Take a ziplock freezer bag and fill it with sand. Lay it on top of the unit. You can add or remove sand to tune the sound as needed. If you are worried about how the bag looks on top of the unit, get a nice cigar box and pace the bag of sand in that.
I actually use HRS dampening plates which are a much more expensive solution. Sand is cheaper by and large. |
You can also apply Dynamat to the inside of the covers (and other parts of the unit) to deaden the panels. It works extremely well (better than something on top). It can be purchased at Car Audio shops. |
Check out Mapleshade Heavy Hats, they might be exactly what you are looking for. |
Get old cigar box – either yours or a friends – fill it with pennies. Do not cover ventilation holes. Even if component doesn't get hot – they're there for a reason. |
Another satisfied HRS plate user ... Good stuff, inexpensive considering the benefit.
Jack Seaton |
Right, I won't cover the holes, there are a few but on the very back of the preamp only, I have tried the dynamat, it helps, but for the wadia cd player you can not get inside that area without the correct tools and taking the whole thing apart, besides I believe that it does have some from the factory already installed, suggestions are interesting, I definatly will try, now I need to find somebody with cigar boxes :) |
I can't find HRS?? They are not in the manufacture list on audiogon and a quick google only gave me some CES type show talking about somebody strategically using them. Anybody got links? or priceing? Thanks |
Before doing anything make sure your rack is positioned in a bass null point in the room. That way you'll have less bass attacking your top plates to deal with. |
For HRS, try these two links, one is the website and the other is a review that lists pricing:
http://www.avisolation.com/dampingplate.html
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/hrs_nimbus_damping_plates_followup.htm
If I recall there are three sizes and they are priced at $75, $100, and $135 respectively. Don't overdo it with these tweaks, they are really very efficient and the small ones work best for me (on top of my speakers no less). Email me if you are seriously considering purchasing these and want to save some money. I have a few extra I don't use.
For cigar boxes a smoke shop should be able to help you out. |
Try da Bag [and other solutions] from Virtual Mode. Cheap and cheerful and better looking than sand or cigars. You may possibly need more than one per component. Effective tweak from a great outfit. virmode.com |
clio09: Tony, there are several well known high end speaker manufacturers that incorporate the HRS plates into their speakers, hidden on the inside! You've tried it ... you know why!
Best,
Jack Seaton |
Alright some good ideas here, but unfortunatly moving the rack is near impossible, not only due to the position in the room, but the cable problems that would occur. again it has never skipped or anything in this position, although I am sure putting the rack in another room all together would be the greatest improvement, but back to the real world, gonna have to suck it up and throw something on top :) |
Bright Star makes one, I used to use one on my Wadia it is currently on my Gamut CD1R player. I would be willing to sell it. you can see a picture of it in my add for the Gamut CD player.. |
Jack,
The HRS plates work really well on top of my Spendor's. I use 2 of the 4.5 x 5.5 plates on each speaker, spaced about an inch apart. I also use one of the medium plates on the top of my preamp power supply, which then sits on 3 of those rubber/cork blocks I got from our mutual friend.
I've been so busy listening to the Audio Mirror and testing phono stages I haven't had much time to chat with you. I'm at RMAF so I'll try to catch up with you soon.
Tony |
Hmm, yeah Virtual mode looks good, I need power conditioning as well so maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. thanks |
Bright Star little rock 3 |
I agree with Onhwy61 as the very first starting point. An equipment rack, wrongly placed, will destroy ANY advantages your player has. This has happened in a friend's room, the non-audiophile type. I had to move his equipment rack -- made of wood -- 1/8 inch back and forth. I've been doing this for a VERY long time. We're talking months and years, and I finally found the spot -- IN THE SAME CORNER! -- where the sound isn't scrunched together. Turns out his floor was uneven in that very spot.
Otherwise, I'd use Walker Valid Points. However, be very aware that, as with other devics, you will need to position these devices CAREFULLY. 1/8" in any direction can dull the sound. I have found this to be the case with ANY resonance-damping device, including Tube Traps, of which I have 50 and I've had them since 1988. All devices seem to have one spot where they are superb. Place them and listen for complete harmonic structures, from fundamental to overtones. The place where you get the most complete structure is the location in which they should remain. And you can mark the EXACT location with a magic marker that's washable, so you can remove it if you sell it. It's a lot of trouble, but I've been doing it for years, and only recently did I even realize that the "airiness" in the upper midrange is highly affected by the placement of room and resonance devices. I knew they needed to be correctly placed, but does ASC, for example, tell you that if you have two Tube Traps stacked on top of each other, than the seam of one may be turned very, very slightly out of alignment with the one below? No, and neither does anyone else. Be very analytical when doing this. |
Interesting, I just don't have real options in placement, but I will first try a cheap bag of sand over the transport to see what happens, before investing in anything, just to know the effect, my system is fairly sensitive no doubt to changes, its really not like a stereo anymore its like a tuned instrument, in a way this is good, but in other ways obviously has problems of its own, again I guess you get to a certain level of quality and things become much more clear as to what will work and what will not. |
I use a wooden cutting board on top of my CD player. I painted it flat black to blend in with my stereo gear. You may also try using a custom cut piece of Corian. |
Actually I have giant solid maple cutting boards under the components, and it works perfect, if you see my original question at the top of the thread, 3" thick.... Thats what I originally asked to be honest if I should just go that route, but its still not super cheap for a good cutting board made out of anything, so its almost just as well to drop 50 bucks on an actual isolation device at that point. I guess we will see, I think a 2 dollar bag of sand is my first approch just so I can adjust the weight and see what its gonna do all together. |
Anything with substantial weight (10-20 pounds or more) will probably serve as a bandaid. |
Tbg, what do you use? I'm not sure it is a bandaid, but unless someone builds a player with a 20 pound granite or wood lid in the first place, what is the fix for this accept moving the entire system into another isolated room from the one you are listening in? I would have to believe that even the Meitner or Reimyo or any of these extreme cost players are not gonna just sit on a shelf and create no vibration thru the top when you touch it. |
I have had much better luck with what is under the unit than what is on top. I have tried many shelves and platforms, with the Neuance being the best buy and the Acapella being best. Then I heard the expensive Halcyonic active unit. But that is another story.
I do now know, however, that both the vibrations of the unit as well as those created from without harm the sound you get to a major degree. I just do not believe that there are easy solutions. This is why I say just try weight. |
Matrix,
I will make a BOLD statement here. I have tried almost everything under the sun and have had some success and also anything but with some products. I now use these devices and will NEVER look elsewhere. Monument Reference www.monref.com is the company and they produce devices out of Brazilian Rosewood, Cocabolo, and other various tonewoods which are treated with a Violin like varnish.
They make coupling devices and mass loading devices. Call them and take them up on their 30-Day money back. You will be shocked at the musicality. You can see my system here on Audiogon as I use them under my Cary SLI-80 Signature Amp and my XA-777ES CD player. Good luck to you.
Chris |
Sounds good guys, I'll take a look, yeah you can only do so much I know that, just want to do something rather than nothing you know what I mean? Thanks |
As I said, put something heavy on top, not iron. |
I have a couple marble tiles, that I put back to back weight around 10 lbs, they seem to do something decent, I have some isolation pucks that I set them on, but can still feel the top vibrate a little, so should I dump the pucks and go with a fabric or something to just lay them flush on the top of the player? thanks |
When properly grounded mechanically you want to provide only one surface for vibration to exit. By having something on top you are disrupting the energy flow at the bottom of the chassis which can be grounded more easily and effectively. If you are concerned with quieting the chassis yet still want to couple properly try using all brass hardware to mount the lid, circuit boards,transformers etc. within the component itself. The brass has superior sound quality does not ring like the typical steel hardware used and is non ferrous so it is less disruptive to signal flow within a component or speaker.Tom |
very interesting, problem is the Wadia is like a damn lockbox, can't get it open without some special tools, it uses a very off size like 2.5 mm Torx bit, which yes I can remove a few, but can't get the rest as it has some type of internal latches... also it does not have "Top" plate it is all one box that slides off the unit in one piece, so it is not seperate where you can just take of the plate, virtually they entire unit would need to come apart... I am not sure but I believe they did this to Deter anyone from trying to easily copy the digimaster system housed inside. |
Matrix the most important thing is to provide one coherent directional surface for vibration to collect and exit. Having multiple exit points makes for less coherence instead of more coherence.That is the result I hear.Tom |
I don't think we need dealers giving advice about products they sell do we? Do it via private email. Conflict of interest IMO. |
Use any product you want that you think may direct couple.Let's see I use long hair carded wool that decouples I use products from Dyna Mat that decouple I buy 360 brass for chassis and brass hardware for mounting of components 2023 aircraft aluminum used for crossover chassis's those all couple energy. Acoustic angles I speak about in the redirection of energy in a listening room.Instead of buying materials that take away the breath of the music. All of the previous I have mentioned in other threads having to do with energy transfer or storage.You can buy these materials almost anywhere ..I buy them or build them and use them in my installations. Nothing for sale by me here just offering my experience. Tom |
But the company you work for sells brass coupling and isolation devices don't they?????? |
The company I own offers custom installation and design services of audio and video products for home, office and schools as well as houses of worship.We offers products from maybe a hundred different vendors made of many different materials from A to Z.None of which I am allowed to by legal contract to sell over the net. I favor all the products from all the vendors when they meet my customer's specific need. I have worked in the audio video field since 1972AD. The company that I own does sell products produced by another vendor that are made of brass that are designed to couple but none that are designed to isolate because there is no such thing as isolation. I have another company in the works that has a patent or patents pending on devices for acoustic instruments. This new company like my other company has no relation to anyone other than myself. What I have offered here to the members is knowledge that I have accumulated over many years. The only upside for coming to this site are the occasional emails that I receive from members saying they benefited from the use of my posts. Tom |
