Help in isolating a TT with spring suspension.

I don't know this turntable, so this response may not apply. I take it the platter is suspended. You say you've had other turntables that were not that bad. Were they suspension tables? If so, the springs on this table may account for the difference. To the extent that they are adjustable, you could try putting more weight on the platter and increasing the tension on the springs to get less bounce. You could experiment with, for example, a small vase that might weigh two or three pounds. Center it mouth down over the spindle to see how the turntable reacts to the weight. If you can get the platter at the right height, then you might want to consider buying a weight or clamp, or a heavier mat, or even a ring, or some combination of these. Any of these might also improve the sound, and the ring does help to flatten any small warps.

Have you verified (with a gauge)that the stylus is at the correct tracking force? If your table uses a "spring" anti-skating system, has its proper functioning been checked?

The cartridge on the TT was professionally installed. It tracks light at 1.5 grams so increasing it a little might help slightly but the whole plinth jiggles and shakes when walking in the room so the problem is bigger than that.

Chris,
I understand your frustration. I've been there.
I believe that you have 2 choices.
First, use a different turntable. Secondly,
look at the problem from a different perspective ( somehow make it work in the room)
and find a way to utilize one of Nsgarch's suggestions.

Chris,
I understand your frustration. I've been there.
I believe that you have 2 choices.
First, use a different turntable. Secondly,
look at the problem from a different perspective ( somehow make it work in the room)
and find a way to utilize one of Nsgarch's suggestions.

Thanks for the help. I will use this TT temporarily until I can get the one I want (that I know wont shake like this one). I only paid $50 total for it including belt, headshell, etc.

I can understand why many TT manufacturers don't utilize this design. It only works if you have perfect floors, and it's difficult to fix and level when it gets old.

What cartridge are you using?

A poor cartridge/tonearm can add to your problems. A high mass arm and high compliance cartridge can put the resonant frequency of the cartridge and arm exactly in the range of the nearby footfalls, which are typically at 7 Hz or below.

The solution is to use a less compliant cartridge. Typically, high output moving coils have lower compliance than moving magnets, so a cartridge like the Dynavector 10X5, Ortofon X5-MC, or Denon DL-160 would help your situation. (I'm not sure of the Denon's compliance at 7-12 HZ, which is the area of interest for footfalls).

Another suggestion is to brace your stand against the wall. I used a couple pieces of closed foam cell wedged between the wall and the stand. The point is to put some of the weight of the stand against the wall, which is presumably not subject to the footfalls.

I had a TD125 with RB300 and changing cartridge to Ortofon X5-MC and bracing the stand made the problem tolerable. A remodeling project to remove the carpet and replace with wood floors eliminated the problem completely.

You can also try stuffing cotton balls in the turntable springs to see if that might help.

Good luck!