Geez, there are so many different materials: variations of the same type of material like Sorbothane and similar viscoelastic material, lead, ceramics, many different types of hardwoods, including Mpingo, maple, but also granite, slate, bluestone, air bladders of various designs, racquet balls, squash balls, tennis balls, brass cones, steel cones, aluminum cones, springs, cryo’d springs, suspensions, magnetic levitation, sandboxes, glass microbeads, roller bearing assemblies, negative stiffness isolation, dual layer mass on spring platforms. And permutations and combinations thereof. Who can evaluate and compare them all?
Are You Sorbothane Experienced?
I couldn't find any discussions on user experiences with sorbothane isolation feet, so decided to start one. I recently purchased a set of 4 40mm sorbothane feet for my Music Hall mmf-5 turntable.
Setup was less than favourably a one-man affair, so it was a rather precarious endeavour.
One thing that adds to the difficulty of what I imagined would be an entirely straightforward installation, is the fact that the sorbothane feet easily distort under the slightest off-centre loading. That means you have to adjust them incessantly at both top and bottom contact points until you miraculously have all 4 perfectly vertically loaded perpendicular to your turntable's factory feet as well as your shelf. In my case the shelf is by Salamander.
Once you've managed all this and justifiably rather pleased with yourself, guess what? Your turntable may or may not be level as it was prior to the installation. So, level the TT at the shelf rather than at the adjustable feet, as are standard on the MH, because adjusting the feet would upset those super squishy sorbothane isolation pucks.
The listening verdict: I honestly can't say that I can hear any difference during before & after playback of Jimmy Cliff's Wonderful World, Beautiful People.
I'm curious to learn of your experiences, if any. Cheers!
Setup was less than favourably a one-man affair, so it was a rather precarious endeavour.
One thing that adds to the difficulty of what I imagined would be an entirely straightforward installation, is the fact that the sorbothane feet easily distort under the slightest off-centre loading. That means you have to adjust them incessantly at both top and bottom contact points until you miraculously have all 4 perfectly vertically loaded perpendicular to your turntable's factory feet as well as your shelf. In my case the shelf is by Salamander.
Once you've managed all this and justifiably rather pleased with yourself, guess what? Your turntable may or may not be level as it was prior to the installation. So, level the TT at the shelf rather than at the adjustable feet, as are standard on the MH, because adjusting the feet would upset those super squishy sorbothane isolation pucks.
The listening verdict: I honestly can't say that I can hear any difference during before & after playback of Jimmy Cliff's Wonderful World, Beautiful People.
I'm curious to learn of your experiences, if any. Cheers!
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- 63 posts total
- 63 posts total