Since this is now a tweaking and modding thread, my favorite sandbox, I want to make some comments on Rod's (
@rodthebod ) carbon/brass isolation footers he spoke about several weeks ago. I ordered several sets and Rod kindly sent them right out, and one night earlier this week I put a set of three beneath my 45 SET amp, turned it on, and walked away to tend to some other things. This is an amp I've recently installed, along with a temporary set of little Klipsch RP600m speakers to get me by until I build a proper pair. I'd been enjoying the new amp but not so crazy about the limitations of the speakers.
Two hours later I sat down, having completely forgotten I'd installed the isolaters, put in Leonard Cohen's
You Want It Darker, and did one of those pull your head back in surprise moves because I couldn't believe how transparent, present, and dimensional the music sounded. It's a great recording but still, I didn't expect such a rapid burn in of new tubes and caps I'd installed! I played through some Martin Wasilewski, Manu Katche, Melanie Gardot, Kit Downes, Julian Lage.....just kept listening because it was sounding so good! To my surprise and bedazzlement, my sweet little amp and these mediocre speakers had somehow woken up in 24 hours, wow! Imaging was fantastic, soundstage wide and deep, the music was crisp and clean.
I got up off the couch and went over to turn the amp off which requires a crouch and a reach to the back of the amp (until I mod this too), and it was then that I remembered I'd installed the isolators. Holy crap. Most honest kind of testing in my book, when you're sitting there for two hours asking yourself what the hell happened to your system.
I'm sending on a couple sets to Camrector today, and I understand Jake also has some heading his way. I don't know what those guys will think, but I'm honestly still pretty shocked that thes unassuming little feet are having such a remarkable impact on my system.
Rod isn't paying me any royalties, and I hope I'm not overwhelming him by posting this if he gets a bunch of PMs, but I just have to say this is a no brainer in our world of BS overhyped tweaks. This had an effect on par with the FMC mod, probably greater. Thanks Rod!