Isolation stands: snakeoil?

I don’t like pneumatic systems either for the same reason. Once they develop a leak they will never sound right because there’s a certain design pressure that obviously goes bye bye once a leak appears. And if you have to prop one side up then the thing isn’t really isolating, is it? However, if you or anyone you know is good with Teflon tape, the type for air fittings or the paste for air fittings the leak can be fixed. Both are found at Home Despot. No reason to live without isolation. That’s no way to live. 😬

willemj, unfortunately my basic CD player won't read my LP grooves.

@OP madavid0

Proper setup trumps all, and has the most potential.

you said in your opening post.

most turntables, especially decent ones, have vibration control measures built into them via footers and various construction techniques.

This shows to me, that you understand that manufacturers consider vibration control important.
  
but then you say in your next post.  

I have not bothered to perfectly level the rack’s feet so there is some play / wobble if disturbed.

Well, one can wonder if this is due to laziness ? Who knows, but it is wrong for basic 101 turntable set up, and no one questioned it. The TT platform/stand, whatever type/s - plural - as some use multiple products, under the TT, is/are but an extension of the turntable. Adding an isolation platform/s *whatever cost' under it may get better results, but it is a band aid, if the basics are not in order to begin with.

The big Basis TT has proper isolation built in but it’s $100K. The Rockport TT if it’s still made has a dedicated isolation system built in but it’s $80K. All the rest of them, the squishy feet, the springy feet, are Masquerading as built-in isolation as their spring rates are too high to do anything. The resonant frequencies of the platter, the tonearm and the cartridge are quite low, so it’s the very low frequency vibration that’s the real problem.