Wall shelf unit for Linn LP12

[donuk]

Hi Guys
I have looked through "Search" and have so far been unable to find a clear answer to my question.
I have a mainly Linn system - Majik Kontrol, 2100, Ninkas, Lingo1 &c.
I have the equipment on an Isoblue stack.
I have an LP12/Cirkus/Tramp2/Ittok/Dynavector20XL on the top.
I suffer from footfall problems which can result in track jumping with my wooden floor.
What is the best wall mounted turntable support for my LP12 (affordable)? I understand the Trampolin2 does not work well on them all. Or would I be better just making a heavy wooden shelf myself?
An advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Don

[lejonklou]

Hi Don!

I have a footfall problem as well and use the Quadraspire wallshelf, the original version. It's quite good, but there might very well be better options. I believe QS has released a new wallshelf rather recently, with a different metal frame and their latest shelf. Only seen pictures of it so far and read a couple of positive reports.

My guess is that you can find the original one used at a good price. The new one is probably better and more expensive. Then there's the old Audiotech's, they seem good but I haven't made any direct comparisons.

Maybe someone else here has compared wallshelfs, using an LP12?

[David Neel]

When we moved house fifteen years ago, I bought an Audiotech wall shelf because of the springy wooden floor. At the time it was reported to be the best by my Linn dealer. I have had a Trampolin 2 for three years, and I'm very happy. It's difficult to say for sure that it's an improvement because it was fitted as part of a multiple upgrade, but the dealer sold me the Trampolin 2 knowing that my LP12 was placed on the Audiotech, saying that it was an upgrade regardless. I also have Isoblue, but I've never tried the LP12 on it.

A different dealer has recently further upgraded the LP12, onsite, and also checked my whole system. Whilst other improvement were suggested and tried, the Audiotech got nods of approval.

So I don't think you need worry about Tramp2 on a wall shelf, just which wall shelf - the Audiotech is no longer available. Sorry I can't tell you any more.

[Azazello]

Moved to "HiFi"

Welcome Don :)

[Tony Tune-age]

Although my turntable sits on a floor stand, many people I know are using a variety of wall mounted turntable stands from companies like Appollo, Mana, Rega, Sanus and Target. However, I'm not sure how they compare with each other in terms of sonic perfomance and isolation ability. Each of these wall mounted stands do perform better than a bookshelf - etc.

But the main challenge for wall mounted turntable stands are the type of building walls (at least in our experiences). Apartments or condominiums that share wall studs are more difficult to deal with than wall studs that aren't shared.

[Tony Tune-age]

I suffer from footfall problems which can result in track jumping with my wooden floor. What is the best wall mounted turntable support for my LP12 (affordable)? I understand the Trampolin2 does not work well on them all. Or would I be better just making a heavy wooden shelf myself? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Donuk, have you been able to resolve the "foot-fall" problem with your Sondek :?:

[donuk]

Hi Tony, thank you very much for asking how I am getting along. Well, I am almost there, but you may ask.

I looked around the net, and found quite a bit of conflicting advice, and at least one good product is no longer made. I then contacted a well known Linn/Naim dealer in Leicester. He was clear about what would suit my system and invited me down to see one in use in a demonstration room. He also had some in stock. So a day out with my wife round the shops of Leicester produced a Decent Audio, “Half Decent Wallshelf”. This is the model with the clear acrylic shelf. You can get similar versions with thicker or double shelves. But mine, the cheapest I think (£150) was felt to be the best for my needs. Certainly a nice hammer black paint finish. Strongly made of quite like square sectional metal tubing.

The following day I dismantled some of my hifi, covered it with sheets and set about drilling the solid wall to my cottage to mount the stand. Went up easily. Put the turntable on – lots of detail but a bit too bright for my ears. And of course no footfall problems. Then I started thinking about how heavy the LP12 is and wondered if my 2” screws into the wall were strong enough. Only the three along to top of the frame do any real work. So I dismantled everything and put 4” screws in. It’s still holding there!

I don’t know about you, but I am terrible about wanting to try out new ideas – and set about trying different shelves in the stand. All seem to make a sonic difference. The one I preferred was to have a thin sheet of plywood beneath the LP12, with a sheet of fine bubblewrap underneath forming a cushion between the acrylic shelf and the plywood. A good solid slightly warm sound, which I prefer.

Then I read the instructions for mounting the shelves. The manufacturer suggests filling the tubing of the stand with spray foam before mounting it. For days I thought “No, I am sure it won’t make much difference, and I can’t be bothered to take the frame off the wall again.”

You’ve guessed. Yesterday, my wife being away for the weekend, I bought a can of spray foam and took the shelf down and into the garden. Now, I have never used this foam before, and had no idea about what sort of product it was. The instructions that came with the shelf said something like turn it upside down and gently spray the foam in the slots provided. Put masking tape over the slots to keep it in and leave to set.

In retrospect perhaps I was overenthusiastic with my spraying. I quickly put the nozzle in all four struts of the frame. Great roars – like a sports car – came from the can of foam. Foam ripped down the tubing and started to come out of the slots at the other ends. I placed bits of masking tape over the slots. The foam took on a life of its own and continued to boil away from within the frame. Then it blew off the strips of making tape. Then it started to multiply like an alien fungus forming plumes of foam coming out all of the slots simultaneously. The black frame was quickly disappearing from sight being engulfed by the ever increasing foam.

At this point I seem to have lost my presence of mind. I started to scrape the foam way with both my hands in an attempt to save the frame, with limited success. As I toiled I became aware that things were sticking the my fingers, and that my fingers were sticking together. I rushed indoors. Soap and water did not help, neither did petrol. I then read the foam spray tin: I needed acetone. Had none; my wife does not use nail varnish. I then put my hand inside a plastic bag and was thereby able to lift the telephone and dial my chum who has daughters. Within five minutes, bless him, he was round pouring nail varnish remover over my hands. Unfortunately some of the foam had cured on the back of my hands – this morning it looks simply like I have some sort of skin complaint.

Anyway last evening I returned the frame to the wall, miraculously cleaned up. I have put the LP12 in just the acrylic shelf as supplied, and the results are the best yet. I am tempted to leave it alone. I am sure people who care for me will advise that.

The other very interesting other effect of putting my LP12 on its own shelf is the effect this has had on my other boxes remaining on the Isoblue shelving. As if taking the heavy weight from the top allows the remaining shelves to breathe a bit more. Certainly everything sound tighter and more musical.

So there we are Tony. Everything sounds better. The things we do for love..........

Don

System - Majik Kontrol, 2100 Dynamik, Ninkas, Lingo1, LP12/Cirkus/Tramp2/Ittok/Dynavector20XL, Pekin tuner, Naim CD5/Flatcap2. Naim powerline on the Lingo1, Isoblue stands.

[SaltyDog]

Love the story :lol:

If you can't brag about it, call it experience. You are now in the experienced group in regards to spray foam. I have a friend that a little rattle in his motorhome wall. He decided to fill the wall with spray foam. Just be glad you were working with a small job.

Hope you've kept it away from the ears :lol:

I guess this answers my original question of why the manufacturer would recommend the foam, but not produce the shelf frame with the foam already in it.

[Tony Tune-age]

So there we are Tony. Everything sounds better. The things we do for love..........

Sounds like you've learned many things from your experience 8) . I have seen some individuals use sand in their "hollow steel framed" audio stands, which improved performance. But not all hollow stands benefit from using sand as a filler.

I agree with you, the Sondek performs much better on it's own stand :!:

[lejonklou]

I agree with you, the Sondek performs much better on it's own stand :!:

I have to disagree with this.

The performance of an LP12 is very clearly affected by its support. But whether I place other units or not on the Harmonihyllan shelves below the LP12, matters very little.

[Tony Tune-age]

I agree with you, the Sondek performs much better on it's own stand :!:

I have to disagree with this.

The performance of an LP12 is very clearly affected by its support. But whether I place other units or not on the Harmonihyllan shelves below the LP12, matters very little.

I haven't tried using every type of audio rack for the Sondek. But after placing the turntable on a Quadraspire and then back on an independent turntable stand, the individual stand was better sounding.

Of course the turntable stand may have provided better support than the entire Quadraspire stand, but it was an interesting learning experience :!:

[donuk]

Perhaps there is some confusion because I was not very clear.
What at least I meant to say is:
1) The LP12 sounds much better on the shelf than it did on the Isoblue. (Although when I first bought the Isoblue, it was a big step up from the steel and glass "hifi" stand I had previously.)
2) The equipment which of course remains on the Isoblue (amplifers, tuner, Cd, Lingo) also seem to sound a lot better. Which item benefits most from this I do not know.

Don
PS I have now managed to just about peel the pieces of foam from my hands. When my wife returned, I chickened out of telling her the silly story, and simply sent her the link to your site!!

[Charlie1]

Love the story :lol:

Yes, great story!

Perhaps there is some confusion because I was not very clear.
What at least I meant to say is:
1) The LP12 sounds much better on the shelf than it did on the Isoblue. (Although when I first bought the Isoblue, it was a big step up from the steel and glass "hifi" stand I had previously.)
2) The equipment which of course remains on the Isoblue (amplifers, tuner, Cd, Lingo) also seem to sound a lot better. Which item benefits most from this I do not know.

I also have an Isoblue so interesting to hear your experiences. I know some people use the LP12 on an Isoblue with only Lingo/Radikal and that's more musical. Also read of someone keeping an empty shelf between each component and reporting that better too, but don't know if what respects it was better. Ever tried Skeets under the Isoblue? I found they improved tunefulness the only time I tested it, but interested to what other folks experience - that was on carpetted suspended timber floor.

[Tony Tune-age]

For me, there has been much to learn with turntable stands and audio racks. During high school and college, we used bookshelves for our audio components and our turntables. Then we built our own audio stands, which did sound better than bookshelves 8) But we thought as long as the racks or stands were level and sturdy, they wouldn't differ much in terms of perfomance. And we didn't really pay much attention to the type of materials used either (again as long as they were level and sturdy).

Well, needless to say - much has been learned since those days, and I'm certainly glad because all of this learning has really paid off :!: I now realize how important both the design and materials are to providing good performance :!:

[Efraim roots]

I have some set-up issues with my new wall and wall shelf, so I googled it and found this old thread (again). I'm sorry but I just have to give it a bump since I think this story is so bloody fantastic, I have never laughed so much in front of this forum (or any other I can think of) as when I read this post. Don, you're the Don, bless you! :-)

Then I read the instructions for mounting the shelves. The manufacturer suggests filling the tubing of the stand with spray foam before mounting it. For days I thought “No, I am sure it won’t make much difference, and I can’t be bothered to take the frame off the wall again.”

You’ve guessed. Yesterday, my wife being away for the weekend, I bought a can of spray foam and took the shelf down and into the garden. Now, I have never used this foam before, and had no idea about what sort of product it was. The instructions that came with the shelf said something like turn it upside down and gently spray the foam in the slots provided. Put masking tape over the slots to keep it in and leave to set.

In retrospect perhaps I was overenthusiastic with my spraying. I quickly put the nozzle in all four struts of the frame. Great roars – like a sports car – came from the can of foam. Foam ripped down the tubing and started to come out of the slots at the other ends. I placed bits of masking tape over the slots. The foam took on a life of its own and continued to boil away from within the frame. Then it blew off the strips of making tape. Then it started to multiply like an alien fungus forming plumes of foam coming out all of the slots simultaneously. The black frame was quickly disappearing from sight being engulfed by the ever increasing foam.

At this point I seem to have lost my presence of mind. I started to scrape the foam way with both my hands in an attempt to save the frame, with limited success. As I toiled I became aware that things were sticking the my fingers, and that my fingers were sticking together. I rushed indoors. Soap and water did not help, neither did petrol. I then read the foam spray tin: I needed acetone. Had none; my wife does not use nail varnish. I then put my hand inside a plastic bag and was thereby able to lift the telephone and dial my chum who has daughters. Within five minutes, bless him, he was round pouring nail varnish remover over my hands. Unfortunately some of the foam had cured on the back of my hands – this morning it looks simply like I have some sort of skin complaint.

[Lego]

Great story..lol ..did you not see the plastic gloves under the can lid Don!!??
When first introduced to the trampolinn I was informed it needed a solid heavy surface like a wall shelf.