Suspended vs. non suspended turntable

If one has a suspended wood floor that could cause footfall problems, then a light suspended table would not be ideal. I've seen situations where the footfall causes such tables to go into prolonged oscillation and for the tendency for skipping to be worsened by the suspension.

My own personal preference is for heavy suspended tables. Such tables may seem "dark" and lacking in dynamics to some, but, to me, the good dampening of such tables results in quiet backgrounds, honest, accurate reproduction -- the extra juice in lightly suspended tables and some non-suspended tables becomes more akin to "noise" after extended listening. For the same reason, I like good record clamps and vacuum hold-down even more.

"I'm sure if you take away any part that was designed in there will be a change"....Could not agree more!
One of my good friends,who is a very experienced hobbyist,alweays claims(humorously)that even if one was to "put a banana" on the top of a speaker,it's presence would be heard!-:).....I love that statement-:)
The only "easy answer" to this hobby is...."it's fun"!
Best.

Some high mass unsuspended tables (like mine) work great on some springy wood floors (like mine). Other high mass tables on other floors might, or might not.

A suspended table also might, or might not, work well on a springy floor. It depends on the resonance frequency of the table and the frequency of vibrations coming from the floor. There is certainly a risk of interaction though.

Like Larryi, our preference is for the black backgrounds, solid bass and full dynamics of a high mass, unsuspended table. Getting "pace" or "prat" or "liveliness" by moving the table around beneath the cartridge is adding something to the music that's not in the grooves. After all, the cutting lathe was not mounted on some springy device.

True isolation in the playback environment is complex, individual and thus difficult to achieve with any non-tuneable, off the shelf solution. There's no pat answer to this one.

For what it's worth, Pierre at Mapleshade goes so far as to recommend replacing the springs on suspended tables with his brass cones - evidently another vote for non-suspended tables.

Dear Keith: I think that some way or other you already have different answers to your questions so maybe I will add " more of the same ", but I will do it anyway:

one of the best suspended TT example is the SME 30 I try it and it is very well isolated from internal/external unwanted vibrations/resonances/fast energy dissipation, I like it from an " audible level isolation performance ".
Iown some heavy mass non suspended TT's, two AS and the RX-5000 from MS, its quality level performance depend on the grade level of an add-on ( by your self ) isolation and I don't mean about rack types but the footers, the ones that come with those TT's are " terrible " for say the least and till you by-pass those own footers the quality performance is not good: I could say that is a poor performance for the price of the TTs.

I try very hard looking for the right or near the right footers/isolators till I find it through Audio technica pneumatic ones, I use it directly at the metal plynth and work very good but through the time and making " a non-expert tests " ( here we have to remember that the cartridge is a very sensitive micro that take micro-vibrations/resonances/noises that our ears can't detect but not because we can't detect it means those " noises " aren't there and we have to try to leave at minimum those " micro noises " to improve the quality sound performance level on the audio system. ) like hitting the rack ( with the stylus on a LP and volume at different high levels ) or hitting with my foot the floor I find that in both AS I can hear some thump level at the speakers so I decided to try something else and after several " try and error " I find that using those same AT pneumatic isolators along a 2" tiptoe ( at top of the At ) with the tiptoe "point/end " in touch with the metal TT plynth those sounds at the speker disappear totally, so it is in this way how are running my AS TT's and yes that " move " was/is a quality improve in the TT performance.
With the RX-5000 every thing is almost " ok " with out the tiptoes. My Luxman likes with the tiptoes inn.

Well, right now I'm running one of my Technics SP-10MK2 with a very simple wood type plynth ( atached to the SP10 base chasis ) of no more than 1.5" that is real function is for I can mount the tonearm, I put the AT pneumatic isolators ( with and with out tiptoes ) directly to the plynth and I can't avoid the thump/noise at the speakers, so I change the position/place of the AT pneumatic isolators instead on the wood plynth directly to the metal SP10 chassis ( in the lower/below part of the TT and with out tiptoes ) and the " noises " disappear, now the SP-10MK2 quality level performance is no less than fabulous!!!!

All these tell me that we ( users ) have to make " our work " at home because the TT builders don't do its " job " or at least not in the best professional way.

If you read somewhere ( example ) Micro Seiki and Walker recomended an additional platform ( for improve TT isolation ) to its TTs, how is this? when we pay " big big dollars " for those turntables.

Take any manufacturer TT website and read around and you only find ( including the one from Basis ): bla, bla, bla, bla, that means only that:bla blan nothing else that prove to us that bla bla!!!!, nothing that can prove/verify in a professional/technical way ( different enginnering level tests ) the TT isolation grade level where I can " see " the different TT mechanism to avoid different kind of internal/external vibrations/resonances/noises/ on their TTs, I think that all of them ( TT builders ) are avoiding of what it is a primary own responsability!!!.

IMHO I think that it is a shame of TT builders where we pay thousands and thousands of honest/clean dollars and no one of them make its work about or at least they don't share with their customers, I wonder why?

All these means that we are paying ( in the TT cases ) for an incomplete product about that subject!!!

IMHO I think and I'm sure that all those TT builders can/could make a better " job " that what are doing on the subject and I hope that if they do it in the near future that can help to everyoneto growing up in a better way trying to obtain a better quality level performance in any audio home system.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.