Tweekery #5 - Can you improve your Hifi by using Isolation devices?

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

Before all this became popular in the 1970’s I made my own isolation platform using cut in half power balls which were bright pink, the same colour as the Pink Triangle emblem on my turntable and it did work. As money is now tight I use washing machine isolation pads and rubber anti vibration pads bought from eBay under everything.

[@robmills537]

Hi Tony I've also put washing machine isolation pads under all my Hifi and yes it certainly did improve things.

[@2ridiculous41]

I've done that too, but check my above post.

[@KevinBower-gy5be]

I had a Pink Triangle too, sat on top of the ubiquitous Sound Organisation table. Pink Triangle produced a replacement platform for it consisting of a slab of aerolam sprayed black. It made a remarkable difference.

[@1x3dil]

The tweakier man channel has some interesting things he has made himself , which are very clever . I have always said I don’t think my hearing is good enough to tell the difference , but I fully understand those that can investing in these devices . Kind regards to all 😀👍👍👍

[@aa5az423]

I took two Ikea APTITLIG (yes, that's the model name) butcher blocks and put 4-1/4" ball bearings in the groove of the bottom butcher block and sat the top one upside down and matched the grooves with the bearings. It has worked amazingingly well and looks great too.

[@johnwalker4179]

One of the benefits of isolation is that it reduces the sound transmitted through walls, that can be great if you live in a block of flats like me. I have iso-acoustic isolation on all my devices and it works.

[@connorduke4619]

Darko recommends the Ikea Aptitlig bamboo butcher's blocks on Atacama isolation gel pads. This is a solution I placed under all of my electronic components with notable benefit.

[@beetleything1864]

blu- tak works under speakers etc.

[@jim586]

I’ve used a set of German made, alto Extremo feet under my amp for a few years now. They make an huge improvement in sound quality. So much so that I believe they should come as standard with the amp.

[@KevinBower-gy5be]

That's a fabulous-looking amplifier.

[@fradd4045]

you should put those isolators down on mirrors as it doubles their effectiveness takes all of the shadowing out of the highs and improves the depth and focus of the lows, be careful though as some of the cheaper mirrors can blur the sound significantly

[@2ridiculous41]

I've been building iso-platforms for over 20 years and recently came across a really cheap, really easy and really good version. Drummers use little sticky pads to damp drum heads. The ones I git are called MOONGELL. I paid $15Au for 6. Any drum or instrument shop should have them or they are easy to find online. Take 4 of them and but under the corners of those ubiquitous Ikea chopping blocks (or anything ese). The best effect in my system was under a valve amp.

[@DrOz-007]

I use Moongel pads to clean my stylus. Cheap and effective.

[@2ridiculous41]

@@DrOz-007 if you have some around, try making a platform.

[@RigVader]

Man that Sugden looks the part! ❤️

[@georgejohnson1498]

Going right back to the beginnings of Sonority, I was testing early prototypes under various pieces of Naim kit..[ NAC 52, CDS 2, NAP 200 and later Nait 5i, plus a very unusual application under SBL and later the same under Royd Minstrel SE speakers] Oh and I forgot - also under a Rega P3 or the era. I was amazed at what these things achieved in terms of focus, and also unveiling of instrumental timbres. Only tested on recordings of classical music from epic music such as Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, to solo violin music from JS Bach ... Nowadays I have very much less exotic replay and radio. Mac mini operating iTunes [all in AIFF files] for the CD part, a Project 3 for a couple of hundred LPs, and a 1957 Leak Trough-Line [mono very first variant VHF/FM tuner [fully serviced three years ago, so running very much as well as it would have when brand new]. All variously feeding a Quad II Forty mono amplifier driving an ESL also from 1957 but fully serviced at Huntingdon in 2016, so in good shape. You will gather than the only stereo replay I have is via some cheap and cheerful Sony headphone directly off the Mac ... I am sure that this set is very much less prone to the benefits of the Sonority platforms, but they certainly helped the Naim equipment at the time. I enjoy your videos, even if I have no enthusiasm from changing from my fairly modest replay in future. It simply plays music with focus and clarity [and exceptional timbral accuracy, where that is to be found in the original broadcast or recording], but of itself is far from the exciting presentation of the Naim kit. The ESL [as fed] has an amazing sense of scale from the intimate to the large concert venue with a large number of performers, and yet it does never want to assault the ears with artificially bright, glinting sounds. All is there in good proportion. No special pleading for the exciting aspects of recording technique. What is left is a natural and totally engrossing presentation of the actual music. Glad to see Sonority still doing well though. I have no connection at all with Sonority for the avoidance of any doubt. I was a guinea pig testing the very early designs and changes before production was ever started. Best wishes from George

[@vinylrulesok8470]

That Sonority platform reminds me of the Ginko audio cloud base, a similar idea but using squishy balls.

[@ianhaylock7409]

Tapped my laptop which connects to my DAC, no microphonic effect. Tapped my DAC which connects to my power amp, no microphonic effect. Tapped my power amp which connects to my speakers, no microphonic effect. Tapped my speakers, no microphonic effect. WOW! I have a properly designed system!

[@evertpluim]

Most probably your system does not have a great rsolution.

[@99fulham99]

I don't think this is how microphonic 's act . I think its more to do with micro earth quake bursts, that we don't perceive because they are constant and always in the back ground . There is also the earth 's Schumann resonance measured at 7.83 Hz . I may be talking crap - But there is a scientific cause and effect here. I have active Elac speakers , the amplifiers are in the speaker cabinet , which are subject to all manner of pressure change and frequencies . But they seem to perform without any issues .

[@philipdeighton47]

Hi,You don't mention Isoacoustics! I fitted Gaia's to my speakers=major improvement all across the board.Subsequently put Iso footers under C.D and Melco=more difference.Pricey,but the music matters most dunnit.

[@dirtharris]

He's not an Isoacoustics dealer, hence the not mentioning them.

[@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox]

I use the ubiquitous bamboo cutting boards with Sorbothane hemispheres and granite chopping board with spike feet. Thinking about further experiments though, for the fun of it.

[@sanjayh8645]

Darko suggested placing Atacama gel pads under granite or chopping boards to create small feet that isolated them as well

[@weetjeweetje4054]

About 12 years ago, I bought an Arcam BluRay player. Some disks were simply not playable. It seems that this may happen when the hole in the middle is not exactly in the middle, resulting in resonance effects. Putting absorbers beneath the player solved it completely

[@Coneman3]

You should think of Hifi accessories or tweaks as like the glass you drink wine out of. Nice wine from a dirty glass is compromised. Yes, you can get a better wine, but cleaning the glass as well makes total sense.

[@leehazlewoodism]

Pretty sure the Sonority Design bearings are ceramic. Stephen mostly works for Chord these days but when I spoke to him at the Bristol show in 2023 he said there was new Sonority stuff coming soon.

[@Straitjacket808]

I've had excellent results using isolation feet under my cd player. It had taken some experimenting with positioning but once you get it right you certainly know it.

[@Coneman3]

Acouplex works amazingly well.

[@uselessoldman7964]

Guitarist argue all day about wood material and density and how that effects the tone of a specific guitar I guess the same would apply to most string wooden instruments like a violin. The denser the wood the better the sustain and age makes wood harder adding warmth. I changed from the Atacama metal rack to the wooden Blok Stax its far more solid/rigid and the bass tighter with my deck sitting on a thick solid peace of royal oak with the glass screwed tight between levels and its perfect for me, others I know use a bamboo cutting board and it helps the mids/top end. I only changed cos I moved into a modern apartment block and its all wooden floors and there are occasions someone close is using a bleeding washing machine on a high spin. I have the rack stood on heavy duty rubber mats which act like a cheap form of suspension, who cares what it looks like and its not pretty but it does appears to work.

[@Totalplonker]

Isolating my couch from the back wall seems to work best. Well, to minimise room modes anyway! The stereo subs have never sounded so good (highly recommended)

[@dingskydongsky]

I've been building drones for some years. most sensors on the flight controllers suffer from vibrations which can cause all kinds of problems. so vibration isolation is a big thing. so far, the best isolators work with springs, the disadvantage is that they are quite big.

[@hoobsgroove]

try drum and cymbal gel pads like moongel very sticky you going to use springs use conical springs can be bought from the conical spring company, insert some open-cell foam in the middle tightly. could be used with the gel pads as well

[@mostirreverent]

For CD player and electronics, I use DiversiTech E.V.A. anti-vibration pads, 2” x 2” x 7/8” The pads are quit inexpensive ($3-5 ea)

[@Coneman3]

Love some tweekery 😀

[@peterb514]

I’ve just discovered HRS isolation platforms… my dealer has lent me two to try, and I must say the difference they make is quite substantial. More to come.

[@leehazlewoodism]

I got some HRS stuff (damping plates, feet, record puck) dead cheap (about 5% of RRP) at an auction out of curiosity, thinking it was woo that I could make money reselling. I've kept all of it....

[@harpalchauhan428]

I have 7. 1 set up everthing from amp to speakers is isolated and has decoupling everywhere. Even to point where each glass panels that sit on a small metal frame i have used sobthane to reduce resonance. Even putting attacm atabites in my speaker stands. Subwoofer has 8 big foot isolation feet under them made huge difference to my subwoofer

[@Totalplonker]

Rather, subwoofer shouldn't it be subwoofers 😊

[@harpalchauhan428]

@@Totalplonker I'm working on that will do before summer

[@Totalplonker]

@@harpalchauhan428 first thing I noticed when I went with a stereo pair of subs. No more having to move few inches to left or right to experience the fullest. But mind you, that's nothing in comparison as to having the couch of the back wall.

[@harpalchauhan428]

@@Totalplonker I'm not joking when watching a movie it hits over 90db nearly lost my hearing watching Pacific rim lol think another sub will kill me lol. It's true another one will balance it out but all my speaker are set to large and full range help. Bit will get round to second one but dont know how long my hearing will hold out after that 😂😂

[@Totalplonker]

@harpalchauhan428 Wow, at those volume levels, I'm not surprised your hearing won't hold out. You must have a sadistic streak about you, or perhaps maybe you're still young and full of beans lol As well as your mains, I take it your sides & surrounds are also towers too. But let's be honest, even a budget set up can sound half decent when playing at high volumes. I'm sure you will agree... a true test of equality setup is actually being able to enjoy it at low volumes, too.

[@sound-flies]

Wow love the orange sugden😊 small side question I remember in a previous video you mentioned that sugden also made an okay CD player. Which model was that?and was it just okay or actually good.

[@mostirreverent]

I tried to squash balls under my turntable. I kept them from rolling by putting them in caps. Every step made the record skip. For my other equipment I ended up using small cork and rubber pads that are made for industrial isolation, they were very cheap

[@Straitjacket808]

Do dacs benefit from isolation?

[@stuartdoig15]

Good morning, As someone new to "better" audio products I have recently bought my first separate amp, cd player, and new speakers (still waiting for my record player to arrive). I have started at the low price end of audio equipment (Marantz PM6007 & CD6007, Q-Acoustics 3030i bookshelf speakers, Clearaudio Concept MM player). Do I need to consider isolation at this price point? Many thanks.

[@jamesfarrow6752]

It can be difficult to pre judge what impact such products can have on system components. Perhaps the dealer you purchased the components from can offer advice or better still, loan you some isolation products so you can judge for yourself. People will have differing opinions but ultimately, if you think there is an improvement, that’s all that matters.

[@stuartdoig15]

@@jamesfarrow6752 Thanks James, unfortunately there are no hi-fi dealers where I live so I had to buy online. I'm sure I will be happy with the sound, and once I become a little more informed I can always do some more research and make a decision.

[@jamesfarrow6752]

@@stuartdoig15 it's a shame that the number of retailers is dwindlibg. Hifi is very subjective and not been able to audition products before buying them means relying on reviews or knowing someone who has the same components. I hope you enjoy your Hifi journey as much as I have.

[@hoobsgroove]

yes turntable especially! and the cheap and best solution is to place it on five or six inches of open-cell foam removing the feet, and sticking the foam to the bottom of the table with double-sided tape or spray adhesive. making sure you're nowhere near the tonearm cable!! and there's a gap around! put the feet on a bamboo plywood with moongel on the end of the feet. definitely use the moongel on your speakers as well when placing on the stand but not 4 but 5 on each, improve the bass

[@mikeeygauthier2959]

Check out IsoAccoustic isolation products. Amazing. I have them under all my components and speakers.

[@spvlinn9009]

That last platform shelves remind me my Naim Fraim. Sort of...

[@hoobsgroove]

yeah you want to take the noise out of the transformer a block of Oak is best. buy two isolation platforms like you've got, then drill a hole in the first one where the transformer would be and connect your block with some double-sided tape to the amplifier or source . best build a sandbox 3½ inches high just use half an inch of plywood and the top plates not touching the sides with a gap and do what I said above good for turntables as well. isolate the two platforms with drum cymbal gel pads, moongel. use blonde kill dry sand

[@DrOz-007]

I use double yellow dot matchplay squash balls cut in half, like Phil suggested. Bargain.

[@Davejkn]

if your valves are microphonic to the extent that tapping on the case is audible, then they're defective and should be replaced. Unfortunately chinese quality control isn't very good and they tend to want to ship the entire batch rather than reject any that aren't in spec, leaving it to the customer to find out what's good or not. I've never heard of a transistor being microphonic but again it'd be a faulty component if it was.

[@AnalogueInTheUK]

Yes you can.

[@peterlarkin762]

I use diy electronics and refuse to fork out for isolation feet i wont see... I use rubber caps for chair feet and walking sticks, cut them to height, drop in a bolt, and fill with polyurethane tiger seal.

[@tubefreeeasy]

I realized the last thing I need to control vibration from my desktop is my computer.

[@stephenlegg262]

Being an audiophile these days is so complicated.🙁

[@hybrid6692]

Yep but it's part of the fun ..... I think

[@johngordon1175]

One thing to say is NAIM!

[@greencraig8570]

If you have a cheap system, it doesn't matter. If you have a resolving system, of course, isolation devices can improve the sound quality. That's uncontroversial at this point.

[@amb3cog]

“You can’t take ‘em apart” Just give them to a curious lad. He’ll break up up real good for you. Or cut ‘em in half. Either way. Anything can be taken apart, if you really want to. Just sayin. ✌️

[@nenadkojic7125]

Unbelievable; squash balls are not sorbothane; this might be this but he's not sure but then again he's not quite sure about anything; he will sell you anything you fall for. Is it this,is it that, who cares as you fall for this shit. £60 fuses gimme a break(not this video). Pure quiet polite BS. I'm unsubscribing. Classic tell you anything you want to hear. Hateful in my view

[@hybrid6692]

Go away if you don't like what you see !

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

No one's forcing you to buy anything. Some things work, some don’t. Stop complaining.

[@nenadkojic7125]

@@hybrid6692 I did.

[@nenadkojic7125]

@@andrewlittleboy8532 R u sure; could be; might be; should be; as vague as everything else. HiFi fuses really?

[@ener5361]

Show some measurements please. Speakers and recordplayers ok,but electronics? Come on man, that is snakeoil.

[@martinvickers2348]

Based on this video, I have just made a "wobble board" of my own for my Rega P8 deck out of MDF and three pairs of concave glass for the bearings to sit in. In my design, I dampened the wobble by sitting the bearings in a few drops of engine oil (which works). Sadly, the real problem is that the movement also induces noise of it's own: with the stylus on a stationary record and the volume quite high, a gentle push on the board is rewarded with considerably audible "woosh" from the speakers. Coupled with difficulty in handling the now mobile player, I've removed it. Any improvement in sound is outweighed by this and having to be absolutely still while listening. It's a pity because it looks great! Unfortunately, I sized it for the deck, which is tiny, so I can't employ it elsewhere. Thanks, Phil, for an inspirational video! 👍

[@nenadkojic7125]

Not sure this; not sure that; cannot say why anything. Forget this forget that; but some things work not as well as others; cannot be specific though I can be more vague the higher the cost. Pathetic.

[@rolandwrithe3560]

Teenage troll alert. Go back to listening to K pop

[@antonyharding5360]

Leave Phil alone, he's trying to inform you, go then! Freakin wingers...