SRA VR vs. Ohio

It would seem reasonable to expect that the more one isolates components from vibration, the better. However, that is not always the case. To some extent, it is a matter of tuning the system to one's taste. I generally find that vibration control under amps and preamp/linestage to have a positive effect, though sometimes subtle. One tends to get a much more dramatic effect under a CD player. By the same token, it is even more likely that too much vibration control under a CD player will dry the sound out too much and make the system sound analytical and cold.

I would suggest getting only a few platforms at first and then experimenting to see where they will help the sound and where the effect is not salutary.

With all due respect to Larryi (whose experiences are his own and thus valid), I too thought that, based on what I believed was conventional wisdom, with isolation you start with the sources first (CDP, TT etc,). Seven years ago when my research led me to SRA, Kevin was adamant that I start with my amps (and at the time I thought he was nuts -now mind you he IS nuts but for other reasons - like he overbuilds EVERYTHING!).

Well, I listened to him and he was right. I started with the VR Series and then went to Ohio Class XL+ under my amps and they provided the most dramatic improvement.

I now am fully SRA-ed with Ohio Class under my amps, a CRAZ Rack and VR bases between the Rack and shelves for various components.

I have reviewed the VR and Ohio Class bases (when I was at Stereo Times) and recently reviewed the Craz Rack for Ultra Audio now that I am with Soundstage so I direct you there for my impressions. We all have our own tastes, preferences, needs and hearing acuity but for me, the SRA bases and Racks are built like tanks to exacting standards, are based on real science and, most importantly, DO NO HARM (which I couldn't say for everything else I tried - many of which did some very nice things but always with a price to pay somewhere else).

If I were you and if you can swing it, I'd put the Ohio Class under the amps and, as funds permit, VR everywhere else (or as one person suggested, a CRAZ for everything else - NOT the amps!). As suggested by Slowhand - talk to Kevin too - he'll be straight with you.

As Larryi correctly points out IMHO, it's really all about tuning our systems to our own tastes.

Juts my $.02 and, as always, YMMV

Frank Peraino

Frank,
So you have VR on the CRAZ Rack? I've been wondering if that was necessary or if the CRAZ shelves were made of VR materials making it unnecessary. Can you specifically speak to the differences you noted between the Ohio Class and the VR under your amps? Since the amps seem to recieve the most benefit and you have had both under the amps, I'm really interested in your impressions.

I do plan to call Kevin but want to have some idea about what others have found, too.

Slowhand,
I think you are using a Supratek preamp, which I will be too (my Sauvignon is due here friday), so I really appreciate your response.

Larryi,
Your logic of trying under various components with a few racks sounds logical, but I think the racks are relatively component specific. Certainly my 135lb amps would require a larger base than my pre or CD player.

I'm really on a 2k budget. Since I don't know the Ohio or CRAZ prices yet I don't know where that puts me, but I do think I could get 6 VRs for that amount of money, or maybe two Ohio Class for my amps and add the VR in the future.

The SRA platforms are very good. I don't know if they have changed the design so they can be adapted to be used with different components or whether each is custom designed to work with a specified component. In any event at the prices of many of these platforms it would be wise to demand response measurements and graphs, and avoid those who talk in vague terms about performance - not referring to SRA. For example, one manufacturer who shall go nameless gives nebulous information using pseudoscientific language about their expensive platforms which are sealed but contain nothing but blocks of compressed Sorbothane.

I am using the SRA Ohio Class isolation bases under my amp and the VR isolation bases under all the other components. I have been running this set-up for over two years now. During that time, I have used the Ohio Class bases under both tube amps (CAT JL-1 LE monoblocks) and solid state (darTZeel), and I have used the VR bases under a variety of front end components (turntable, transport, DAC, preamps). All I can say is that my experience squares perfectly with what Frank said above.

I think it's a great idea to start with the Ohio Class platforms under your amps and then to go forward with improving your rack and getting the VR bases once you recharge your budget.