[GoRedwings19]

Can anyone please recommend a very good isolation platform. I have heard about them and am a bit sceptical to say the least. Is there any which really stand out than the rest?

 

[Hajime]

Yes! It's very heavy, easy to find and it only costs $14 at the most. It's called a concrete slab. If you go to Home Depot you can find a wide variety of them in all sorts of colours, shapes, sizes and styles. If you're worried about the way they look in your room, cover it with a piece of cloth.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hajime Yes! It's very heavy, easy to find and it only costs $14 at the most. It's called a concrete slab. If you go to Home Depot you can find a wide variety of them in all sorts of colours, shapes, sizes and styles. If you're worried about the way they look in your room, cover it with a piece of cloth.

Whoa, didn't see that one coming.

 

[Captain]

If you look at my set up I use 4 concrete blocks, seems to do the trick. Also gives my county cottage that urban feel, £4.50 the lot. Money saved helps my Valhalla payments

.

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hajime Yes! It's very heavy, easy to find and it only costs $14 at the most. It's called a concrete slab. If you go to Home Depot you can find a wide variety of them in all sorts of colours, shapes, sizes and styles. If you're worried about the way they look in your room, cover it with a piece of cloth.

Agreed! Another good material is slate.
Actually having something like that under a cdp looks pretty esoteric

 

[nanahachi]

I use:
Black granite - pretty, and extremely dense (ie good isolation)
Granite - not as pretty
Marble - pretty, not quite as dense (?) but still very dense and good with isolation.

IMO, purchasing one of those slabs sold commercially is just not the route to go unless you have funds to blow. if you have a bit of time and patience you can shop around your local marble/stone/flooring shops and see what scraps they have. Most will be able to cut slabs down to size for you (often for a fee).

I'll be curious to know what you end up with.

 

[Mr.Radar]

Can someone explain to me why concrete, granite, etc. makes an excellent isolation platform?

 

[nanahachi]

As far as I understand it, granite is a very dense substance, thus vibrations do not pass through it, and thus do not pass through to the CD player/component, thereby reducing jitter/microphonics.

of course, it does not reduce 100% of all vibrations, but it helps provide as stable (i.e. less vibration) a surface as possible.

 

[HiWire]

Wouldn't it make sense to have the granite/etc. as base and have a softer substance e.g. foam/vibrapods on top to soak up remaining vibrations?

 

[nanahachi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiWire Wouldn't it make sense to have the granite/etc. as base and have a softer substance e.g. foam/vibrapods on top to soak up remaining vibrations?

That's exactly what I do. Granite or marble slab --> Audioprism Isobearings --> component

 

[GoRedwings19]

Do they really make a difference??? I have never tried it myself and din't think about it until somebody mentioned it to me. But I'll give it a go.

 

[daycart1]

I use a combination sandbox/ air suspension for my turntable. It seems possible that isolation could help for CD players (?). I've very skeptical that they make an audible difference for amplifiers.

 

[NKT]

I have heard very good things about Neuance audio shelves from all who have tried it. I'm tempted to eventually get a few myself...here's the link:

http://www.neuanceaudio.com/

(btw i'm in no way affiliated with neuance, just passing along what I've heard)

 

[Gopher]

I think isolation makes a huge difference for CDPs. I've used devices such as Aurios and Mapleshad points and they difference they make is very real on digital components.

I used a Neuance shelf under a turntable for a while and though I had mixed feelings about it and eventually ended up selling to pursue other upgrade, there was an immediately noticable sonic difference (better? thats subjective).

Bottom line: I personally would not be buying gear of the caliber you are unless I had some serious isloation solutions.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gopher I think isolation makes a huge difference for CDPs. I've used devices such as Aurios and Mapleshad points and they difference they make is very real on digital components. I used a Neuance shelf under a turntable for a while and though I had mixed feelings about it and eventually ended up selling to pursue other upgrade, there was an immediately noticable sonic difference (better? thats subjective). Bottom line: I personally would not be buying gear of the caliber you are unless I had some serious isloation solutions.

Well I never believed in isolation platforms before. I always thought of it as a placebo effect. But I'll try the concrete slab approach first because it is cheap and easy to get hold of. Then if it does make a difference then I will look into it more.