Here's an observation: my system is set up on a concrete slab; other systems are set up on a suspended wooden/particle board floor.
On a concrete slab, you can jump as much as you want right next to the components, including turntable, and you hear nothing. I've walked next to a turntable on a suspended floor, and the footsteps have even made the stylus skip on the LP.
It makes sense that those whose system is on a wooden floor would need suspension and springs to isolate their system, and to prevent simple actions (such as walking) from interfering in their system's sound. This is the suspension paradigm.
I have listened to my system with some suspension footers, and it does isolate the components. However, having the components more stably pressing into a non-resonant surface (such as a hockey puck) sounds much better, with a fuller, more robust sound. This experience is more akin to the mass paradigm.
From my experience, the mass paradigm has proven to be overall superior to the suspension paradigm. However, in many circumstances, mass will not suffice, and suspension is needed (e.g. having a system on a wooden floor.).