Isolation Cones. Will I get the point?

About a year ago I tried the BDR cones both #3 & #4 under my cdp and didn't like the presentation at all. Next came sand bags under the unit. Both trials were with weight on top of the unit. Had much better success with an inflated inner tube but thats just my system...

It would appear that points or isolation devices of any sort are very system dependant and I would try before you buy if you can. If not buy used so you won't take a big hit if you have to re-sell them.

Mdomnick made the point how you shouldn't do especially if you're about to deal with tweaks and isolation devices. You should only use them if the produce a positive result and not otherwise(meaning spending extra for nothing).
The majority of dealers will always be glad to land you different devices for you to test and where you can apply them.
I also do not understand the term "appropriate cones" since since there are much more different ways to properly isolate components.
Cones concentrate vibrations onto the smaller surface points and only represent(in any case) sort of "unfinished business". The other part is the platform(probably more vital) that has to have an ability to delay a vibration responce as from the component standing on it or from the different components placed on the same rack. It can happen if the platform is spiked or double-plated with isolation material placed between.
There are some variables to consider before going through the "appropriate cones" meaning that on the different platforms they can bring different(positive or negative) results.
From my experience if you will use "appropriate cones"(somehow I love this term!) on the glass shelf you'll have a probability to get side-wise frictional vibrations caused by a posibility to slide sidewise which brings it to an idea to have the isolation points to be placed under...
I can't deny that it might produce a positive result as well.
My long philosophy there can shortly state that due to a large number of variables to concider when isolating your components you shoud definitely invest your time for trial-and-error tests to define for yourself "proper ..."
Good luck.

In my experience cones are just fine and dandy under speakers, but with electronic components, they isolate but add a resonant peak (including Audiopoints, BDR and many others I have tried). Better to deal with electronic components with a top quality rack and shelf, and forget fancy footers. Every damn one I tried had some beneficial isolation effect, but also added a persistent coloration that was unacceptable.

Cones & other tweaks are system dependent; what works well for one won't necessarily help the next guy at all, or it might work even better. Experimentation is required, along with a system that's revealing & resolving enough to show you the differences. My own experiences with cones had the most pronounced effect on source components; CD player & turntable (preamp & tuner to a lesser extent). Not much of a change was noted when I tried them with one power amp, although other tweaks such as shelving & footers had a greater effect there.
Different types of cones work differently on different components too. I keep an assortment on hand: Black Diamond (carbon fiber #3's & #4's) BBC & Audio Points (plated & plain brass), Polycrystal, aluminum, steel, & Orchard Bay titanium.
Cones are coupling devices which help to sink the vibrations out from your equipment, clarifying & improving the sound. When used with speakers they also improve mechanical stability of the cabinets, realizing a more focused effect.
My best results are had with cones when used in conjunction with other techniques, rather than standalone. I use Vibrapods to isolate Black Diamond shelving from my rack's vibrations, then cones to couple the stray vibrational energy out of the component & into the isolated dead-mass shelves. So the sandwich looks like this: component, cones (with discs underneath for the sharp pointy ones), Black Diamond shelf, Vibrapods, then the rack shelf is underneath all that.
You can even tune the effect by placing coins under the cones points; pennies, nickels, dimes, etc. all sound different. Another tuning technique is to vary the spacing of the three cones under the component; closer together is generally warmer & less resolving, further apart is brighter & more revealing.
Mass loading techniques, inner tubes etc. these are other tuning techniques that are sometimes used to good effect (or not) but I don't want to overwhelm you right off the bat.

Bob- Have you ever thought of taking your traveling circus on the road? open up "Bundus system tuning" bring your bag of tricks and tune folks systems and then take all of there bloody money! This may work we should work out the details and get this thing rolling.

I have experienced good things with cones under my speakers, I was running them for the first few years with out and realized I should try them and WOW! A more seamless soundstage-that is to say it sounds like wall of sound and not like a left channel, a right channel and everything else coming from the non-existant center channel. I also noticed a lot more bass and it seemed smoother then before. But as Bob said it is very system dependent-though I think he may be off the deep end with the pennies and nickels thing, the cheapskate should use silver dollars like the rest of us ;)

~Tim