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Are You Sorbothane Experienced?

I couldn't find any discussions on user experiences with sorbothane isolation feet, so decided to start one. I recently purchased a set of 4 40mm sorbothane feet for my Music Hall mmf-5 turntable. 
Setup was less than favourably a one-man affair, so it was a rather precarious endeavour.

One thing that adds to the difficulty of what I imagined would be an entirely straightforward installation, is the fact that the sorbothane feet easily distort under the slightest off-centre loading. That means you have to adjust them incessantly  at both top and bottom contact points until you miraculously have all 4 perfectly vertically loaded perpendicular to your turntable's factory feet as well as your shelf. In my case the shelf is by Salamander.

Once you've managed all this and justifiably rather pleased with yourself, guess what? Your turntable may or may not be level as it was prior to the installation. So, level the TT at the shelf rather than at the adjustable feet, as are standard on the MH, because adjusting the feet would upset those super squishy sorbothane isolation pucks. 

The listening verdict: I honestly can't say that I can hear any difference during before & after playback of Jimmy Cliff's Wonderful World, Beautiful People.

I'm curious to learn of your experiences, if any. Cheers!
avdesigns
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5 posts
 
I did hundreds of tests a few years ago that included sorbothane. I was inspired to try Sorbothane by Chris Orchard's positive experiences designing the excellent, but long gone, Rivelin Eclipse turntable (loved by malcolm Steward). Here are some of the results:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt1_e.html
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt2_e.html
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt3_e.html
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt4_e.html
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt6_e.html
I don't test sorbo specifically in these tests as my sorbo sheets were not an audio product. The unnamed devices in the test were RDC cones and Deflex blobs, which they did not want reviewing; RDC were comprehensively beaten by PolyChrystal and Deflex blobs were slightly behind Isonodes. My findings were mixed for sorbothane, useful as a big sheet (reduced horizontal compliance, but excellent damping) and as a sheet under a brick on top of a component (but not as good as Isonodes in same place). See picture at top of this article to see how far you can go
http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/aaaa5_e.html
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Geez, there are so many different materials: variations of the same type of material like Sorbothane and similar viscoelastic material, lead, ceramics, many different types of hardwoods, including Mpingo, maple, but also granite, slate, bluestone, air bladders of various designs, racquet balls, squash balls, tennis balls, brass cones, steel cones, aluminum cones, springs, cryo’d springs, suspensions, magnetic levitation, sandboxes, glass microbeads, roller bearing assemblies, negative stiffness isolation, dual layer mass on spring platforms. And permutations and combinations thereof. Who can evaluate and compare them all?
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
geoff is right about the plethora of different materials and devices on the market as well as some you might pick up at a well stocked hardware store.  After messing with many of these over the years I have found Steve and Robert Herbelin (Herbie's Audio Lab) to provide very sober yet sane advice.  You can always give them a call or email them, describe your issue and see what they might recommend to deal with it.  I have had fine results with both their regular and stiff Tenderfeet.  They have other devices to discuss as well.

pmiller115's avatar
pmiller115
97 posts
 
Of all of the many tweaks I have experimented with, this was the least favorite. As noted, these damm things distort and are generally a pain to install. Once installed they are NOT attractive nor could I hear any improvement whatsoever. Mine went back with a note that these things were not at all pleasing. 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Generally speaking Sorbothane is good for absorbing shock but the same reason that makes it good for insoles of walking shoes makes it bad for the sound - it absorbs and stores energy. Super balls, on the other hand, those little high bouncing multicolored rubber balls about 1" diameter you can get in bubble gum machines at the supermarket work much better, I.e., sound much better. They don’t store energy, they release it. It's the same thing with the Happy Balls and Sad Balls from Edmund Scientific. One is good for the sound, the other isn't.
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