As An Experiment I Stuck A Few Things Under My Pre-Amp And Am Now On A Quest


My system is built out, got the pieces I want in place, and struggled a bit with how it sounds. With certain recordings it was sublime and with others it could be a bit sterile or mechanical sounding. These are all solid state components in a Salamander cabinet, and up to this point I have never been a fan of isolation devices with SS gear. Now with tube components I did use spike type devices under amps and preamps, so I have had a bit of experience.

Last night I rounded up a few wayward isolation devices I had from previous systems and thought I would experiment a bit. The pre-amp contains the DAC also, so I thought I would start here. Put in some Wagner type pads, and got a different sound with some improved focus but the bass was lean and a bit odd. But things changed. I tried some magnetic pods I had, no change with them.

Then as a whim I cut two sections of foam pool noodle I had laying around and put it under the front and back of the preamp. I oriented them lengthwise. Something fantastic happened here! I got spooky precise focus to instruments, the bass response became impactful, the sound is more relaxed...perhaps a bit too smooth but I will take this over that mechanical presentation any day. This is sounding very nice.

So, after dinner I decide to cut a third one and perhaps the bass gets better. I put it in and all the gains are gone, it sounds worse than the first set of Wagner pads I put in. The bass literally vanishes and the soundstage collapses. Pull it out and things are good again. I listen to disc after disc last night and am pleased with the sound. I am spinning vinyl this morning and still feel the same way.

So now I have a plan of action. On one hand I am content to leave the noodles in place and roll with that for awhile. It would be nice to have a permanent solution though. It seems like I am looking for a compliant solution. I remember Brightstar used to build a little shelf that housed a bike inner tube in it, and I think Townshend Audio also had a bladder type platform.

It would be interesting to know what products folks have used that functioned in a similar manner.

Thanks for sharing any thoughts or experiences.

neonknight

Showing 2 responses by mattw73

When I was younger I tried cheap isolation devices and never really noticed any difference outside of using various budget options underneath turntables. I bought some eastern world garbage off Amazon later in life when aesthetics started to mean something to me..as i bought them because I thought they looked cool. 

Couple years ago when I had some bookshelves on stands in my living room I could hear some resonances when I turned the volume up. Once I noticed those resonances I couldn't ignore them and I found it to be quite aggravating.

A retail store had sent me something in the mail about a big sale and I saw the Iso-Acoustic pucks. 60 day trial period so I figured what the heck..even though they were much more expensive then anything I had ever considered before. 

When I plucked out the little sorbathene balls off the stands and put the pucks between the speakers and the stands I really didn't know what to expect, and I can honestly say I wasn't expecting much. The difference was audible right away. I read were people said they could tell the difference in the bass but for me it was much more in the midrange and overall clarity. I could turn the volume up much higher without the speakers losing any composure. I could see the subtle difference when comparing sweeps on REW but to my ears it was huge. 

I now use pucks of various sizes under everything. One of my amps that I have on the floor I put one of those SubDudes under it. I think that's what they are called. My point being is that once a non believer I strongly feel isolation devices can make a difference depending on your situation. Obviously there are better and more expensive (and cheaper) options out there to choose from. I'd say give a well regarded brand a try before saying they don't do anything for electronics and speakers. Especially if you use tube gear. Just my opinion anyway. 

If you have one grab a mini level out of your tool kit...that thing with the 3 tubes filled with liquid and an air bubble. Mine was about 10 inches long. Lay it across your dac or whatever and watch for vibrations in the bubble. 

Poor mans visual vibration inspector