In my very limited experience, I found that hockey pucks, sometimes stacked on sponge pucks, have offered satisfactory isolation of a component. However, it would certainly depend on your environment: my components are on a concrete slab, not a suspended wood floor. I tried some spring loaded isolation footers, and while they isolated from vibrations of the underlying component stand better, the sound was far inferior.
Why spend more than $25 per piece of equipment on vibration reduction?
Do products more expensive than Vibrapods ($24 per set of four) provide superior isolation? I've been pretty happy with the pods, but I wonder whether spending somewhat more, e.g., on Iso-pucks, would bring notably superior results. Or is more a matter of visual, as opposed to audible, aesthetics?
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Vibrapods are not that effective compared To the more expensive isolation devices Such as stillpoints critical mass and other similar devices
If you hear critical mass centerstage footers it is like upgrading a major component
You gain an increassed soundstage greater clarity and imroved dynamics
DAVE and TROY audio intellect nj Critical mass dealers
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@drbond you need to use real rubber hockey pucks and not street hockey pucks. https://www.icewarehouse.com/Inglasco_Official/descpage-IHP.html |
I used to use Herbie's Tenderfeet (different types and sizes) and they used to work for me back when I first started in this hobby. As my equipment got more discerning and revealing, they tended to soften and muddy the sound so I just used the standard footers on my Marantz Reference gear. On a lark, I tried the Isoacoustic Oreas and they made a very big difference in the focus of the sound from top to bottom. Nothing negative to report. As the focus improved, so did imaging, decay, ambience and all those subtle cues that make for better realization of what's in the recording. The Iso-Pucks look like a less fancy version of the Oreas and did come out first, and are used by lots of recording studios for their monitors. They should work fine for your gear. Most places have a return guarantee as long as you return them in as new condition. All the best, |
Springs, pods, air ride. Everything else is to impress your friends and look pretty. If your speakers are slot loaded with an open botton (no butt plate) they can’t be decoupled. Don’t bother. 80s tech anyways along with spikes of any kind. If spikes worked every power plant on earth would be set up that way. Regards |
Yes, real hockey pucks are under most components, all of which sit on a concrete foundation (as those on suspended floors may find more suspension/spring elements work better than they did for me). Lighter components (turntable, phono stage) also have a sponge puck under the real puck, which, in my experience, did quiet the background, offering a more "solid" sound. . . |
Where is the King of Springs @millercarbon ???? Great opp for him to sell some KYB Springs. |
One possible answer: because there are more effective alternatives to Vibrapods. You will, however, have to experiment for yourself to discover what sounds good to you, in your system and whether the results are worth the asking price. I've tried Vibrapods, Original Stillpoints, New Stillpoints, brass cones, myrtlewood blocks, ceramic cones, no-name sorbathane pads and IsoAcoustic Oreas. They all affected the SQ in one way or another but I could not honestly claim they actually, in sum, "improved" the system. Then I tried what I currently use-- big difference-- tighter bass, deeper sound-stage and a sense of flow and ease that I'd never heard from the system. I see no point in mentioning the name because someone else would likely have tried the same products and found them ineffective. Yes; I do believe it's that subjective.
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@jerryg123 who knows ? Maybe he got a margin call on all the Crypto pump and dump work he has been doing ? Can’t say I miss him…. |
I have a 250 lb turntable assembly that required a Minus K in an old wooden (restored) period Victorian. It was essential to eliminate footfalls. I don't think this could have been done on the cheap. I had a structural engineer look at it before I made the leap. Costly, yes. But necessary in my estimation, given the turntable. |
I’d have to agree with @millercarbon that, if you’re not going to get into the really big bucks, Nobsound springs (found on Amazon) are the way to go. I’ve got them under my 90lb speakers and under my subs. They definitely improve speaker imaging and soundstage and, I no longer notice the subs vibrating the soles of my feet. if your system is good enough to reveal a lot of detail in the imaging, go for them. Otherwise, you might need to work on the weakest link in the chain, which for many people is the speakers. |
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.). |
I've noticed his absence and wondered what's happened? |
In some cases, spending more is necessary to have a product that’s effective in isolating, decoupling or draining. Vibrapods have some isolating properties but also store resonances, therefore aren’t near as effective as more expensive, well thought out products. I’m a fan of springs and have over the years tried to make my own products using springs and have been impressed. Recently ordered some Townshend spring products after years of trying but not yet reaching the pinnacle of springs with proper damping. |
Vibrapods #1 to #5 along with their cones seems fine to me. I put the higher number vibrapod under the heaviest section of equipment, typically the transformer. Also use those rubber/cork sandwich squares which seem to work well. Lastly, I use numerous Butcher Block Acoustics supports, some with cones, some with adjustable rubber feet. They are economical supports and look nice as well. The Vibrapod website has some nice tips and tutorials on how to use them properly, including how to utilize them in a vibrapod sandwich. I just don't see the need to spend much more on these things, I'm also on a concrete slab. Turntable resting on dedicated shelf mounted to a concrete wall. No issues there. |
I had some hemisphere shaped black rubber. Not sure if they wre brand name. They were on my subs for some time. When I heard about the springs, i replaced the rubber ones. Immediately, the bass was detailed, deeper, enveloping. I believe the rubber is for absorptiondamping, springs are isolating. I have a concrete floor. Also, the music used to be much boomier upstairs. |
Ladies and Gentlemen...we have a WINNER! |
I have to agree with stuartk - there are multiple types of products that all make some sort of impact. That impact will vary based on the equipment, the foundation the equipment sits on, and your ears. Like stuartk, I have tried multiple products and also have a favorite, but the journey was worth it. What I use now provides a positive, noticeable difference in my soundstage and dynamics. YMMV so have fun trying options out! |
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I received some Vibrasystems rubber pads, and incorporating them into my Rega P8 turntable footers, they are definitely superior to the sponge puck / hockey puck stack: I stacked a standard hockey puck on a Vibrasystems pad under each footer, and the presentation is much more grounded, precise, and has significantly more distinct imaging in space. With the sponge puck / hockey puck stack, by comparison, the sound is more resonant and nebulous, with less distinct imaging. And for reference, the springs were inferior to the stacked pucks.
While the Vibrasystems rubber pads under the turntable footers made the most dramatic improvement, I also noticed an improvement (though not as dramatic) in presentation with the pads also placed under the tube phono stage. |
