Boy, Oh Boy! Towshend!


OK, I have elevated my belief in isolation.  For the first time I feel I have entered the Hi Fidelity zone.  About 3 weeks ago I purchased the Townshend Speaker Bars.  My muddy bass cleaned up, I have better imaging, clarity, precision, speed and focus.  My buddy who is not not into HiFi but has followed my adventures, was blown away.  He said, "OK, now I get why you do this."  Best money spent! 

Denon DL160 (re-tipped by Soundsmith) > Thorens TD150 > McIntosh 8900 > ALK Extreme Slope in Klipsch Belles.  Just another step in the long journey, but a Giant Step for my enjoyment.  My system took a large enough step forward that I am drawn into listening to all of my 2K plus albums again just to enjoy them in a new way. Great people to deal with too, even with Brexit messing things up.  Highly recommended!
I am not associated with them in any way, just want to pass it on.
128x128edgyhassle

BTW, for the heck of it I tried the Nobsound-like spring footers under my tube amps.
Zero impact on the sound.  Which makes sense to me.  If they were going to pick up any vibrations it would likely happen if placed in the room with the speakers.  But all my amp/source equipment is in a separate room down the hall from my speakers.
I put a Symposium Segue Stealth Platform under my KEF R500s because the height of the platforms exactly matched the height of the KEF supplied spikes/discs. I did not want to alter the height of the drivers at all, which would definitely change the sound. Townshend would have necessitated that (plus Segues were a good bit less $$).

The sound improvement was immediately noticeable. Much clearer, seemed to clean up sound that was audible but not definable and more precise. They keep the isolation and height the spikes provide because or the multiple layers within the Segues and they transfer the vibration out of the cabinet to my suspended wood floor. Well worth the investment. I could put rollerblocks under them, which would make them float and give some more isolation, but that would raise them, which would change the sound from what KEF intended.
vinylshadow-
Although, I may leave the spikes on initially to tip the speakers right side up and slip the podium underneath, then tip the left side up and skid the podium under. Then take all spikes off. Or maybe take the right spikes off and leave the left ones on as a pivot and slide the podium under and over to the left spikes. Hmmm.

Good luck. You will find the Podiums very hard to move around once loaded. The feet are flat and stick to carpet like crazy. Hardwood, tile, vinyl, no problem. Carpet? Forgetaboutit! 

What worked for me, measure first to know exactly where the speakers are now, then move them and place Podiums exactly where they should be. Adjust as low as they will go.   

Then with cones or gliders or whatever affixed to protect the bottom, tilt the speakers and "walk" them onto the Podiums. Calls for a good sense of balance, but I was able to do this all by myself with 150lb Moabs. Once on the Podiums you can tilt and remove your gliders or whatever if needed. It is nice to have a helper here. 

Usually due to drivers the speakers center of gravity is somewhat forward of dead center. So I like to have the speakers centered left to right but a couple inches to the back. You can however have them perfectly centered, there is easily enough adjustment to get them level either way. Purely a matter of taste. 

Once this is done then I measure again this time to the speaker corners to get them perfectly equidistant and symmetrical, with whatever toe in they had before. This for me was the hardest part, but frankly I am my own worst enemy here being so OCD even a 1/16" of an inch drives me crazy! 

Only once the speakers are where you want them at the base, then start turning knobs to raise them up. I go around giving one full turn at a time to all 4 corners, until they start to float. Then another full turn just to be sure.   

Then level front to back and side to side. Leveling is the coolest part, it is a treat to be able to so perfectly level so easily! Especially after all the other hard work!

millercarbon-
I've been thinking about this a bit today. It's going to be tricky. More for the right speaker than the left.

But I know what you're describing. My podiums will be on tile so that may help.

It took my installer and me SO long to get the speakers in the exact right position. So I'm fretting even a teeny tiny change.

My right speaker's left corner is near the back wall and the right corner angled forward of the wall.... Due to the wall, the left rear pod cannot go far enough back so about 4" of the speaker's left corner will be hanging off the podium
I'll have to measure each corner's distance from the wall and take pictures.

I'll have to tip the front of the speaker up and back, remove the spikes and then slip the podium under the front of speaker and slide it back until it hits the rear spikes. That is if the left rear pod doesn't hit the back wall first. Then let the front of the speaker land on the podium.

If there is room to move the podium back further, I'll use my air lift, if it can get in there in the back to prop up the back base just enough to take the back spikes off. Then push the podium back and settle the back down.

The left speaker should be easier as I'll be able to use the air lift to raise the back enough to remove the rear spikes and then slide the podium in place.

I hope it's that easy!
Getting the air lift to lift the 400 pound Sound Anchors rack to slip the Isolation corners under the spikes will be some work.




Well boys I've joined the club!

Just ordered some Townshend Isolation Bars for my speakers.

I'll be using them with my Thiel 2.7 and Joseph Audio Perspective speakers.

The Thiels have a wider body and are very stable, but I am wondering how I'll go about using them with the Joseph speakers, which are a very narrow body design and require the supplied outriggers so they aren't easily tipped over.  I don't know if I'll keep the Josephs on the outriggers while on the bars, or whether there is some prevision in the design of the bars to hold narrow speakers steady?
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