European Vibraplane?

Those compact, low profile units would seem best for low shipping costs to EU.
Just put them under a steel ballast plate (obtained locally) to get the total load
close to the max. design load and that could be a very nice solution with a quiet
compressor. Has anyone tried these?

I have three 24"X20" Vibraplanes from SOS (Sounds of Silence). Two of the units are active (requiring a compressor) and one is passive (bicycle pump). I did try two used units found on Ebay for $350-500. THEY DID NOT WORK. I tried to use parts from both to make one functional, but in the end, it was just too frustrating. Repair estimate from Kinetic Systems was about $1,600 for each unit, so I went ahead and bought new units. The old style isolators and valves are no longer supported. The new units function perfectly.

One unit is under my 120 lb turntable and the other two units are under my SS amps. They each improved the sound, pretty dramatically. I was surprised at the improvement under my amps but was lucky to have borrowed a pair from a friend before I bought them.

I also had Steve from SOS order me from Kinetic Systems, two 135 lb steel ballast plates finished to match the VP units. These plates combined with the weight of my equipment approach the maximum design load for the units and thus they optimize the isolation.

Adding the steel ballast plates improved the performance of my components almost as much as adding the VP in the first place. These are very heavy units and extremely effective. They must be placed on a very sturdy platform, but the results and value are outstanding. They are much better than the Townshend Seismic Sinks. Details can be seen on my system page.

Sorry that I was less than clear in my post. I am referring to the CM225 low
profile isolators with built in leveling valves. They need a compressor and can
support 60 lbs each for 240 lbs total. If the turntable is 100 lbs, then a steel
slab is another 130 or so and that could be very effective isolation.

I find that if you are isolating a turntable which needs to be absolutely level, then
the self leveling feature is a must. Manually adjusting the height every day or
two is not worth the cost savings for the more basic isolators, IMO. I also found
that with my passive Vibraplane, I had to fill it up slightly every three days, and
that was not fun because of the need to relevel the system. The active units with
a compressor and self leveling are MUCH more convenient, if slightly more
expensive and complex.

Geoffkait, thanks for your very interesting and informative post. Are you describing a commercially available unit or is this more of a DIY type of project? You describe many advantages over air suspension, so I would think there would be many products meeting this need, but I am only aware of the Minus K brand platforms which are quite expensive and do have the center balance issue from what I read.

I agree that the life span and maintenance of an air based system long term may become an issue. My three new Vibraplanes do give great isolation performance and have really helped the sonics of my system at a fairly reasonable cost.

Actusreus, trust me, you NEED a Vibraplane for the source, and perhaps one (or two) for your amps. They are one of the best investments I ever made in audio, and Steve at SOS is an excellent dealer with whom to work. They are wonderful products.