Free TWEAK that works


For those who have still not decided if I'm certifiably crazy, I have your proof. The latest tweak I've tried is beyond belief, I just have to tell the world. I use all Neuance shelves to support my equipment. I wrote a review on the benefits of using Neuance on a light rigid steel rack with up-turned spikes to support the shelves. The results were quite incredible and I strongly urge people to try this product.
Anyway, I was sitting in my music room the other day looking at a pile of bubble wrap that was protecting my latest toy (another story) when I got to thinking that bubble wrap might make a great support for the Neuance, allowing the shelf to act on the component alone. The vibrations from the rack would be isolated from the shelf by air! After trying a few sizes of bubbles I settled on the 1" diameter wrap. First off I used a MDF shelf supported by the up-turned rack points. Then a sheet of bubble wrap (bubble side up) that covered the entire shelf, next the Neuance. This provides an extremely even weight distribution, thus even pressure to the under side of the shelf. The equipment sits on the Neuance as it did in my review. I first tried the pre-amp, this was good so I went to the cd player. I listened for a day and decided to do the amps and power conditioner too.
The results are stunning. The depth of the sound stage is at least twice as deep. The bass is deeper and better defined, midrange and treble are not as noticeably altered in this regard. What is most noticeable across the entire frequency band is the clarity. Now I'm sure you've all read about the removal of layers of fog or haze from the presentation, this is quite different. I'm talking about the focus, like a camera. Everything appears clearer and much crisper. Now this is not subtle, it's stunning! The space between images is clear, the image itself is better defined, everything is simply easier to see. The bass is tight, I mean it's pin point now where it was a round note before. It's not like anything I've experienced before in audio, maybe like a different speaker with the exact same tonal qualities as before. All this but not artificial in any sense, no simply more palpable, more life like.
Yes, the tone has not changes what so ever. The system simply is better by a large amount. I wrote Ken Lyons of Neuance with my findings and he had stated that he has tried air suspension and he found it smeared the leading edge of the notes. He feels that any sideways motion will effect the signal, especially with the digital. I have experienced just the opposite. The pace is superb, the music is alive, exciting and extremely involving. More so than at any time in my past. I believe it's the bubbles and the size. My theory is the bubbles are large enough to produce separation. The bottom of the bubbles is fixed so the walls of a bubble when weighted are in tension in an outward direction 360 degrees. The bubble next to the first bubble is also in tension in the opposite direction. Given that my shelves are 15"x 17" that makes for approx. 250 bubbles working with opposing forces to each other. I'm thinking that the sideways motion is not possible, I know it takes a lot of sideways force to make the shelf move with my hands. I believe the smaller bubbles had much less side wall to work with and thus the lesser result with them.
I'm wondering if simple MDF shelves would experience similar results if set up in a similar fashion, or are the qualities of the Neuance enhanced by this form of isolation?
One concern, I have had this up for a week now. I see no signs of the bubbles deflating, but I'm thinking they might. This could make for a real pain if it happened too often, time will tell.

128x128jadem6
Jadem: Interesting. I have everything on hand (an extra "stock" shelf, the Neuance shelf under the CD player and 1" bubble wrap) to try this out.

Perhaps when a friend/phile stops by in a couple of weeks we will give it a go?
Bluenote, that was one big storm. It hit here too, I thought I was dead when the lightning made for one bad sound from my system. After turning on again today all is fine.
Magasam, Footers are an odd thing. It seams with the Neuance footers can do more damage than good. My Sony SCD-1 and Placette pre-amp were both designed with vibration as a large consideration. I still have yet to improve on the stock footers for either. Hard rubber and metal on the SCD-1 and the Placette uses Sorbothane (I think). I do use Orchard Bay titanium cones and puck, titanium puck are no longer available :-( I use EAR footers under my Hydra. I have found footers always do something, often change the tonal quality from the neutral I'm trying to achieve. Believe me I've tried most of what is available. The Orchard Bay titanium are my favorite cone but under anything but the amps the sound became too forward and detailed. It all must have a lot to do with the Neuance, before getting Neuance shelves I used BDR cones and pucks, a number of brass cones, Nordost titanium points, Walker....... on all my equipment. Sense changing to rigid light weight with Neuance I've left those products behind.
Glen, I have spent a couple days trying to locate bubble wrap type products. They do make a heavy duty bubble for storage use that might last longer. My bubbles are starting to loose air so something must be found. I have located a bubble type rubber product that is inflatable with a nozzle. It appears to be about 1 1/4" bubbles, of course it's used in the medical industry so the cost is worse than the Audio industry. I think I'll order two to try out, maybe I can find someone to make us some and save some money. If anyone has any ideas....
Dekay, nice to see you here. I haven't seen you lately.