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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
9,899 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.

mads1's avatar
mads1
87 posts
 
That was Michael's Nov 2018 Stereophile cover article on the new Technics SL1000R. He preferred Mnpctech's Sorbothane isolation feet over Technics factory feet.

Mnpctech is now making isolation platforms,  https://mnpctech.com/turntable-feet-replacement-isolation/vibration-isolation-base-platform-for-turntables.html
kacomess OP
200 posts
 
bdp24,
Thanks for the update. Pardon (again) my obtuseness but permit me 4 points of clarification:
1)  Do these GAIA III replace the MNPCTech feet as supports for the turntable chassis (i.e., do they screw into the holes in each of the 4 corners of the turntable base and serve as "feet" for the chassis to rest on)?

2)  Or, are the GAIA III inserted somewhere else in the turntable under-carraige?

3)  If they are replacing some sort of spring, do the MNPCTech feet continue to support the entire turntable chassis?
4) And finally, are the GAIA III items you're referring to the speaker feet listed for $199 on amazon.com or are they some other GAIA item I didn't see when I searched the site for GAIA III?
Thanks in advance,Keith
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,899 posts
 

Keith, the GAIA are indeed listed on Amazon for $189, and B&M stores are selling them for $199. They were developed to be used as feet for loudspeakers, in place of the stock feet (if any) or spikes. But they are also appropriate for turntable, including your HW-19. The GAIA III can be used in place of the stock VPI rubber feet that came on the tables base, in place of the suspension springs inside the base of the table, or both.

You can read the review of the GAIA (and some other IsoAcoustics feet) in the June Stereophile by Art Dudley for any other clarification you need, or read about them on the IsoAcoustics website.

kacomess OP
200 posts
 
bdp24:
Many sincere thanks for that information! Maybe an optimal combination (especially since I've already purchased and installed the MNPCTech feet on the 4 corners of the turntable chassis) is to buy a set of the GAIA speaker feet and use them in place of the suspension springs inside the base. I'll look for Art Dudley's article and - if the instructions are absolutely idiot-proof (as applies to me!) - I'll give them a try!
Thanks again,Keith
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