Slight update:
I bought some Isoacoustics Iso-Pucks:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/IsoPuck
The Isoacoustics stuff seem to be all the rage these days, and I’m likely to try some of their Gaia footers on my Thiel speakers.
But for now I’m still playing with isolation devices for my turntable set up.
First impressions of the Iso-Pucks is that they are nicely designed with a feeling of quality and solidity. With the exception that one of the pucks, disappointingly, had some mottled, scratchy looking finish. The others were perfect, though.
They sit on a squishy bottom that seems to "give" in all directions (though the promo stuff would have one expecting it would give forwards and backwards, not so much side to side, as that is their approach).
I did my various tests: putting them under my micro seiki turntable, under a butcher block, tapping nearby with the ipad accelerator app measuring vibration. Also used the vibrating toothbrush to feel how much vibration seemed to get through the pucks, as well as measuring on the ipad app.
All this is usually done with the turntable/block placed on our pool table. So I place the turntable on the pool table, which is fairly solid, and tap around it, measure the vibration, then place the turntable on whatever isolation, or on the wood butcher block with isolation between it and the pool table, and re-do the tap tests to see if there’s reduction in transmitted vibration to the turntable.
Results were: I couldn’t notice any particular reduction in vibration with the iso-pucks. Putting them under the butcher block, I could wiggle the butcher block around somewhat, which is what they are supposed to do.
But I couldn’t notice by feeling, or measuring vibration transter with the ipad, any vibration reduction. There did seem to be a bit more ringing measured on the ipad when tapping the butcher block while they were suspended by the iso-pucks, perhaps due to the very slight rubbery wobble they introduce.
That said, they do have a really nice grippy feel, so the turntable or wood block feels gripped and very stable when sitting on the pucks. I like that.
The Townsend iso-pods have a felt top and doesn’t grip as much.
So after playing with the iso-pucks I went back to the spring based townshend isolation pods. While they clearly reduced vibration getting to whatever they held up (e.g. butcher block, turntable) they could also introduce a bit of ringing if you tap the thing they are holding, due no doubt to the slight spring wobble.
So last night, I thought maybe I should try adding more weight on to the butcher block. This is because I bought the "C" version of the Townsend pods, which are rated to hold more weight than I’ve been placing on them (I’ve estimated my Transrotor turntable plus the large butcher block I’m having made will be between 75 to 80 lbs for the pods to hold up).
So, with the butcher block sitting on the pods, and the turntable on the butcher block, I added some weights to the butcher block. About 15 more pounds.
THAT made a difference! Particularly to the ringing of the block or turntable when tapped or vibrated with the toothbrush.
There was a significant reduction of measured vibration when I had the ipad on the turntable platter. If I tapped the turntable itself, or the actual platter, the measured spike and subsequent ringing was well reduced, vs tapping the turntable when it was simply on the pool table with no isolation.
So my take away from all this is that, both measured in terms of "feeling" with my hand reduction in vibration transmission, and in measuring with the ipad accelerometer apps, it’s the Townsend isolation pods that are doing what I’m seeking. They reduce the vibration transmitted to whatever they are holding up far, far more than any of the other devices/materials I’ve tried. In fact, tapping nearby the turntable when it’s on any of the other materials produces little difference in measurement, whereas measured vibration is almost gone when tapping while the Townsend pods are in action.
And now once I’ve loaded the pods with more appropriate weight, I see a reduction of vibration/ringing even when vibrating or tapping the item they are holding up (turntable platter/base).
This settles it for me: I’m sticking with my idea of adding 3/4" MDF under my Lovan’s thinner MDF top shelf, as a sturdier based, on which to place the Townsend isolation pods, which will be "sandwiched" by the soundamped steel discs (seems a better combo than the pods alone).
That will hold up my 2 1/2" thick maple butcher block.
The turntable will sit on the block.
And just for the heck of it, I’m sticking some of the sounddamped steel discs under the turntable footers and under the turntable motor. (I’ve been impressed by how inert the sounddamped steel product is, and how it seems to do a good job reducing vibration, e.g. the toothbrush vibration test).
I’m also ordering a soundamped steel turntable mat to check out:
http://soundeck.bigcartel.com/product/sundeck-aluminium-black
As I’ve said, I’m actually a skeptic about most high end audio tweaks, especially the "vibration reduction" industry in which it’s held that virtually any piece of gear has to be "protected against spurious vibrations."
But of all the devices in which vibration reduction seems plausible to me, it’s turntables, for fairly obvious reasons. (They very device itself works via amplifying vibrations!).
Do I even think any of the things I’m doing here will make an audible difference, if I were able to easily compare just putting the turntable on my existing rack, vs the new butcher block, everything all tweaked out?
I’m skeptical of that too.
But...it’s been fun to investigate the subject, and to lots of hands on testing to help form my own ideas. The main reason I’m going the route I’ve chosen is that being able to actually feel, and objectively measure differences in vibration control give me a bit more confidence than simply "do I hear a difference?"
I still probably won’t be able to have this all up and running for another month or so. When I finally do I’ll report on the sound of my new turntable.
I bought some Isoacoustics Iso-Pucks:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/IsoPuck
The Isoacoustics stuff seem to be all the rage these days, and I’m likely to try some of their Gaia footers on my Thiel speakers.
But for now I’m still playing with isolation devices for my turntable set up.
First impressions of the Iso-Pucks is that they are nicely designed with a feeling of quality and solidity. With the exception that one of the pucks, disappointingly, had some mottled, scratchy looking finish. The others were perfect, though.
They sit on a squishy bottom that seems to "give" in all directions (though the promo stuff would have one expecting it would give forwards and backwards, not so much side to side, as that is their approach).
I did my various tests: putting them under my micro seiki turntable, under a butcher block, tapping nearby with the ipad accelerator app measuring vibration. Also used the vibrating toothbrush to feel how much vibration seemed to get through the pucks, as well as measuring on the ipad app.
All this is usually done with the turntable/block placed on our pool table. So I place the turntable on the pool table, which is fairly solid, and tap around it, measure the vibration, then place the turntable on whatever isolation, or on the wood butcher block with isolation between it and the pool table, and re-do the tap tests to see if there’s reduction in transmitted vibration to the turntable.
Results were: I couldn’t notice any particular reduction in vibration with the iso-pucks. Putting them under the butcher block, I could wiggle the butcher block around somewhat, which is what they are supposed to do.
But I couldn’t notice by feeling, or measuring vibration transter with the ipad, any vibration reduction. There did seem to be a bit more ringing measured on the ipad when tapping the butcher block while they were suspended by the iso-pucks, perhaps due to the very slight rubbery wobble they introduce.
That said, they do have a really nice grippy feel, so the turntable or wood block feels gripped and very stable when sitting on the pucks. I like that.
The Townsend iso-pods have a felt top and doesn’t grip as much.
So after playing with the iso-pucks I went back to the spring based townshend isolation pods. While they clearly reduced vibration getting to whatever they held up (e.g. butcher block, turntable) they could also introduce a bit of ringing if you tap the thing they are holding, due no doubt to the slight spring wobble.
So last night, I thought maybe I should try adding more weight on to the butcher block. This is because I bought the "C" version of the Townsend pods, which are rated to hold more weight than I’ve been placing on them (I’ve estimated my Transrotor turntable plus the large butcher block I’m having made will be between 75 to 80 lbs for the pods to hold up).
So, with the butcher block sitting on the pods, and the turntable on the butcher block, I added some weights to the butcher block. About 15 more pounds.
THAT made a difference! Particularly to the ringing of the block or turntable when tapped or vibrated with the toothbrush.
There was a significant reduction of measured vibration when I had the ipad on the turntable platter. If I tapped the turntable itself, or the actual platter, the measured spike and subsequent ringing was well reduced, vs tapping the turntable when it was simply on the pool table with no isolation.
So my take away from all this is that, both measured in terms of "feeling" with my hand reduction in vibration transmission, and in measuring with the ipad accelerometer apps, it’s the Townsend isolation pods that are doing what I’m seeking. They reduce the vibration transmitted to whatever they are holding up far, far more than any of the other devices/materials I’ve tried. In fact, tapping nearby the turntable when it’s on any of the other materials produces little difference in measurement, whereas measured vibration is almost gone when tapping while the Townsend pods are in action.
And now once I’ve loaded the pods with more appropriate weight, I see a reduction of vibration/ringing even when vibrating or tapping the item they are holding up (turntable platter/base).
This settles it for me: I’m sticking with my idea of adding 3/4" MDF under my Lovan’s thinner MDF top shelf, as a sturdier based, on which to place the Townsend isolation pods, which will be "sandwiched" by the soundamped steel discs (seems a better combo than the pods alone).
That will hold up my 2 1/2" thick maple butcher block.
The turntable will sit on the block.
And just for the heck of it, I’m sticking some of the sounddamped steel discs under the turntable footers and under the turntable motor. (I’ve been impressed by how inert the sounddamped steel product is, and how it seems to do a good job reducing vibration, e.g. the toothbrush vibration test).
I’m also ordering a soundamped steel turntable mat to check out:
http://soundeck.bigcartel.com/product/sundeck-aluminium-black
As I’ve said, I’m actually a skeptic about most high end audio tweaks, especially the "vibration reduction" industry in which it’s held that virtually any piece of gear has to be "protected against spurious vibrations."
But of all the devices in which vibration reduction seems plausible to me, it’s turntables, for fairly obvious reasons. (They very device itself works via amplifying vibrations!).
Do I even think any of the things I’m doing here will make an audible difference, if I were able to easily compare just putting the turntable on my existing rack, vs the new butcher block, everything all tweaked out?
I’m skeptical of that too.
But...it’s been fun to investigate the subject, and to lots of hands on testing to help form my own ideas. The main reason I’m going the route I’ve chosen is that being able to actually feel, and objectively measure differences in vibration control give me a bit more confidence than simply "do I hear a difference?"
I still probably won’t be able to have this all up and running for another month or so. When I finally do I’ll report on the sound of my new turntable.