VPI Magic Brick or Webster's Dictionary

The Websters provides more information, at least if you place it where you can view it :^)

The main differences between the book and the VPI are contact area, weight and magnetic effect.

The Dictionary is paper so it is fairly non resonate, contacts a larger area than the VPI and has no effect magnetically.

Inside the VPI brick are stacks of steel plate that appear to be metal shop scrap. These steel plates have mass, but also are magnetic and disrupt electrical field. This is good or bad depending on who you want to believe.

My personal tests find the VPI to be the worst solution for the highest price. Better effect may be had with a plastic box full of lead shot or sand. With the home made version you get mass without magnetic disruption.

Anything as large as a book could block air vents. Probably more an issue for tube amps than your CD player. You should give it a try and report back with results.

If it is to work other than as a big heavy weight, the VPI Brick is best placed over where the transformer is. The plates are suppose to suppress RF and EMI.

Keep in mind there is not one tweek that exists, that will works in all situations.

Thanks, Sugurbrie. You always seem to have a thoughtful comment! As for now, I'm going w/ Websters. Seems to be the more definitive choice. It dampens all vibrations pretty well for my Cary 308 CDP, and I will aver that the VPI Magic Brick is simply another exemple of audiophile B.S. (Bovine Scatology). If anyone wants to prove me wrong, send me a Magic Brick. If it really, truly works better, I'll pay you the new, retail price; if it doesn't, I'll send it back to you. Any takers?

I have the VPI bricks and the best part about them is giving them to a friend seeing the system for the first time. Watching them almost drop the small brick because of its weight is worth owning them. Watching the expression when explaining the brick's function is also funny...usually one of "you're kidding me, right?" I've tried it on transformers and not and can't tell the difference. But you be the judge.