Is the KAB Fluid Damper worth it if...

" noise floor is too high for this analog newbie but grizzled digital vet!"

Damper might help.. but unless your cleaning and treating with good wet/vac solutions on your vinyl media it will never improve to that extent, clean and it will.

I had an extra set of Daytons laying around and gave this a shot, yes they are a direct replacement, however due to the design of the technics they have a swivel boot type footer built into the bottom of the table which is mushy that the old feet screw into and is not exactly easy to get the spikes to stand solid and level.

Also I don't know how effective spikes will really be screwed into a mushy device like this as you are basically still using a decoupled fitting into a solid spike but making it less effective than if the spike was threaded right to the solid part of the plinth. I have not done a comparison, and I have leveled the table via bubble level with the 4 new spikes installed.

I will say from past experience spikes on a turntable have been far better results than any spring loaded, or soft shoe type feet that are normally standard. Higher soundstagging, better more solid bass, and yes even Warmer more balanced dynamics, again not sure how effective screwing these cones into the stock technic footers would be, and it looks like you can not remove or modify the existing footer assembleys, which leaves you with no other options but to go to a Blue tack and stick like a 3 leg cone pattern to the bottom or drill new holes which I do not recommend.

Bottom line go to spikes fitted to the original inserts after removing technics feet and you will have spikes that Sway (or can be bo-legged)and do not stand totally straight due to they will have flexable mounts still.

Radio,
If you wish I do have a full set of the custom made "Vibrapods" but they are actually sorbothane boots made to fit directly on the technics feet perfectly from KAB U.S.A.. they are about 60 bucks a set, They are sitting in a box, I can do like 43 bucks for the set of 4 if you wish to have them.. I would still however probably SPIKE the Butcher block itself to the shelf it sits and then use the Iso feet under the technics feet on the table.. They fit snug over the old ones. Send me an email if interested, I will absorb the paypal fees and ship via Fed ex ground if you want for that price.

Heres a link
http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/

Vinylvin
3/4 " Thick ? Or 3/4 " Diameter ? I tried out some washers, but basic thickness like a Quarter and about the diameter of a Quarter and they did Help a little in stabilizing the cones, however still can tilt pretty easily, just has more resistance to doing so fighting against the accordian style boot fitting with the threaded insert… I am guessing it might be that the M5G has a different mounting cup under it than some of the older or other style 1200 series? I don't doubt it as this footer system on the M5g does seem a bit more advanced than what would have been around on 1200 tables in the 80's or 90's etc… So maybe that is a difference here in getting the cones to stand solid.         

Alright so solving this issue... To make Daytons perform and correctly fit with the right platform..

First you need the fender washers.. But they need to be 2" diameter with a 1/4" center hole...

Now this will fit over the entire assembly pretty secure, However this does not hold them center nor tighten all the way...

SO 2 other things need to be done, one is making this process even simpler... You need M6 Threaded nuts, I forget if they are the 100 pitch or the .75 pitch threads on the daytons, I bought both and one set was correct the others were not.

You will take the M6 nut and simply pre-bolt the fender washer right to the dayton cone up front making it as one installed assembly before screwing it into the table..

First off these M6 nuts act as a Jam nut and hold the washer and cone solid so they don't un-screw or sway from the table now... Secondly these nuts fill the GAP exactly the height needed between the Technics threaded insert and the Molded feet edge touching the washer making the washer now be a solid steel Plate as if it was made right into the table.

However there is one small thing here.. SOME of the technics feet can be slightly drilled deeper than others from table to table it seems... And some of the original holes might be between 1/8th to 1/16" too SHALLOW drilled.

That means the Dayton Shafts that are the threaded portions could be TOO long to bottom out into the threaded inserts on the table meaning now you can not snug the new washer plate assembly totally tight and flat...

This is an easy fix, DO NOT DRILL THE TABLE!! But instead take a dremel tool with the small cutting wheel and simply ZIP off a 1/16 to a 1/8th" of each Dayton threaded stud making them slightly shorter, and now everything will be completly solid and stable as if it was made for the table and cost you about 27 cents per washer, about 7 cents per Nut.. And about 20 bucks for your spikes.

As for leveling,well this is easy now, because the daytons are 2 piece leveling spikes you can get about a half inch height variation out of the tips once you get everything installed solid and correct..

If your platform the table sits on is that bad in the first place that your table is not just a little bit off but way off, than you need take your Maple block or whatever its sitting on and install ANOTHER set of 3 dayton spikes (I suggest a 3 point spike system in this case due to stability, and ease of leveling)under that and then adjust leveling from the maple platform rather than the table feet, and you can fine adjust just about any ruff terrain with the combination of both sets... Which even a 3 spike system under the turntable would be better as well, however of course using the stock locations in this case is really the only option for all 4 feet.