DIY Isolation Platform

Hi Nick,

Any rigid mounting of your Rega (such as a spike or cone) will allow vibration to travel in BOTH directions - down out of the player and up from the floor INTO the player. The same is true when placing a piece of any rigid material under the player (such as a slab of stone or wood). In addition, any unwanted ringing or resonance the slab of material under the player exhibits will affect the signal flowing through the component.

Decoupling the component will restrict floor-borne vibration from making its way into the component. The key is to decouple it effectively. Cork or rubber are only moderately effective as decoupling materials.

It is also important that air-borne vibration (traveling directly through the air from the speaker towards the component's chassis) and internally generated vibration (from spinning motors, humming transformers and cooling fans) be addressed. A well designed and comprehensive vibration control system will address the multiple forms of floor-borne vibration as well as air-borne vibration and internally-generated vibration.

Best Regards,

Barry Kohan

Disclaimer: I am a manufacturer of vibration control products.

Drain and isolate are two different concepts. Drain removes internal vibrations and isolation prevents external vibrations from entering (as well as keeping internal vibrations trapped). I would not recommend using cork or rubber next to the component since that will trap (isolate) the vibrations internally. Symposium makes effective platforms that do both by using a metal to drain (remove) internal vibrations and foam to isolate and convert vibrations. Try using a piece of stainless steel (non-magnetic) on top of wood along with SS couplers. Or use aluminum if that's easier to get you hands on.

What are SS couplers?

A concrete paving slab on top of a 4-6" foam slab is a remarkable isolation setup. The CD player is coupled firmly to the massive concrete block, and the compressed foam is unable to transfer any ground based vibrations to the massive concrete slab.

Oh, and it costs $10-$20. Low WAF, though. I use it under my rega planar 3 turntable with excellent results.