Best location for isolation cones.


Just got 4 sets of Dayton Audio Black Chrome Isolation cones delivered yesterday.

Due to the space constraints on my rack, i couldnty put em under the gear like i had intended, instead i put them beneath each subwoofer which gives righter more defined bass.
However, i also put a set beneath each speaker stand. I also have a new rack.

The imaging seems to have suffered a bit. Are isolation cones beneath speaker stands a bad way to go? Seems the imaging was a little bit better before i put them into play, but with the new rack i just put in im not entirely positive which is giving me a hard time

Ive never used these before so i dont know if there any big NO-NOs associated with such a thing.

Any advice?
slappy
A cone is not a cone.

It depends on how well engineered the "cone" is.

They are not all the same, and cannnot be lumped into one category.

Some points will do wonders, while others just don't.

The best bet with the Daytons(which are pretty low on the scale), are to not use any of the "leveling features", and screw them into the speakers nice and tight against the botttom, and make the pointy tips screwed in tight against the cone body. At least this way they have some chance of working.

Even if the Dayton cone had any possibility of working, these "leveling features" would defeat it. Try tightening everything up with no leveling and see what you think.

Cones are made with certain principles(if the designer knew what he was doing) and the wide top part of the cone needs to be tight up against the base of the speaker, because it is not the threaded part that makes the vibration transfer, it is the interface between the speaker base and the top surface of the cone. The whole cone needs to be solid and rigid(thus the recommendation to tighten up the "levelers"). Now we know it's not made of the right type of brass, and doesn't have the right shape geometry, but it might work some for a low priced cone.

With a "proper point(cone)" you can expect improved imaging, better soundstage, less smear, tightened bass, and general improvements all around. Not sure what to expect from the Daytons, except that I can tell by looking at them that they are flawed design.

If it does work at all, there will be at least 2-3 days of "break-in" time, for it to "settle" into place mechanically, so give it a weekend.

What can you expect for $16.95 for a set of 4 anyway?
If they worked, everybody here on Audiogon would be using them. The whole world gets the Parts Express catalog.
TWL, Diddnt expect a whole lot. LOL

well, on the speakers i see 2 ways of connecting them

the first method which im currently using is to use the supplied foam sticky things between the cone and speaker.

The 2nd method would be to ditch that sticky foam thing and unscrew the cones and take the top part with the threaded post through the speaker stand then screw the bottom of the cone into the remainder of thread that is sticking out of the bottom of the speaker stands. That would make a pretty solid connection to the speaker. How i currently have it with the foam thing the speakers basically have suspension. LOL
Or you could cough up $40 for the speaker spikes...maybe?
Setting the top heavy speaker 'n stand on sponge-topped cones is your problem. I am sure being made from the wrong kind of brass is another major issue - good grief - but method two seems like a solid ticket. Hope it works.

Banksfriend - most of the time Twl discloses that the sells audiopoints. I guess he's in Clark Kent mode, right now.

"A cone is not a cone.

It depends on how well engineered the "cone" is.

They are not all the same, and cannnot be lumped into one category.

Some points will do wonders, while others just don't."

You have to get Audiogon to incorporate flashmedia.
TWL is correct. Not all cones/spikes/points are created equal. And as far as I know, if the cone is a metal material, then labeling it as an isolation cone should minimally be considered a misnomer but is more likely an oxymoron.

Regardless, the ideal placement for your cones should be to place one directly underneath the power supply of the given component and the two where ever to stabalize the component. Power supplies generate a hum/vibration and by placing your cone directly underneath it, you are giving that internally generated vibration the greatest opportunity to exit the component before it spreads around the chassis.

As for the speakers, I've tried several different methods and different cones. Not one of them made a different until I obtained the proper sized AudioPoints that thread and tighten into my speaker stands which are threaded into the speaker cabinet. Only then was there a difference and the difference was incredible after settling.

-IMO