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Ceramic insulator cone under phono stage shocker!

I have used small ceramic insulator cones underneath my phono stage for quite some time.
Previous phono was a Gold note ph10 and it did not make ANY audible difference I could detect which way up the cones were so I had left them cone upwards.

When I changed my phono to a Manley Chinook I just left the cones same way.
This afternoon I decided to flip them over so cone down just to see.

I honestly could not and cannot believe the difference!
I may have lost a smidge of low bass but everywhere else is improved in spades.
Much more detail, resolution, air, imaging, dynamics.
Just completely shocking how much better a small change has made.

But I am perplexed why such a huge change on the Chinook where I noted nothing on the ph10?

Any theories here?
128x128uberwaltz
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Pryso.
I did indeed perform the test with cones down.
However I also knew there were a couple of well used Amperex tubes in it as well.
So I then decided to replace all 4 tubes with brand new Electro Harmonic tubes and test again but still with cones down.
Since discovering the better SQ I have not inverted the cones again.
At this time I am very happy with the SQ, I was more curious as to why not much effect with the ss phono and I think that has been answered.
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
Looking around on the BDR webpage (bdrsound.com) I saw their following recommendation when using cones - which I found interesting:

*If you are using BDR Pyramid Cones with a BDR Shelf, invert the cones, so that the flat face is on the Shelf and the component is resting on the rounded tip.

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Fortunately, in the case of the BDR cones, it doesn’t matter which way the tips point. 😬
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
Although BDR goes on to say:

The proper placement will significantly affect the performance of the cones so the rule of thumb is the tip of the cone towards the resonant surface.  For example, under a CD transport sitting on an MDF shelf, the tips of the cones should be pointing down.

So apparently the orientation depends on whether you are using a BDR shelf or not.
lewm
13,264 posts
 
For what it’s worth, which ain’t much, the best cones I ever used were and still are the Goldmund cones that are stuffed with a damping putty.
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