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Isolation feet/cones for PS Audio NuWave DSD DAC

Hey all,

I am debating between Large DH Cones and Herbies Tenderfeet.
Anyone have experience specifically with this DAC?

Thanks!
itsikhefez
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,321 posts
 
@itsikhefex

The DH cones do seem like a good buy at current pricing.  I don't know for sure but the Taranis amp I'm running seems to have them for footers (as supplied/stock) OR at least something that looks a LOT like them.  I have a mishmash of inexpensive isolation treatments throughout my system.  After I satisfy my curiosity about this roller bearing thing, I might well get a set of cones to try.  Big bucks for me!  ;-)  but not in audiophile terms.  Hope they work out for you.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Just to note that’s it’s highly unlikely DH Cones would be found on any random component, stock or otherwise, unless they were glued there (unlikely), as there would be no way to drill a hole in the bottom of the DH Cone since, you know, it’s the next hardest material to diamond. DH Cones. Accept no substitutes.

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,321 posts
 
Someone else had the furniture caster cup idea way before I did.  Just found this...

https://www.stereophile.com/content/make-your-own-roller-bearing-isolation-system-1650-1

Maybe not DH cones under the Taranis, Geoff.  Does look like 'em though.  
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,111 posts
 

Yup ghosthouse, Geoff already stated the case---it’s a matter of friction. The plastic of the caster cups isn’t smooth (on the microscopic level of the vibrations we are talking about) or hard enough to provide a friction-free surface for the ball bearing to be free to move across.

But I agree with you, Diament’s wooden Easter egg cup suggestion is worse than your plastic caster cup one, wood being way too soft and textured to work well as a bearing cup. Barry proposed it to anyone wanting to try the roller bearing idea on the cheap, before spending any money on real ones. A poster on his site is the one who suggested concave drawer handles/pulls, the best idea for ultra-cheap bowls. The good news is that Ingress offers a set of three top/bottom cups for so cheap that the even cheaper alternatives aren’t necessary.

IMO, what Geoff has long suggested for isolation---the combination of roller bearings for lateral/rotational, and springs for vertical, provides a whole lot of isolation for not that much dough. To get more, one has to move up to the Townshend Seismic products (around $350 and up), and then up to the microscope isolation platforms by MinusK, Newport, and others. That’s some serious money, over $2k!

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,321 posts
 
Hello bdp - I appreciate the discussion.  As a sometime microscopist in the past (optical and SEM) I certainly appreciate how surfaces appear under magnification.  Given the apparent quality of the Ingress roller block products (it IS pretty looking stuff)  C$85 for a Level 1 set does not seem unreasonable.  

One thing that does have me wondering about the practical value of a more highly polished surface (not to mention added cost) is realizing this evening how cabling hanging off the back of a component likely interferes with free movement in both horizontal and vertical planes.  I wonder if this sort of cable "inertia" overrides the benefit of a surface that is smoother at a microscopic level.    

In the short term, I'll experiment with the plastic housings and stainless bearings.  Thinking the addition of a bit of silicone (or even lightweight spindle oil) will help "smooth out" some of the bumps.  We'll keep the Ingress products in mind, however - as well as the DH Cones.   



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