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WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU? ISOLATION PLATFORMS, FOOTERS, ETC. for a DAC?

What is reasonable to expect in SQ gain with respect to a DAC, since there are no actively moving parts?

Footers only? Platforms only? Or is a combination of both best?

Keeping this open ended (as well as budget wise) to see what Audiogon Members recommend and advise.

However, thoughts on Gains v.s. Spend with the specific products you are recommending are welcome and will be very helpful.

The only footers I have used in the past are those from Herbie's Audio Lab.  I have used two different 'audio' racks (which have been dismantled) and I am using their shelves as isolation platforms for my speakers and other components (but not the DACs).

The DACs in use are a Schiit Yggdrasil and an Exogal Comet Plus. The stock rubber footers with the Yggdrasil are as basic as they come; The Comet has an acrylic plate with rounded metal screws.

THANK YOU!
david_ten
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@steakster  Sage advice. Thanks. 
tweaknkeep
38 posts
 
In addition to clean electricity (think dedicated lines, good receptacles and power cords), room acoustics (think ASC Tube Traps and quadratic diffusors), footers are indispensable for addressing microphonics. I've tried Herbie's footers and they are okay. Better yet are those made by Bruce McDougall of anvilturntables.com. They look like hockey pucks and have a number of magnetic balls underneath. I use them under all of my components. I hear better bass, cleaner highs, and improved pace (I'm a drummer). Music sounds sluggish now without these footers.
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
Bruce McDougall of Anvil Turntables reached out a couple of days ago and I should have a set of his Anvil Footers early next week.

@tweaknkeep Thanks for sharing what’s worked for you. Now I’ll get to try the same. :)

As @steakster and others have pointed out, the journey begins!

I will update the thread as the Anvil Footers, and other products I’ll likely go forward with, come in system.


david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
Another update, and a shout out to @bdp24  for bringing these to my attention.

I connected with Mike of Ingress Audio Engineering and will be getting a set of Level 2 and a set of Level 3 Rollerblocks in a few weeks.


bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,248 posts
 
Excellent David! I have a mix of the original Level 1 (same as the new Level 2, but with the cups made of Alcoa 6061 instead of the harder, superior 7075 of the Level 2, and the cup's bowl surface polished to a smoother texture with finer grit) and Level 3. The level 3 is made as per Barry Diament's design idea---a cup underneath the ball bearing, but no cup above it, the ball bearing instead riding across a flat, hard, smooth surface of the users choice. I found some stainless steel discs on ebay---very cheap!
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