Isolation Feet for Blu-ray Player?

Whenever CD Players and Blu-Ray Players experience excessive vibrations, their error correction circuitry kicks in to ensure they can continue to track the disc that is being read properly. When the error correction circuitry kicks in, the dynamic range is limited, sound quality is compromised, and you are restricting the performance of your blu-ray player. My Pioneer Elite BD-09 address this by using heavy duty composite material feet with an additional absorptive, spongy layer to help reduce vibrations.

I have tried several different feet, and the best are made by Harmonic Resolution Systems - one spacer and two couplers make "one isolation foot" and you need 3 of these sets per component. They make a remarkable difference! Audioquest, Herbie, the old "Mod Squad," and several other companies make various versions of these, but HRS really knows what they are doing. Mod Squad was the first company to make a "footer" and they made a great one - it featured a soft sorbothane footer that vibrations which you could use alone, but you could also insert a 1/2" Tip Toe (the first isolation cone) into the rim of this footer. The combination of an aluminum cone and a sorbathane footer was very effective, and every so often, you can find them on the used market (I still have a bunch of them).

If you have a "normal" rack that is not made by Harmonic Resolution Systems or some other company that specializes in isolating the shelves from vibration (these racks are expensive - over $1,000), then it is definitely worth your time and money to invest in isolation feet for your Blu-Ray Player and your CD Player.

Good Luck,
Dave

It's actually when the component is on the bottom shelf (base of cabinet). The shelf rests on metal supports and doesn't transfer the vibration as much. I have considered placing something in between though as you suggested.

The Vibrapod Isolators work well. But the HD Dual Tuner/DVR is just so noisy that the sound travels through the air, reflecting off the cabinet and rear wall. May have to cover it with sorbothane sheets and line the cabinet.

If your shelves are adjustable, try isolating them from the cabinet frame with a little piece of Blutack or sorbothane dots between the shelves and their supports, and if you don't have space in your cabinet for large wooden platforms under your gear, then isolate with Herbie's or similar footers as suggested above.

No worries... I'm a fan of natural wood footers with audio system (Shun Mook), but the HT gear with it's spinning drives, fans,..etc was causing resonance through my [cheap] cabinet. Footers are a less expensive fix to a new $1K+ media console.

Sakahara,

I agree with your point, my bad for not providing a complete description of how wooden blocks can help - maybe I should clarify.

I suggest placing hardwood blocks under your player on top of a significant block of wood or other material that absorbs and dissipates the vibrational energy from the drive mechanism and digital boards. Brass or other stiff material works well to transfer vibration away from the player chassis, but brass footers generally cost a lot. You can purchase a thick piece of solid maple or maple or other hardwood composite chopping block and make a few wooden blocks of the proper height for well under the cost of a set of brass or other dedicated footer solutions, and I my experience is that you will get very close to the same performance in my opinion. And having brass footers alone above a glass, thin MDF or other compromised shelving will not provide adequate vibration control.

The problem with soft solutions like sorbothane is that they can help protect your drive from external vibration, but do less well at transferring internal vibrations away from the player. One solution is to have a large, thick wooden block supported above your rack by sorbothane or other flexible material, and support your player above the large block with smaller hardwood blocks, brass footers or some other hard support that will drain vibrations away from the player and into the body of the wood below.

Knownothing: Wood would just continue the underlying issue; resonance transmission from player feet to cabinet. The mechanical vibration from the drive needs to be isolated, redirected into other energy.

Franklapdog: Thanks. The small IsoNode would work. Inexpensive also.

Hooper: Thanks. I like the Soft Fat Disc to the Tender Foot. twice the cost of Vibrapod though. May give it a try.

Vernneal: Maybe so.... but it's to isolate the BDP from the wood cabinet (mechanical resonance). Same thing with DVR (HD and fan).

nothing-you can shake some snake oil and do a dance but the video/audio signal will not change from a Bluray player

herbie's tenderfeet all the way. can't be beat for the money spent and then some. that being said....i noticed no improvement when used under my blue-ray player. they did help with my amp, pre and source gear though.

Another vote for Herbie's Audio Lab products and service.

Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfeet. They're relatively inexpensive and have bested several MUCH more expensive footers/cones in my second system. Plus, Steve's return policy absolutely can't be beat.

You may also want to look at the isonodes.Very effective for the money.

Three Hardwood blocks. Experiment with position under the player.

I had thought of trying sorbothane since this was for more mechanical/video application. I don't care for it from an audio system perspective. Sorbothane pucks w/ metal band (AQ?) were my first "tweak" 20 years ago and my opinion of them changed as I felt they imparted a mushy, sluggish affect onto the sound. Wow. $135 for set of 4 "Q" shaped sorbothane pucks. I thought the $24 vinyl Vibrapods were pricey for a piece of plastic, but they look to be the more affordable solution. I also came across SSC Netpoint and Contact.

AudioQuest AQ feet. I have used these in many applications with good results.