Like many others, I have tried many isolation devices over the years. Most have been relatively affordable (Big Feet, Isobearings, Vibrapods, cones, etc.), but none were satisfactory. Usually, it was an unacceptable and not neutral change to the frequency or tonal balance, and some even muffled, exaggerated or loosened the bass or added harshness to the mids and/or treble.
Recently I decided to try some Herbie's Sound Lab products. I have not tried everything, but what I did try actually worked without any ill effects I can detect. The Tenderfeet worked under the CD player, preamp, and amp (and the amp is not light), while the Baby Booties really cleaned up the DVD player, even the picture. I since ordered some maple blocks (.98 cents each) from them just to try maple, and I really liked them under the CD player too.
So far their stuff is great, cheap, and orders arrived quickly.
Isolation
Moderator: Staff
Re: Isolation
Have you compared the performance of the isolation devices with the tune method?G man wrote:The Tenderfeet worked under the CD player, preamp, and amp (and the amp is not light), while the Baby Booties really cleaned up the DVD player, even the picture. I since ordered some maple blocks (.98 cents each) from them just to try maple, and I really liked them under the CD player too.
I have tried a couple with terrible results, interesting to read your positive experience. What kind of playback device are you using for CD/DVD?
/ jajo
Hello jajo. I did not use the tune method such as it is written about here. But in a way, I have always used a tune method of sorts. In fact, when listening to any new device or system, the first thing I hear is the "tune." Not that I intentionally plan this, but I just sit and listen for a moment or two (usually takes no longer). Does anything bother me? I guess I am determining if I can follow the music and if it sounds right. Sometimes a problem will result with a cocked head working to hear the music. Well, that is not right. I suppose it could be problems with timing, phase, or something. I usually go no further if there are problems here, unless I am trying to be polite.
Then I suppose I listen for more audiophile related parameters such as resolution, imaging, frequency balance, etc. One of my tests, however, is bass: I listen to see if the pluck of a bass or kick on a bass drum or something else with low frequency energy will expand out and sort of cover or overwhelm everything else. I want extended bass, but this over emphasis is bothering and incorrect. Anyway, if it passes this informal process and I can feel the music, it's good.
My CD player is an Ayre CX-7, which is not fully updated to evolution yet. The DVD player is a Pioneer Elite DV-45A, which also plays SACDs. They do not sound too bad, but I only have a few so obviously it is not all that great.
Then I suppose I listen for more audiophile related parameters such as resolution, imaging, frequency balance, etc. One of my tests, however, is bass: I listen to see if the pluck of a bass or kick on a bass drum or something else with low frequency energy will expand out and sort of cover or overwhelm everything else. I want extended bass, but this over emphasis is bothering and incorrect. Anyway, if it passes this informal process and I can feel the music, it's good.
My CD player is an Ayre CX-7, which is not fully updated to evolution yet. The DVD player is a Pioneer Elite DV-45A, which also plays SACDs. They do not sound too bad, but I only have a few so obviously it is not all that great.
May all who seek find emotional comfort and spiritual peace
Hello G man and welcome to the forum! Sorry if I'm being blunt here but I will tell you what I think.
I admit to having tried lots of different shelves and isolation stuff in the past. In essence, all that worked was a stable and light support and none of the spikes/cones/dough/metal feet/wooden feet/stone feet or shelves improved the music at all. There might be some that works (for example the stuff you have found useful), but I haven't heard them yet.
One thing I remember very clearly is the shelves of pure granite. Ever tried those? They were expensive and sounded really cool... VERY detailed and crisp, bass was so articulated and the sound almost magical at times.
But new records suffered - it was the old favourites that I listened to with pleasure. New stuff wasn't that exciting. About this time I learned the Tune Method from a Linn representative (just when they had shifted from "foot tapping" to "Tune Dem") and suddenly it became clear that these blocks of stone did NOT contribute to the music - they just made it more spectacular and at the same time more difficult to understand. I removed them and in retrospect I actually became a lot more interested in new music.
Since the Tune Method is a prerequisite for the forums here, I humbly suggest you visit a dealer that teaches it and see if you can make it work for yourself. You might very well do a similar thing presently, but the ear is so easily fooled by analysis, and once you get an idea of how you think the "resolution and imaging" should be, you can easily become more of less deaf to the musical parameters.
Trying only to get the music right will result in the sound becoming right too, even if you never focused on it (like when for example listening from another room).
Trying to get the sound right usually results in confusion, as so many sound parameters contradict one another. And when you make one incorrect adjustment, you need to compensate for it somewhere else. And that compensation will not sound entirely convincing in another area, so you need to compensate that too etc.
As someone wrote on the Swedish Linn forum 'selleri.de', it is striking that Linn enthusiasts usually upgrade because they love their systems and want to hear what happens to their records if they improve it a bit further. In most of the HiFi world, however, people change equipment because they don't think their system is quite "balanced" and don't sound exactly like the owner wants it to. There is not even consensus of what an upgrade is - it is merely a search for the subjectively perfect sound.
EDIT: Didn't express myself very well, had to add some further thoughts.
I admit to having tried lots of different shelves and isolation stuff in the past. In essence, all that worked was a stable and light support and none of the spikes/cones/dough/metal feet/wooden feet/stone feet or shelves improved the music at all. There might be some that works (for example the stuff you have found useful), but I haven't heard them yet.
One thing I remember very clearly is the shelves of pure granite. Ever tried those? They were expensive and sounded really cool... VERY detailed and crisp, bass was so articulated and the sound almost magical at times.
But new records suffered - it was the old favourites that I listened to with pleasure. New stuff wasn't that exciting. About this time I learned the Tune Method from a Linn representative (just when they had shifted from "foot tapping" to "Tune Dem") and suddenly it became clear that these blocks of stone did NOT contribute to the music - they just made it more spectacular and at the same time more difficult to understand. I removed them and in retrospect I actually became a lot more interested in new music.
Since the Tune Method is a prerequisite for the forums here, I humbly suggest you visit a dealer that teaches it and see if you can make it work for yourself. You might very well do a similar thing presently, but the ear is so easily fooled by analysis, and once you get an idea of how you think the "resolution and imaging" should be, you can easily become more of less deaf to the musical parameters.
Trying only to get the music right will result in the sound becoming right too, even if you never focused on it (like when for example listening from another room).
Trying to get the sound right usually results in confusion, as so many sound parameters contradict one another. And when you make one incorrect adjustment, you need to compensate for it somewhere else. And that compensation will not sound entirely convincing in another area, so you need to compensate that too etc.
As someone wrote on the Swedish Linn forum 'selleri.de', it is striking that Linn enthusiasts usually upgrade because they love their systems and want to hear what happens to their records if they improve it a bit further. In most of the HiFi world, however, people change equipment because they don't think their system is quite "balanced" and don't sound exactly like the owner wants it to. There is not even consensus of what an upgrade is - it is merely a search for the subjectively perfect sound.
EDIT: Didn't express myself very well, had to add some further thoughts.
Thanks lejonklou
I would not disagree, and in fact thank you for your interest in improving home music reproduction. It has occurred to me before, that many lose the forest for the trees. For me, it has to boogie, which the LP12 can still do. Alas, it does not seem to boogie quite as well with an AT 440MLa as it did with a K9, but that can likely be remedied with an Adikt at some point. I was trying to give the AT more time.
Unfortunately, I am practically music-less at the moment due to the amplifier quiting on me. I did try to listen to CDs with a Marantz 7200 HT receiver, but it is not very clear or engaging. And I do not have single-ended ICs long enough to reach the receiver from the phono amp either. At any rate, records would likely sound flat and dull too.
Unfortunately, I am practically music-less at the moment due to the amplifier quiting on me. I did try to listen to CDs with a Marantz 7200 HT receiver, but it is not very clear or engaging. And I do not have single-ended ICs long enough to reach the receiver from the phono amp either. At any rate, records would likely sound flat and dull too.
May all who seek find emotional comfort and spiritual peace