2. analog
  3. 150881-90127

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
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
My guess is itchy trigger finger. 🤠
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Anyways GK, based on memory of your unexplained removed post.
I truly like the idea of losing the rack entirely and if had say just one source would seriously consider it.
But with all my gear there would be no floor left in my room!
And then the rats nest of cables would be on show for the world to see and cats to chew!

So isolation under components in the rack is the best I can shoot for.
Yes I can see the potential pitfalls of putting the complete rack on springs, especially mine which is a 5 shelf high unit, teeter, totter whoops!
Food for thought indeed.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Thanks for nice summary. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 
Plus @uberwaltz, even if a rack is isolated from the floor, the rack itself (and it's shelves) may be a source of vibration, feeding into a turntable, digital player, and/or tubes. Isolating each component is still a good idea.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Cones can be unstable for certain things like very tall heavy speakers. I once grabbed a 7 ft. tall narrow Golden Sound speaker just before it went crashing through the window at CES in 2005 after someone accidentally nudged it whilst it was on cones. The solution is to place a 18x18 inch board under the speakers and the cones under the board, thus stabilizing the set up.
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