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MNPCTech footers?

Any forum members have experience/opinions on the sound quality impact of turntable footers made by a Minnesota company called, "MNPCTech"? I saw a cursory (favorable) mention of them in an older Michael Fremer column. I'm asking because I ordered a set for my VPI HW-19 turntable (to replace the first-generation TipToes secured and further isolated with Blue Tac putty) and received them recently. They appear very well made but I haven't formed an opinion on their sonic impact as yet, mostly due to the fact that I replaced my speaker cables (Kimber) and speakers (Vandersteen 2C with Magnepan LRS) and the new equipment isn't yet broken-in. Thoughts and perspectives welcomed, please!
Keith
kacomess
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,014 posts
 

With the HW-19, more important than the feet on the wooden base are whatever is being used to isolate the floating sub-chassis from that base. Common replacements for the stock spring suspension are Herbies Tall Firm Tenderfeet and SIMS Navcom Silencers (no longer in production). And people are just now starting to install the IsoAcoustics GAIA III as suspension footers, and loving the results. $199 for a set of 4 ($189 on Amazon). They even come with a set of 1/4-20 threaded studs, the same size as the stock springs! The GAIA is adjustable, providing a means of leveling the sub-chassis. 

A lot of people have installed the 1.5" wide Mod Squad Tiptoes in place of the stock rubber feet on the wooden base of the HW-19, a good idea. But the Tiptoes extend past the edges of the bottom of the base, looking like Hell aesthetically. And, Tiptoes are machined out of aluminum, a very soft metal. A better choice is the Dayton Audio DSS2 foot, which is the same 5/8" height as the stock rubber foot, machined out of brass (somewhat soft, but people seem to like the sound of it), and offered in chrome, black chrome, and semi-gloss black (which matches perfectly the piano black version of the VPI base). Installed on the HW-19, a set of Dayton Audio feet looks really sharp. The foot is also available in a 1-1/4" tall version, model no. DSS3. Parts Express sells the DSS2 for $8.95 for a set of 4, $11.90 for the set of DSS3.

kacomess OP
200 posts
 
bdp24:
Many sincere thanks for the extremely useful and informative posting! I really appreciate it!!
I used TipToes and - as you wrote - the aesthetics were atrocious. I was able to achieve perfect leveling with the combo of the TipToes and the Blue Tack putty. I’m one degree off (not important, I’ve been informed) with the MNPCTech feet installed. I wish I’d asked this question a couple of weeks ago, though!

Regarding the IsoAcoustics GAIA III suspension footers, how much technical expertise is required to install them and do you know if comprehensible, step-by-step instructions are available? Are those the same feet as the isolation feet for speakers (on Amazon)?

Thanks again!!
Keith
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,014 posts
 

Keith, the GAIA III is not at all complicated externally (internally is a different story, but you needn’t concern yourself with that ;-). It is just a circular metal foot 1-1/2" tall by 1-3/4" in diameter, and will fit into the spring cavity in the HW-19 base. Each foot comes with three threaded studs, one of them being 1/4-20, the same as the T-nuts installed inside the base for the stock springs. You just remove the springs, and install the GAIA. Simple and easy!

The GAIA is normally used "right-side up" (the top of the foot has internal threads into which the stud screws), but there is no reason why it can’t be used upside-down, which it can be in the HW-19 base. One end of the stud screws into the T-nut in the base, the other into the GAIA foot. And the threading allows the foot to be adjusted in height, by which you can level the sub-chassis. Perfect! Art Dudley reviewed the GAIA III in last month’s Stereophile, if you want to read what he has to say about it’s performance as feet for his Garrard 301 table.

There is another superior footer you may want to consider, the one I chose to go with instead of the GAIA: The Townshend Audio Seismic Pod. It costs more than the GAIA III (but less than the GAIA I, about the same as the GAIA II), and is larger in size. I don’t know if it’s dimensions will allow it to be used inside the base of the HW-19, but it can used as feet for the base. I have a set under my VPI Aries I, and l love ’em! They’ve gotten great reviews in the UK hi-fi press, and by Robert Levi in Positive Feedback.

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