REVIEW: Vibrapod Isolators and Cones

[Welly Wu]

REVIEWER EQUIPMENT EXPERIENCE:
I owned both the Grado RS-1 and Sennheiser HD600 flagship headphones; I also owned the Etymotic Research ER-4P/S and I use the Ultimate Ears UE-10 PRO earphones. For headphone amplifiers, I owned the HeadRoom Cosmic (with Reference Module), but I use a Ray Samuels Emmeline HR-2. I owned both the DiMarzio High Resolution and M-PATH, but I use the Cardas Neutral Reference interconnecting cables. My power conditioner is a Balanced Power Technologies BP.Jr. II Ultra and I use the Cardas Golden Reference and PS Audio xStream Plus power cords. For sources, I owned a Panasonic SL-CT570, Apple iPod, NAD C541i and Denon DVD 2900. My current source is a Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi.

REVIEWER BIASES:
I prefer my sound akin to a mug of Starbucks Italian Roast coffee: warm, full-bodied, dark, and boldly rich with hints of sweetness.

MUSIC SELECTIONS:
Eagles Hotel California (HDCD)
Sade Lover’s Rock (HDCD)
The White Stripes Elephant
Linkin Park Meteora
Renee Fleming Bel Canto, By Request, Under the Stars
Andrea Bocelli Sogno, Sentimento, Cieli Di Toscana
Hans Zimmer Gladiator
Rachel Podger Antonio Vivaldi: La Stravaganza: 12 Violin Concertos
Anne-Sophie Mutter Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (DVD-Audio)
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (DVD-Audio)
Fleetwood Mac Say You Will (DVD-Audio)
Sting Sacred Love (DVD-Audio)
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (DVD-Audio)
Roxy Music Avalon (Hybrid SACD)
Diana Krall The Girl in the Other Room (Hybrid SACD)
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Top Gun (Single Layer SACD)
Anne-Sophie Mutter Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Romances (Single Layer SACD)
Midori Debussy, Poulene, Saint-Saens (Single Layer SACD)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.9 (Hybrid SACD)
Hilary Hahn Bach Concertos (Hybrid SACD)
Helene Grimaud Credo (Hybrid SACD)

VIBRAPOD ISOLATORS AND CONES: http://www.vibrapod.com

Product Description:
According to company's FAQ, Vibrapod Isolators and Cones reduce minuscule vibrations that degrade the performance of audio / video systems including compact disc / DVD players, amplifiers, and power conditioners, etc. The Isolators reduce such vibrations on both horizontal and vertical planes while the Cones work on a vertical plane exclusively.
Vibrapod Isolators come in five different models that can accommodate a specific range of weights. One should weigh their component and consult the FAQ to help select the appropriate Isolator. Each Isolator is made of vinyl and measures 9/16” tall and 2 7/16” in diameter. Isolators are not designed to work on carpets or rugs.
Vibrapod Cones are double truncated vinyl cones. Each cone measures one inch tall and 1 5/8” in diameter and comes with a 3/8” non-slip chrome stationary ball. Furthermore, each cone can support a maximum weight of ten pounds. Cones can be stacked atop Isolators or used by themselves.

Instructions:
First, owners should read the FAQ prior to usage. Next, place each Cone atop the protruding “lip” of each Isolator. Then, put the cones / isolators underneath each corner of the component until it is stabilized.

SO, DO THEY WORK?
Yes. I can hear subtle improvements in several key areas: a deeper black background, an airier sound stage, precise imaging, finer detail extraction, greater dynamics, and a tighter bottom end. For example, vocalists such as Renee Fleming and Andrea Bocelli take the stage with greater prominence. Bocelli's gentle yet powerful voice sounds purer and more emotionally engaging while Fleming's divine voice exhibits more tenderness and delectable sweetness. As another example, violin virtuosos Hilary Hahn and Rachel Podger play with greater detail and dynamic swing. Furthermore, I can tell that Podger uses her bow to dance upon the strings of her violin like a child playing double-dutch jump rope while Hahn invites her audience to savor the slow strokes of each up- or down-bow movement. On the White Stripes' Elephant, the deeper black background adds air and punch to kick drums while Jack White sounds more electrified as jams on his electric guitar. On Linkin Park's Meteora, individual band members shine more clearly yet the whole band still sounds like an angry mob of young men scarred by bad relationships. The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album sounds more three dimensional and holographic due to the deep black sound stage and precise imaging. All of the listed albums showed subtle sonic improvements.

CONCLUSIONS:
I was skeptical, but the Vibrapod Isolators and Cones do work as advertised. I heard subtle sonic improvements to my reference system.

STRENGTHS:
Subtle sonic improvements
Usable for different components
Inexpensive

WEAKNESSES:
May stain certain surfaces such as wooden flooring

 

[Tuberoller]

Hey there,

nice work. If you wish to edit this in any way please do so in the next 48 hours and I will post it to the the featured reviews section.

 

[Welly Wu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberoller Hey there, nice work. If you wish to edit this in any way please do so in the next 48 hours and I will post it to the the featured reviews section.

Tuberoller:

Thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate it very much. It is in its final revised form. I don't anticipate changing anything but I may add more replies if other members have questions that I might not have thought about. However, those replies will be not be added into the original review.

 

[Calanctus]

Welly Wu, thank you for posting your well-written and interesting review. There was a thread here awhile back about using Vibrapods and other vibration control devices under speakers (!); I'm thinking about trying this.

 

[Mr.PD]

Good review Welly Wu.
I have Vibrapods but I don't have their cones, ..... yet.

 

[ooheadsoo]

I may try some of these yet if I ever find any on the used market! Thanks for the review, Welly Wu.

 

[Welly Wu]

Okay guys, here's the deal with Vibrapods. You can easily find the Vibrapod Isolators (Models 1 - 5) on Audiogon for about $2 or $3 bucks each which is more than a 50% savings. The Vibrapod Cones are relatively new. I did a search for them on Audiogon but I couldn't find anyone who wanted to sell me some used ones. They have an introductory price of $8 each. I don't know how much the price will go up after the introductory period and I don't know how long it will take before the period expires.

Vibrapod Isolators and Cones together add more focus to the sound: more focused blackness between notes, more focused bass, more focused imaging, more focused details, more focused dynamics, and more focused sound stage. As I stated in my review, I was a skeptic about these especially the Cones but now I am a true believer. They work right away if you follow the Vibrapod FAQ and there is no break-in except for psychological adaptation. It's all about FOCUS with these Vibrapod Isolators and Cones. It cost me $62 USD including USPS Priority Mail shipping from Elusive Disc: http://www.elusivedisc.com . They are a great company to do business with and I buy all of my tweaks from them for some reason. Anyway, Vibrapods WORK by FOCUSING your system!

Now, I might wind up building a nice small DIY audio equipment rack down the road. Who knows?

 

[Wmcmanus]

Nice review, Welly. I've been using Vibrapod isolators (size 1-4) for some time and agree that they make a subtle, yet audible difference in a positive way. I've found that they have the greatest impact on sources, but can also help amps, preamps, etc., and don't seem to hurt the sonics of any component. After some experimentation, I decided that: 1) they really do work, and 2) my brain couldn't take any more experiments, so 3) I put them under everything (over 40 in total in various systems). BTW, I can confirm that you can get them at good prices in the used market at Audiogon (and even head-fi at times). Mine cost, on average, $3 each.

 

[tomek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus After some experimentation, I decided that: 1) they really do work, and 2) my brain couldn't take any more experiments, so 3) I put them under everything (over 40 in total in various systems). BTW, I can confirm that you can get them at good prices in the used market at Audiogon (and even head-fi at times). Mine cost, on average, $3 each.

Forgive me for being skeptical about these things, but how did you conduct your experiments?

The only place I could imagine putting them is under my tube amp...hmm..

 

[eyeteeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomek Forgive me for being skeptical about these things, but how did you conduct your experiments?

It seems Welly used his finely tuned ears.

 

[Welly Wu]

I listened to my albums without using the Vibrapods under my source component and I took some notes one day. Then, I put them under my source and listened and took notes the next day. Lastly, I re-verified my notes by repeating the process on a third day by switching them in and out of my source and I wrote / revised my review.

 

[Wmcmanus]

When I say 'experiments' I'm not talking about anything scientific. It's just whether it seems to sound better with them or without them. I tried them under a couple of CD players, then amps, then a preamp, in my 2 channel and HT systems. It's a real pain to do A/B testing other than for one CD player which is on the top shelf of a rack. This is where I started and did notice some subtle improvements, mostly related to tightening of the bass and a more realistic soundstage, but the improvements were indeed subtle. For the amps, I listened to the same track a couple of times without them, then put them in and tried again. It seemed to help so I've left them there ever since. No sense in moving heavy equipment around repeatedly. They seem to help.

Part of the fun in the audio hobby for me is to try different things, so I just bought one batch of them on Audiogon for $30 or $40 and figured I couldn't lose because if I didn't like them. I could sell them for the same $3 on average that I bought them for. Later on I bought another batch or two from people who tried them and didn't notice anything. I've also lent out a bunch of them to a friend who tried them and was not convinced either, so there are indeed a lot of skeptics. Of all of the tweeks I've had success with, I'd rate these a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Walkers Audio Vivid would be an 8. Dedicated lines would be a 10, just to give some perspective.

 

[markl]

I use the vibrapods under my CDP, basically because they are so cheap, and because they are so cheap, what the hell? Surely they can do no harm?

Problem with these is that it's literally impossible to A/B, as you have to carefully remove them from under your source (and they stick to the shelf surface and the CDP, and getting them positioned properly underneath your CDP can take you a good half hour of total frustration. Just as you get one in the right spot, you've moved the player a little and one of the other pods has moved.)

I can't verify if there is any difference, for me, if they are there, it's not a "night and day" thing that I can easily spot in my rig.

But hell at the price, why not?

 

[tortie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl I use the vibrapods under my CDP, basically because they are so cheap, and because they are so cheap, what the hell? Surely they can do no harm? Problem with these is that it's literally impossible to A/B, as you have to carefully remove them from under your source (and they stick to the shelf surface and the CDP, and getting them positioned properly underneath your CDP can take you a good half hour of total frustration. Just as you get one in the right spot, you've moved the player a little and one of the other pods has moved.) I can't verify if there is any difference, for me, if they are there, it's not a "night and day" thing that I can easily spot in my rig. But hell at the price, why not?

Exactly!

 

[Zanth]

I agree with markl. The low cost and the fact that if one has cones falling into a vibrapod, then it is nice and secure on a platform, or in my case my massive workstation desk.

$20 bucks for what I have and I'm more than pleased. I never did a solid A/B but heh, I don't care, makes the player not jerk if I accidently hit the desk.