New Air Suspension Footers for VPI TNT

Cincy bob....are there the same air footers that are uased in the new VPI HR-X????

Rwd, I believe that the new TNT footers are a newly engineered design that VPI just finished within the past month. I was told that the footers I received this week were from the very first production run of the new parts. I don't know if the HRX air suspension footers are similar to the now superseded TNT design (i.e., require manual inflation, prone to leakage, etc.) or if the HRX footers have always involved a sealed ball design similar to the new footers for the TNT. Maybe someone who has assembled or disassembled an HRX can chime in here on this topic.

The stock HRX footers have been the leaky inflatables. They require reflation every several months. Perhaps VPI will make the sealed ball standard equipment going forward? If the sealed ball configuration offers same or better performance (vibration isolation), it would be a very popular upgrade since regular reflation is a dreadful chore.

Well, I have managed to do some listening since putting the new air suspension footers into my system. The improvements in sound were:

1. Lower noise floor - I should note that, while I had the turntable dissassembled, I took the opportunity to clean and re-lubricate the bearing, bearing shaft and bearing well. This might have contributed significantly to the lower noise floor. Whatever the underlying cause, it surely is a welcome improvement.

2. Stability in Peak Passages - In peak orchestral passages when the typmani or tom-tom is struck, the sound is now tighter and more stable with no sign of "cracking up." With hindsight, I would say that the vibration from these sorts of musical passages was previously causing the plinth of the turntable to move slightly on the spring suspension, thus causing the sound to "crack up" a bit particularly in trailing edge transients.

3. Treble Extension - Again, apparently due to the pneumatic air suspension footers providing more stability than the old model spring suspension footers, there is noticeably better air and treble extension with the new footers in place.

Overall, I would say the new air suspension footers are definitely a worthwhile upgrade from the old spring suspension footers.

I just exchanged e-mails with Vihn Vu at Gingko Audio. The new VPI TNT footers utilize Vihn's squishy balls. A mini-review of the new footers on Arthur Salvatore's website (http://www.high-endaudio.com/) said the following:

"VPI TNT HR-X- One of my associates recently received the new (Gingko, modified, 'squash-type balls') "footers", which directly replace the original air suspension inserts within the four posts, that are used for isolation. He informed me that they definitely made some sonic improvements*, along with eliminating the annoying requirement to regularly pump-up the air isolators, which inevitably leaked a tiny amount of air over time. I don't know the cost and/or availability of the "footers" at this time.

*My associate felt the sound was "rock solid"; with greater "purity"; as well as more "impactful", "punchier" and "tighter bass"; and had a "more open and focused soundstage". He used the expression "greater solidity" more than once."