[immtbiker]

I would like to get some anti-vibration devices for my entire system. There are so many kinds. Does anyone have any recommendations for 5 or 6 pieces of equipment that won't cost an arm and a leg and an ear. Also, do they replace the existing feet on each component, or are they an add-on?

 

[yidimsum]

Vibrapods are one of the best tweaks at a cheap price. You can sometimes find them on Audiogon for $2.50-3 a piece used.

 

[tom hankins]

I 2cnd vibrapods. For doing as many pieces of equipment as your talking they are very affordable. If you buy them used make sure you get the right size they are numbered for different wieghts they can handle and work right with. You can get them at www.amusicdirect.com and also at www.audioadvisor.com I think. Even new they are only 24.00 a set of four. Used is the cheapest way for sure though.

 

[immtbiker]

I saw vibrapods at amusic direct for $6 apiece plus I get 10% off.
Do they replace the existing feet or attach under them (shelf height considerations).

Also, I've read threads that head-fiers put them under headphone amps and the CDP's that go along with them. If you are listening to headphones, why would you need vibration control (no speakers or bass involved)?

 

[davidmiya]

Quote:

Originally posted by immtbiker I saw vibrapods at amusic direct for $5 apiece plus I get 10% off. Do they replace the existing feet or attach under them (shelf height considerations). Also, I've read threads that head-fiers put them under headphone amps and the CDP's that go along with them. If you are listening to headphones, why would you need vibration control (no speakers or bass involved)?

Perhaps he jumps up and down and dances to the tune of the music. In which case, vibration control would be a must

 

[Anders]

Isolation feet are usually placed under the plate of the component. Three feet are better than four because you get better stability (think of unstable tables with four feet, with three feet it will always be stable even if not absolutely level).
You can also test with four feet under the component feet, there can be exceptions. The audible result is hard to predict, often somewhat better but it is system dependant hand you have to try.
Isolation is usually used to dampen air coupled vibrations from speakers but also works for floor movements. CDPs etc have motors and internal vibrations and it is possible that these also can be dampended by isolation feet.
Good luck!

 

[immtbiker]

Anders...

Are you saying that they replace the existing feet (3 instead of 4),
or do you leave the OEM's on. Also, have you experimented with, and have any suggestions, for which ones work well?

 

[Anders]

Feets like Vibrapods are not intended to be mounted on the component instead of existing feet but one can try to place them under. But it is usually better to set three feet under the components bottom plate. A condition is of course that the replacement feet are higher than the component feet. Unless you don't unscrew the original feet, I have so far left the original feet on.
If you use three feet, place them a little bit inside and back of the original feet. I have two feet towards the front side and one between them and behind. This way, it becomes more stable when you press buttons etc.

 

[immtbiker]

That makes good sense, except the feet on my Cary CDP are over 2 inches tall and the unit weighs 36 pounds, so I would have to get the heavy ones and remove the feet. The Cary feet are weird. They are some kind of wood or plastic, with a half inch wide rubber core running vertically down the center, of the foot over extending it so the CDP actually sits on the rubber centers. But... I have amps, and a SACD/DVD-A player and a multichannel receiver that I want to isolate. The Cary is strictly for a headphone set-up, so it is probably not necessary. Anders, have you experimented with any other isolation/vibration products to compare to?

The other question that I pose to the group is...has anyone had any sonic improvement, that you can hear, not what the advertisers say, in these devices or shelving stands that have vibration protection?!

 

[Anders]

I have experimented with two types of cheap soft feet that didn't much good but not wrong either. The weired thing with feet is that it can also become worse! Viprapods are probably better than the feet i tried.
The effective ones I have tried are Darumas and Aurois 1.2. These kind of floats the player in air, too long to explain here but you could look at www.gcaudio.com that has good descriptions. The Darumas are less practical, harder to set up and more instable. The Aurios also sound better.
I have had very positive results on two CDPs and beleive that these feet are rather insensitive to the system (CDP model, bench etc). They are sensitive in the sense that you must have a bench or other surface that is rather close to absolutely horisontal. But this is always good for a CDP or turntable!
The effect is said to be greatest on components with moving parts and I have not tested on amps etc.

 

[Andrew Pielet]

Vibrapods are great but there are a few things that made me change.
1. They leave a residue on furniture/equipment.
2. They come in different weights, so you can't just switch them.

I changed to Herbies tenderfoot isolation. They do not color the sound at all, yet bring a noticable change in resolution/ blackness. One size fits all equipment (up to 50lbs or something).

http://www.asi-audio.com/HALO.html

 

[AC1]

Isolation devices are important aspects to get the most out of your gear... I would say it is at least as important as power conditioning, but is taken much less serioulsy, and in this thread you can still see the ridicule it takes.
Even in a headphone system the gains can be clearly heard with proper isolation. Of course external variables come into play depending what kind of floor, foundation, etc to overall sound.
Not all the vibration control devices have all positive effects on the sound as some of you have discovered with the vibrapods, which can also be true for cones as well.
Isolation devices for me have worked the best, and even then, as far as bearing isolation devices, they do impart a certain sonic signature to tonality depending the brand used.
The best I have used so far is a isolation platform made by K Works (of the Empowered power cord). This is really his main specialty is dealing with parasitic vibration.
Here is a custom made isolation base made for my DI/O based on his regular isoaltion platform. The effects of the isolation is quite substantial, where without it, the presentation is that as if it were in a box, with the isolation device the headstage is quite a bit more expanded where you get a real sense of space of the recording, along with other benefits.

 

[tommyatkins]

OT, but no concern of a heat problem, AC1?

TA

 

[immtbiker]

Those pictures are quite unique...I have a hard enough time explaining to my friends, what a headphone amp does for a living.

Is that a bicycle tube on the bottom, and a pound of Panama Red on top?

Now that I ordered a bunch of Vibrapods, I am seeing feedback of negative results. How can they cause negative results, especially when not used in conjunction with speakers or subs?

AC1 - Is that a Salamander Archetype stand that your DI/O is resting on?

 

[AC1]

Yes heating can be a concern. The DI/O I have not had a problem with it getting hot. It does get warm, but not really that much more so than it normally does. The bag also does not cover the entire surface it is placed more forward than what the pics really show.

The tube is an inner tube but not a bicycle one, it is specially made for this purpose. Though simple, the bladders are not just filled with air but also an oil. The sand on top is used to add mass along with balancing the unit due to the cables weight in the back.

Vibrapods can cause negative results since there is always vibration going on from the outside and from the unit itself.
Negative results come from the fact that many devices do not do much more than change the frequency of the vibrations. And depending on the device can even accentuate or focus a certain spectrum of the vibration.

It is an Salamander Archetype rack.