Isolation platform for the power amps

I recommend Symposium shelves.

For that price, I would recommend as thick a piece of granite as you can afford used in a 1" deep sand filled box. Forget air suspensions.

DIY is the lowest cost option by far, and depending on how handy you are, and how much effort you want to put into it you can come up with a very attractive and effective stand with minimal cost. I made some using butcher blocks from TJ Max ($20 each for the block). Depending on what kind of footer you put on it they'll cost less than $30 each, and probably no more assembly time than $100+ stands. You can use other material for the platform too, such as a simple MDF, granite, etc. I made another pair using flagstone from Home Depot (2" x 18" x 18"). Talk about cheap, but they are heavy, very effective, and IMHO pretty attractive.

If you make your own isolation platforms I would suggest putting them on brass audio points of some type.

i have my amps sitting on brass cones then 2" maple, isoblocks between that and another platform then cones to the floor. complete isolation and it sounds that way too.

Here is the cheapest amp stand you can buy. They look okay, as they are just plain old black amp stands. (They have very little isolation, except for their floor spikes and small rubber cushion buttons, that the shelf sits upon.)

I bought mine used from a friend for $75 for the pair.
He went on to buy some really nice looking Zoethecus cherry wood trimmed stands (used) for about $700 a pair, and then upgraded again to some great stands (Grand Prix Audio, I think) for about $3,500 a pair. His system sounds great, and he thinks the stands have helped a great deal, especially the Grand Prix Audio stands. (To be honest, I really have not heard the difference myself, but then again, I don't live with his system everyday, so I can't say for sure if they work or not.)

I use these same stands for my amps, and while I probably could (and maybe should) buy something better, it is just difficult for me to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on stands that sit 3 inches off the floor, and which amps, (with no moving parts), sit upon. (I'd rather put the money into better equipment or music myself.) My wife thinks they look just fine too.

Target Pro amp stands

Try placing Herbiesaudiolab.com "Tenderfoot," or "Iso-Cup" footers between amp, and one of the bases mentioned by Bdgregory, above.
Herbie's has a ninety day (!) home trial policy, so you can't go wrong.
The current version of Herbie's footers isolates/absorbs all those bad vibrations received from the environment, and from the component, itself.

Now Now, If you had done asearch you would have seen my post on isolation. All these sound smearing distortion making,make blacks turn less black and just put a veil over youyr speakers. Hears the trick you build a box like strucure with rebar put woodaround the ouside and inside but use 3 long corks to span the rebar at the bottom rear. The youyget some cement premixed is easier but you can add colored dye, I'm sure McMaster Carr has some.Pick a subdued color. The pour the colored cement into the mold.Now just wait till it dries.While youve got the mixture all set up build a box for the cover at least 2-3 inchesthick the boxshould be 5-6 inches place the amps on burled cocobola in a Cypress flamed wood box with blacksand you import from Hawaii.Put the amp inside on the burled cocobola atop the black sand. Then add as many layersof iso damp as it takes from the and the walls to fill the chamber. Now here is the tricky part put the power cord through the hole the cork or corks left remember to attach the ICs from the pre and the speaker cables from the amp. Thus the three holes. Now get a small tackle and pully, fork lift etc or six strong friends to place the cement cover on top which . At this point you will once again beable to say nomore of those wretched vibrations to worry about.

Does "hears" mean here is?

What's the differance betwean "while the music is playing" and "during music playback"?

Beat this.
Two butcher blocks from IKEA - $29.99 = $59.98
8 Isol Pads - total $50.
$110 for two mono amp. stands.
P.S
Just finished my own stands made out salvage solid peace of Californian walnut. Cost $50. In my system, just added for you.

Mrjstark, 3" granite on sand base will blow it away. At least that is my experience.

>>What's the differance betwean "while the music is playing" and "during music playback"?<<

Depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
-William Jefferson Clinton

Tbg. In Price/performance ratio......I don't think so.

I'm sorry but it was an a feeble attempt to add levity to the discussion. Sorry but I don't drink or take any elicit drugs.
I have my amps on Ikea butcher block resting on cheap VTI amp stands with cone feet . The rest of my stuff is on Isol Pads.
Qutite honestly I think I hear accurately and don't hear vibratory resonance points.I do hear reflected sound wich would be easy to repair.

I got my granite for $20 and sand was out of a sand box. That is pretty cheap. I don't use these anymore, however.

Why not????

you could use basalt slabs, volcanic rock made with a completely irregular matrix.

Check out this link from a manufacturer of what many consider the maker of the finest audio connectors, etc...

http://www.bocchtech.com/bocchinoaudio/isolationplatform.html

Mrjstark, I found Mana stands were superior, especially with initially Neuance shelves and better yet with Acapella bases. Now I have a Halcyonics active isolation base under my amp, but this is hardly on topic for this thread.

Tbg. You are absolutely right.
Acapella base, Neuance shelves and Halcyonics active isolation base should be in another tread, something with

" iso-base and shelves for filthy reach and crazy "
or
" I have 10G to spend on accessories - any ideas ? "

Please don't take it personal but prices of products you mentioned are ridicules at best.
This makes me a little jealous of your financial resources and your job. Congratulations on doing very well.... for your self.

Mariusz Stark

I use Sistrum platforms under all of my electronics speakers and subs. Same highly reactive grounding technology I applied to acoustic instruments, some with an increase in output of 1.5 db. I am a dealer..Tom

Mrstark, I don't know what the "filthy reach" means, but thanks for your kind words.

Filthy rich. Who am I to explain its meaning ? - heard it ones or twice in the movies, that is all. I can't even give it a ***** stars recommendation since I have no experience in that department.
Now jokes aside......really. I am happy for you that you can have a luxury of trying those really, really expensive stuff and that is OK. Just tell me how do you justify its price, I mean really. I always try to find audio equipment and accessories that represent a good value and are equal or better then their counterparts from the top shelve. If I can make it, build it or tweak it my self why should I pay laughable amount of $$$$$ that some of those companies are asking. You know a lot of us will never have a chance to try or experience this stuff. Is that it ? I hope not. I have read some of your threads and answers and I am sure You know your stuff and know what you are talking about. You seem to be a very seasoned audiophile but this is one issue that I have a problem with. I am not trying to attack anybody here, it is not me but I just can't agree with You on this one. Don't take it personal, I respect You and your opinions.
Mariusz Stark

Mrjstark, I really don't understand why you think I need to justify the price to you or anyone. Remember that I initially stuck with the character of the initial post.

Tbg. Nobody said You have to. Besides, what's the point.
Enjoy.
M.S

My best advice is never listen to the Halcyonic base under anything in sound reproduction.

Will do. Thanks for very meaningful advice.
M.S.

The Basalt slabs are only $200. I've just ordered a pair from Bocchino Audio.

Try 1" MDF with large brass spikes... or layered thinner stock. These work the best for a low cost DIY solution.

You can also look for a few 18" x 18" or 21" x 21" granite tiles and layer them with thin rubber in-between and add some spikes or footers.

If you are ever in the market for $150+++ let me know :) LOL

So what do you guys use to isolate the mains, drives, airborne vibration,as well as internal self induced resonance from the device you are currently isolating? Tom

Oh yeah, You better tape three sides before adding the sand, otherwise  you'll just make a mess!

My new iso stand is somewhat similar only I use a bed of teeny tiny glass microspheres that are almost perfectly round. The "action" is much better with the glass microspheres, you betcha. I also use a large glass tile and springs and diamond hardness cones. Oh, my! I’d post a pic except it’s proprietary. This iso stand simulates the head of a woodpecker that can withstand shock and vibration that accompany decelerations around 1000 g whilst pecking at 20 pecks/second that would otherwise kill it. I call it the Woody the Woodpecker Stand.

Newbie makes splash. 

Ha ha hah h, ah, hmm. So, once I charge my 'crystals with the 7.34 htz. pulse generator "The guy in China whom made swears it works", I then manufacture a ground loop using a token ring topology, When the storm comes close I don the requisite aluminium foil headgear "retwisting the horns til tuned" and begin my Gregarian chant while contemplating the zen of the void per Myamoto Musashi. Then I finish the bottle of tequila, bark at the moon and when I wake up I cannot feel any of the vibrations whatsoever. But my head usually hurts for a bit. Or at least until I make bail. What do you do Tweak?

And I do find that the "butcher block type of isolation platform/plinth doesnt work very well. It seems that "Mass rules" when it comes to wood and vibrations/resonance ect.. The abrupt density changes don't help either when the waveforms are longer than the 1" piece glued to the 1.3" piece glued to the....

Butcher block is OK if done right. A big factor is how the butcher block is mounted and how the component is mounted on the butcher block. Not to mention what the butcher block is mounted on.

But there really is no substitute for real (rpt real) isolation which means, of course, mass-on-spring devices. Mass per se is good in the sense of inertia (i.e., resistance to external forces) and for mass-on-spring devices for which mass per se lowers resonant frequency Fr of the iso device, thus improving isolation effectiveness. The thicker the butcher block the better the system resist bending forces since it's stiffer. That would explain the populaity of 3-inch thick butcher blocks. Finally, the best results will be obtained by careful decoupling and coupling techniques, since both are necessary.

The coupling/decoupling sequence seems to be generally overlooked. Even "as" a sequence. Doesn't anyone else here measure? Or at least try it and listen!

Decoupling and coupling is not rocket science. The coupling is for draining off medium and high frequency induced or residual vibration from the component/system. The decoupling is for attenuating very low frequency seismic type vibration transmitted from the floor to the component. Since no single mass on spring layer is a perfect isolator (i.e., low pass filter) you can cheat a little by building two mass-on-spring layers, separated in resonant frequency Fr so they won’t interfere with each other. This usually means using high mass in the construction of the dual layer stack - e.g., slabs of granite or bluestone.The high mass ensures a very low resonant frequency for the bottom layer. Then the top layer is a snap.

Hee hee, I never said it "was", rocket science. Yet I don't see it often enough. But you can also use the high mass layers as differentially sequenced frequency attenuators by utilizing different strata's with their own specific characteristics. Unless you just "Really, really", like rocks, granite ect... Me? I like shiny things.

If using sequenced high mass layers was effective I’m pretty sure the LIGO project to detect gravity waves would have used them. What they did use, in fact, was sequenced mass on spring layers. The advantage to bluestone and granite for DIY audiophiles is low cost and effectiveness, due to high mass and stiffness. That’s why the big boys like Newport and other isolation platform manufacturers use large granite slabs for the top plate of their larger isolation platforms. Very low frequency seismic type vibrations, the most harmful ones, the ones that excite 😛 turntable natural frequencies circa 10 Hz to 15 Hz cannot (rpt cannot) be addressed without mechanical low pass filters of some sort. Performance of mass on spring systems is all about high mass and low spring rate. It’s rocket science.

Uh huh, You mean the "Big boy's", whom still cannot decide whether gravity is actually a wave or particle "effect",? Let alone prove it? And there's a guy in the corner shouting, "It's the wave effect (on) particles!", Those guys?
     Please don't put all your eggs in one basket mister...
    Yeah, I DID work for NASA too. That and 50 cents will get me a cheap cup of coffee.

 
jollygreenaudiophile2
Uh huh, You mean the "Big boy's", whom still cannot decide whether gravity is actually a wave or particle "effect",? Let alone prove it? And there's a guy in the corner shouting, "It's the wave effect (on) particles!", Those guys?

Huh?! Gravity is neither a wave or particle. A gravity wave is simply a manifestation of gravity. I trust you don't think waves in water are particles.

So your saying that the wave's in water are "not", made up of particles? "A gravity wave is simply a manifestation of gravity."?????   Which of course means that YOU Jeff, MUST have solved it! Define and expound please!       Seriously, Where did ya get that from? That may well be someone's "theory" but based on what? At this time, that's all that it is, 
A "theory". Hee hee hee.   Yer killin me over here Jeff.....Ha ha ha ha

It's pretty obvious you must've spent waaay too much time at NASA. Oh, well, have you given any consideration to like a refresher course on physics or anything? 

Education cn be defined as what's left after you subtract what you forgot from school. ~ Old audiophile expression

jollygreenaudiophile2

Now that’s funny!

We can only imagine what the 'Big Boys' are planning next for audio reproduction? And really hope the next big thing fits inside a sound room.  ⌣

Geoffery, you are boring us to death with the same old repetitive one liners. They remind me of a deep scratch in a record…itch …itch …itch …itch … It’s really time for some new material, please?

Robert - Star Sound