2. analog
  3. 127878-74636

Isolation Feet for Garrard 301 wood plinth

Now that I have my table competed (almost) and table set up. I am looking for some suggestions as to what to put under the wood plinth, the plinth's main structure is bamboo ply, with Padauk wood feet 1.75" x 1.75" x 1" in height. the feet are machined square and true and look very nice with all the other contrasting woods. Bamboo, Padauk (feet and arm board), rose wood and maple inset. I have pictures in my profile. I have the table sitting on a 18"x24"x3 granite slab 165lbs that is sitting directly on the 3 posts of the top shelf of my Lovan Stand with each shelf sitting in pin points all the way to the floor and sitting on brass cups about 2" in diameter and 1/2 thick. I have fantastic stability and very little movement when walking around the room but I do get nose when taping the plinth and stand through the system ie cart etc. Its a dull thud but I think some sort of isolation may be in order between one of the layers most likely the plinth and granite. This set up worked very well for my previous set up the oracle Delphi. I would like to find something that is not going to take away from the visuals of what I think its a beautiful plinth but give me what I need to solve the issues. I also can not afford to replace my whole rack system at this time maybe in the future. budget up to lets say $1000. I will need 3 min but most likely 4 as the table is about 60lb total now. Have to say it sounds wonderful best move I made in audio in a long time picking up that Garrard 301 and building a table out of it. I will be adding some upgrades in the future like platters etc but for now i'm enjoying music again.

I added a Herbies audio record mat and looked at there feet they would work but to be honest not very attractive, I've seen some nice brass feet can not remember if they had any isolation.

Anyway to you my like minded hobby friends

glennewdick

Showing 1 response by fsonicsmith

fsonicsmith's avatar
fsonicsmith
983 posts
 

I have a modded 301 on a heavy birch ply plinth (see my profile) and I use Stillpoint SS’s (which Stillpoints have since replaced/updated with Ultra SS V2’s). Steve Dobbins, an expert on 301’s/401’s prefers the Stillpoints on the plinth he markets. Last time I looked Artisan Fidelity and Woodsong supply Stillpoint SS’s on their plinths as the default footer. Well, now that I just looked it appears Woodsong is now featuring their latest plinths with Stillpoint Ultra 5 Bullet Spikes.

I have fantastic stability and very little movement when walking around the room but I do get nose when taping the plinth and stand through the system ie cart etc. Its a dull thud but I think some sort of isolation may be in order between one of the layers most likely the plinth and granite.

You no doubt meant "noise when tapping the plinth". This is a subject I have personally taken Michael Fremer to task about. There is no proof that tapping the plinth [and not hearing any sound through the system] correlates with better sound. Sound waves and stylus induced vibration are not the same-at all-as physical contact of one mass against another. Even it did, Fremer’s knuckle rap test may be of some relevance with something like a TechDas or other ultra high-end turntable with a design goal of eliminating all vibration but the 301 is an idler. To attempt to eliminate all vibrational behavior with an idler is going against the design goal. Put differently, my advice with a 301 no matter how modded is to embrace the motor vibration. It ought to be held in check but can not be eliminated and the nature of an idler contributes to the favorable sound. Put differently yet again, you are not going to get digital-type sound reproduction with a 301 and shouldn’t try.

More to discover