer superballs over spikes.

Of course superballs under your speakers make the speakers wobbly so you would have to go with spikes.

I was at a local (sorta high end) stereo store and the guy laughed at me when I told him about the superball trick. As in a "something so cheap would not work" laugh. Then I told him that it made me a believer in isolation devices - and he stopped laughing.

I guess I have to hear it to believe it. Yet because of my isolation device experience and switching the wood stereo stand for the DIY with MDF shelves - and actually hearing an improvement - I don't laugh at some of the (apparently) stranger stuff out there. An example would be wooden knobs for your stereo - because I have no doubt they will work - on someone's system. Probably a system that I will never get to see or hear, much less afford!

Wait - the lotto is 20M tonight. :scratch2:

I'll get back to you..... on Saturday.

 

[riffer]

Is the stylus skipping when you walk by?

If so, you may have to wall mount.

Lift the tonearm lightly with one finger while the table is running. If you don't feel any vibration, you are okay.

I have a VPI Scout on an Salamander Archetype. Floor is hardwood, solidly framed. Never skips when I walk by - and I am a pretty big guy.

All I use is some Sorbothane bumpers to replace the feet on the motor to isolate motor vibration from the rest of the table.

 

[Mark W.]

Well as you can read in my post in the general forum I have taken the super ball idea to the next level. I now use 12 of them to support a very heavy MDF and Sand box combo. I'm still finishing it up so I don't have any results yet but based on the film can super ball experiment and it's limitations I have great hope for this setup.

 

[Tangent]

Building a sandbox is on my wish list! Let us know what happens!

 

[Mark W.]

Gary I have the box done and I'm listening to Aerosmith "Toys in the Attic" on it right now. It is certinly better damped.

And for some reason I swear I can hear the music louder coming directly off the stylus (no amplification) So I assume that with the same down force it is making better contact with the vinyl.

The box ended up weighing in at 22.4lbs total I had thought that it would hit close to 30 but the dry sand weighs a lot less then I thought it would.

Now my box is not the type with a platform that sits on top of the sand but an actual box that surrounds the sand and is directly (like with screws) attached to the TT. there are 3/4" thick Oak spacers to allow clearance for the TT stuff under the Plith.

I will be adding photo's to my thread on this in the general forum later tonight.

 

[Bigerik]

Gary I have the box done and I'm listening to Aerosmith "Toys in the Attic" on it right now. It is certinly better damped.

And for some reason I swear I can hear the music louder coming directly off the stylus (no amplification) So I assume that with the same down force it is making better contact with the vinyl.

The box ended up weighing in at 22.4lbs total I had thought that it would hit close to 30 but the dry sand weighs a lot less then I thought it would.

Now my box is not the type with a platform that sits on top of the sand but an actual box that surrounds the sand and is directly (like with screws) attached to the TT. there are 3/4" thick Oak spacers to allow clearance for the TT stuff under the Plith.

I will be adding photo's to my thread on this in the general forum later tonight.

I know you said you would add them, but I just have to remind you that:
:worthless