Has anyone had experiences good or bad with speaker isolation or isolation in general ?


hi
i have been enjoying buying and listening to hifi for some 35 years now and have seen many items come and go.I have also been interested in the audio cable discussions and i agree that cables do make a difference how much of a difference is a very individual, and a system dependent situation. There has been nothing that has got me so excited and improved the sound of my system that has ever made me want to really share it with fellow audiophiles until i started to try various isolation products.With so much choice from affordable to very expensive i found the hole subject very confusing and i did not know where to start. After trying lots of various products all shapes and sizes with very different results i decided to read reviews which is something i do not usually do to get some advise.I read a review on the Townshend audio seismic podiums they are isolation platforms that go under your speakers .This company is very famous for isolation ideas and have been around some 50 years based here in the UK they also had a factory in the USA back in the 1980s. I contacted Nick at Emporium hifi  and he agreed to install a pair for me so i could have a listen. My speakers are sound-lab dynastats which i use in quite a small room but with the adjustments give a nice sound. After installing the podiums we both sat down with jaws hitting the floor these podium things completely transformed the sound of my system to absolute perfection. After all this time trying various products under my equipment i have now isolated my speakers and the sound quality is exactly what i believe we all are chasing, my sound-labs are now transparent no more bass problems i have just got one big 3D sound stage the dynastats are now very open with deeper much better bass everything is perfect. I now believe isolating your loudspeakers is the first port of call i was so impressed by the Townshend audio seismic products i now sell them as i have never come across anything that has given my system such a great upgrade , the sound is the same as before but now its just so much better its playing deeper bass but tighter much more resolution and no boom , the midrange is so much more human sounding realistic and spacious with the top end so refined and perfect , is anyone using podiums and had the same experiences i would love to hear from you thank you john 
mains
Playpen,

I too did not have that picture of your dampening solution in my head. The cabinets produce their own sound into the mix by resonating, so it looks like you are dampening this by fine tuning the locations that will give you the best sound?

For my DIY subs with the Isolation Bars, they come with an add-in dampening material called NoRez. It comes in sheets that you cut to size, and that I will add to the inside walls of my subs. The NoRez is backed by a very strong adhesive, so it's a one shot deal when applying. I'm hoping that I will like the sound more after I install it.
Kenny

Hello Playpen,

We would highly recommend removing the spikes and placing brass cones (partial to our designs of course) at the base of the speaker system. You will hear much more of what your brass tension technique is capable of in performance. The results will be extremely audible as a higher speed mechanical grounding pathway for resonance transfer is formed based on the material change and geometry of the cone in comparison to the spike you currently have in use.

Not quite sure if the material used by the speaker manufacturer holding the spike connected to the speaker chassis is made of plastic or what the material is. If it is a polymer, you may want to experiment replacing those with brass configurations as well. The addition of a more resonant conductive material (brass) providing the thread inserts connecting the cones to the speaker enclosure will ‘yet again’ pick up more of the highly audible performance that your “out of the box” innovation methods are delivering. Very cool thinking and application of resonance management.

You may consider using brasses made in the USA compared to imports as the metallurgy is far more reliable and is extremely significant when applying this material to musical reproduction products and processes - not all brass is or sounds the same.

Wishing you the best success with your discoveries and designs.

Robert

Star Sound



I agree with the last poster that the SPEED of mechanical vibration EVACUATION is an important issue. I also agree that the MATERIAL used for the cone is important. I also would add that the SHAPE of the cone is important. When one employs proficient VIBRATION ISOLATION in the system A PRIORI it’s much easier to differentiate among all of the myriad types of cones, footers, and all the various materials and shapes of CONES. In the interest of saving everyone a lot of time and effort and expense I offer the following ranking for a number of audio cones, in DESCENDING order of sound improvement. For the experimental among you try cones points up or two cones points down and one or two cones points up. This experiment should illustrate the diode nature of cones.

Super size NASA grade ceramic cones with ballistic shape.

Jumbo size NASA grade ceramic cones with conical shape.

Large size NASA grade ceramic cones with ballistic shape

Marigo diamond dust embedded cones.

Hardened steel cones

Aluminum cones

Brass cones

Carbon fiber cones

Lead pyramids or cones

geoff kait
machina dynamica
advanced audio concepts







Post removed 
  Audiopoint Robert,yes I do believe you are right,I always wanted to do that but they were a pricey item I forgot about and should have done soon after I bought the speakers.I wonder if there is a set made with interchangeable screw in mounts so they could be used on other speakers if I ever sold mine.