In my opinion they do affect the sound but in absolute terms they do not deserve the hype and certainly the exorbitant cost-perhaps they constitute the most easily ''get used to it'' upgrade in any system. Beyond the electromechanical explanations, the cheaper, the better is nowhere more suitable. I have a sumposium acoustics shelf under my Sony 777 but the law of diminising returns puzzles me hard.
Do isolation devices really help?
I am curious about your thoughts on isolation devices--cones, pads, etc.. Do they really help? I can maybe understand how they may help with a CD player because you have a rotating disc moving picking up signals. But for solid state equipment like the preamp and amp I really don't understand what they would contribute for improving sound quality. I'm thinking about cones, etc for my CD transport. Any advice and comments about effect on other components?