Well in the end all it took was to replace the glass shelf with a 3/4" maple cutting board. Polycrystal cones under it, aurios on top and cdp straight on the aurios. Guess I kinda like it a bit bright. Thanks for all the suggestions. Who knew you could tune the system so much. When I first tried isolation products I wasn't quite sold on the "dramatic" effects touted but now... |
I will second (or third) the above ideas relating to the replacement of the glass shelf. I experimented pretty extensively with 1/2" glass as shelf material and it is not bad (better, in my opinion than marble or granite), but it is pretty expensive. I have a target rack with MDF shelves, but use a vibrapod sandwich exactly as you do. I was using 1/2" glass, but after experimenting with a simple 3/4" maple cutting board from Home Depot ended up with that. Spend $15 on one there, or at Bed, Bath and Beyond and I virtually guarantee your problem will disappear; my guess is that 1/4" glass would be pretty awful as shelf material. You may also find that using anything metallic under the CD player will end up giving you a "metallic" sound or one tilted toward the high fequencies. I'd experiment with the CD player sited directly on the cutting board, and possibly with vibrapods between the board and the player as well. If you like the sound, you could investigate going with thicker maple perhaps, as some around here have, but I'm kind of cheap and have never felt the need to upgrade the "cutting boards". |
I've tried a few of the suggestions and so far have found that the polycrystal cones on the aurios, cdp atop that, sounds the best. I have to put them point up unless I turn the aurios upside down. The only problem now is that the Rega is a manual top-loader and rather lightweight so I have to change discs carefully or the power cord uncenters the aurios. Oh well. Thanks all for your suggestions, and if I discover anything different that beats these ideas I'll be sure to post it.
Stuart |
Glass is not the worst thing, it simply needs to be of sufficient thickness. Please note that there is absolutely no consensus on the best shelf material. Everybody seems to have their favorite. Glass is cheap, easily sourced and if it's at least 1/2" thick, will sound relatively good. |
No offense taken. I have thought of just selling them but I'm gonna try these ideas out first. BTW, I just read in an article that glass is "the worst" thing one can put their gear on. Hmm. Thanks for all the suggestions. |
Stuart,
I was out of line and I apologize for my remarks. Good luck with your efforts.
JD |
JD, I discovered the problem after buying (here on A'gon and they're in the mail) the 3rd set. So now that they're on the way I though I'd get a few tips from others who have cured the problem. I did like some of what they did but it seemed like they did too much of it. Come on, give me Some credit... |
Nice setup. Two suggestions. First, if you use glass shelves, then make sure they are at least 1/2" thick. Second, rather than using the Aurios under individual components you might consider placing your entire rack upon the Aurios. This can be accomplished by using the threaded hole on the Aurios, or by placing the rack upon a platform on top of the Aurios. Either will eliminate the tendency towards glare. |
I'm confused. You had terrible "glare" problems with the first set you tried, and have read that others have had this same problem, so you ordered another set. Maybe the solution is not to use them?
JD |
Great ideas, thanks. A couple of notes... The isopods are actually vibrapods and the Aurios model I have is the first one with the large opening not the small dimple in the top so I think I can't use the ball bearings. |
First, you might want to reconsider the glass shelf, which might be exacerbating the problem. Then: there are several routes you can go to isolate the bottom of a CDP from the tops of Aurios, and it'll be a matter of taste and what works for you. The upgrade balls provided by Aurios (reletively expensive) might do the trick. Or, more cheaply, if you have the vertical clearance you could try putting the whole CPD on a maple cutting board from Bed, Bath and Beyond with the Aurios beneath that. That will provide a warmer, less detailed sound. You can also find small anti-skid rubber stick-ons at an art supply store and attach some to the tops of the Aurios (3M makes a range of such materials called Bumpons that people use, but there are other comparable materials). Finally, Bed, Bath and Beyond sells Thai-made wood and cork coasters for about 1.99 each. Buy three, carve out the cork with a screwdriver (a pain, and you'll feel like a fool while doing it) and then invert them on top of the Aurios, flat side up towards the component. I guarentee all of these things will improve matters for you, and they'll all sound a little different. |
I use down turned cones between my cdp and Aurios. The point rests in the center hole of my pro model. This is great if you have no kids or animals that might bump it. Another thought on a budget is to use the isopods between the cdp and the Aurios. Try "Bubble Wrap" between the glass and MDF. Search "Bubble Wrap" to see my experiences. |
I recently bought a set of Polycrystal cones. Tap one of your cones against glass and there will be your answer...
I would get some form of line conditioning for your CDP. One of the smaller ONEAC's (2-4 amp)with a C-core transformer and parallel filtration will do the trick. Make sure that's plugged to the last receptacle in your Juice Bar.
Your system looks neat, especially the rack, but it is interfering with imaging. Remember D'Appolito array speakers like the Ninka have a very wide soundstage but not nearly as deep. I would move the speakers forward and toe them in slightly, at the very least. Speaker placement is free... |
