Experience with Townshend Seismic Podiums on Concrete Floor (they're great)
I have tower speakers on a concrete floor covered with carpet. Recently, I tried out the Townshend Seismic Podium (size 1) on my Ascend Acoustics Towers (RAAL tweeter) for about 4-5 hours. Here is a brief recounting of my experience.
At first, I set up the podiums and just listened to well known tracks; next, a few days later, I used that same set of tracks to compare, A & B, the speakers on the podium vs. without the podium (but at the same height). A friend with me also compared this A/B setup. We listened to a simple jazz arrangement, a Mozart aria, a rock recording by Chesky, and a country/rock piece. All were well recorded.
The difference made by the podiums are not subtle. In general, it is as if the entire sonic presentation was brought into focus, as if a light veil or layer of dust had been wiped away. It organizes everything; it makes the parts of the whole make sense.
More specifically, these were the effects I noticed:
Bass was slightly fuller, much cleaner and more distinct; for an electric bass, this meant that rounded notes that previously blurred in a sequence (too legato) become individual notes. String bass notes gained dimensionality and texture; the finger on the string became more real, and the resonance of the large wooden bass got fuller and richer. Rhythm sections were better able to stand out *as* rhythm sections, that is, as musicians who are working together.
As far as midrange and treble go, there was -- as with the bass -- more definition, clarity, detail. They sound more like instruments-in-the-room rather than the presence of instrument appearances. Not much about their tonal character changed, but they became more palpable and more exactly located.
That brings me to the soundstage. The width of the soundstage grew by about 10-14% — 5-7% on each side. It was remarkable. Instruments gained space, separation, and definiteness of location. They didn't sound apart or isolated but just more distinct, separated from other instruments. I imagined this as fidelity to the way the microphone recorded them or as the mixing engineer intended.
When I ordered the podiums, I made sure to ask for the ability to return them. I was assured that I could return them if I just paid shipping. (No restocking fee.) I was skeptical and wanted an escape clause. I had watched a few videos and was curious about whether Mr. Townshend's scientific claims would translate into audible differences that would be worth the money (the podiums cost about 1/3 of my speakers' cost).
Well, my skepticism is gone — and it disappeared rather quickly at first, and then after careful comparison. I am keeping the Townshend podiums. Are they better than Isoacoustics footers or other products? I don't know, because I have not compared them. But they're making a huge difference and, should I want to put other speakers on them, they'll fit the others I have, easily. I'm pretty sure I'll never give these up.
@surfcat "Makes me wonder if every single system, especially those with floor standers, would automatically benefit." I have to say I agree. My challenge, as a true blue skeptic, is to keep listening critically. Am I in an infatuation period? Is my thinking and hearing clouded by the sunk costs fallacy? I am trying to be open to the idea that all of this is confirmation bias. I suspect that's not true, but I've not had it a long time, yet. |
For people with downfiring drivers I wonder if the Townshend Pods, which I imaging would be used in a manner similar to Isoacoustics Gaia pods, wouldn't solve the problem. Also the Corners that he sells are interesting looking. I wonder if there's an advantage to two "Seismic Load Cells" (his name) per corner over one. |
@cd318 Thanks for confirming that my thought process is not utter lunacy. It's been 50 years since my last physics course, so I am a bit rusty on some of this stuff. Maybe this is why some companies, Magico comes to mind, go to seemingly absurd lengths in building essentially inert cabinets. @hilde45 it is always good to do a reality check on one's objectivity. I suspect that when we hear differences that rise well above the "well, it sounds different, I think" level of tweaks, we are not just fooling ourselves. I've had a few occasions where I have been convinced that something couldn't possibly work, then found it did work and work well. I think these things really run contrary to confirmation bias. Kudos to you for giving these things a try!
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I read the Townsend website write up on their seismic pods and sorry not buying it. I’m sure they can make a difference in some cases like other similar products can but it doesn’t all add up. I do use much less costly Isoacoustics isolation stands under smaller speakers on my upper levels with suspended plywood floors where floor interactions are always problematic and they make a big difference there cleaning up the midrange that gets obscured by the bass otherwise. I don’t bother to use them at foundation level with dense carpet and pad over concrete in that I do not hear a difference there. I live in a modestly active seismic area. I was a Geology major in college and did award winning research modeling seismic activity in grad school. So I do know something about seismic activity. It might be an issue in some cases and in certain geological conditions but certainly not always. There can be a wide difference there but I guess that’s cutting hairs too much in the interest of selling product. Still you never know for sure unless you try…. If they work and one feels they are worth it, more power to you. Speaker interaction with suspended plywood floors is a very common and way more significant acoustic issue. All one has to do is jump up and down in a room and see if anything moves or vibrates to know. |
@mapman By "it" what are you referring to? The seismic factor alone? What? @brownsfan noted three types of issues -- without mentioning the seismic one:
You are using Isoacoustic isolation and you say they help. Might the Townshends simply be doing what those devices do? Are you mentioning "jumping up and down" on the floor as an adequate test of whether the kind of vibration capable of smearing midrange and treble are is present? It seems too crude a test, no? Not sure what the geology textbooks say on that one. |
