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WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU? ISOLATION PLATFORMS, FOOTERS, ETC. for a DAC?

What is reasonable to expect in SQ gain with respect to a DAC, since there are no actively moving parts?

Footers only? Platforms only? Or is a combination of both best?

Keeping this open ended (as well as budget wise) to see what Audiogon Members recommend and advise.

However, thoughts on Gains v.s. Spend with the specific products you are recommending are welcome and will be very helpful.

The only footers I have used in the past are those from Herbie's Audio Lab.  I have used two different 'audio' racks (which have been dismantled) and I am using their shelves as isolation platforms for my speakers and other components (but not the DACs).

The DACs in use are a Schiit Yggdrasil and an Exogal Comet Plus. The stock rubber footers with the Yggdrasil are as basic as they come; The Comet has an acrylic plate with rounded metal screws.

THANK YOU!
david_ten
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@geoffkait : thanks for the clarification.

@chayro : Sage advice. And I do trust my ears. And more than a little bit. Your words put a smile on face...thanks.

@folkfreak : 1. all of my components are housed in an all wood Standout Designs cabinet. 2. I'm using Triode Wire Labs power cords. 3, 4, 5: Thanks for your thoughts. I will look into Marigo.

@randy-11: I'm using a HD Plex 100 Linear Power Supply and an Uptone Audio UltraCap LPS-1.  The Comet DAC, my Preamp, and my HeadAmp all have dedicated power supplies.

@czarivey : let's make that substance assistance...I don't want to get in trouble. :)  

@lordcloud : how do you address vibration with your components?

@respected_ent : Might also help with the cheese and crackers and charcuterie to go with @czarivey 's suggestive direction.

@lowrider57 : Thanks and agreed.  Also, I'm almost finished replacing the wall warts...router and ethernet port switch still need to be connected to something like the HD Plex. I'm beyond the iFi unit at this point.
mikelavigne
2,199 posts
 

digital components such as dacs will ’sing’ along with the music, which is heard as noise and distortion. you can mass load your gear and change the frequency of the feedback noise, or you can decouple your gear and eliminate some or almost all of that noise/distortion. so much of what we hear as a digital signature is related to all the devices being affected by resonance. so this issue is a big deal.

stock footers are notorious for enabling feedback as they are an afterthought to the design.

the ultimate resonance control is ’active’ isolation; such as the Herzan TS-150.

http//www.herzan.com/products/active-vibration-control/ts-series.html

active isolation is 500x stiffer than any passive device such as a footer or shelf.....since it can stop and start. passive devices settle and float and overshoot. active devices do need a solid rack to be optimized, and soft floor or rack will compromise an ’active’ device. you have not heard what your gear can do until you’ve heard it on a properly installed active device.

I use 2 active shelves in my system.

but; active is expensive and more costly than your dac, so the next step is passive de-coupling footers. my favorite is the Wave Kinetics A10 U8’s which i use throughout my system.

http//wavekinetics.com/products/a10-u8/

a great thing about the A10 U8’s is that they do not change tonality, and don’t have that ’metallic/hard’ type sound that some footers impose on your tonal balance.

good luck with your dac.

randy-11
1,913 posts
 
ok, looking at your components, you may want to try Uptone’s ISO REGEN (sold out until July). Call them for advice on acoustic isolation (tho I think you’ll find them tell you to do other things).

A Comet Plus might help if the power supply is not already at that level.

If you do buy any acoustic things for the DAC or other items (not containing tubes) then only buy with a return privilege and do blind testing to be sure they are really helping.

Your best bet (assuming high end speakers) would be to search out the very best source material re mastering & recording. If you have already spend $35,000 or more on speakers, have done all room treatments, then you are running out of things to do.
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@mikelavigne : Fascinating. I had no idea there were products available like the Herzan TS-150. It's a very interesting site. Thanks for bring this up and I'm really looking forward to reading about their technology and applications. I also took a quick look at the Wave Kinetics site and will revisit it as well. Thank you!
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
Following up on Mike's suggestion I can also strongly recommend  the Herzan products. Probably the best place to start with them is under turntables or Transports. I have my Turntable on a TS-150. They are very expensive however so I think you can experiment with other solutions first. 
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