New Air Suspension Footers for VPI TNT

I installed the footers on my turntable this morning, but I have not yet had a chance to listen to my system since the installation. Maybe this evening...

I will update this thread with my listening impressions once I have a chance to get a handle on the changes in the sound. I should note that, like Rives, I never took the plunge on the previous model air suspension footers. So I will not be able to provide any comments comparing the new footers to the now superceded air suspension model. I would also be interested in observations from anyone who has heard an A/B comparison of the old and new model air suspension footers.

Rives, the suspension mechanism in the new VPI footers is compressed air in the form of a paddleball. The paddleball sits in a cradle atop the footer, and the four stainless steel cylindrical corner posts that are attached to the plinth envelop and rest atop the paddleballs.

Rwd, I believe that the new TNT footers are a newly engineered design that VPI just finished within the past month. I was told that the footers I received this week were from the very first production run of the new parts. I don't know if the HRX air suspension footers are similar to the now superseded TNT design (i.e., require manual inflation, prone to leakage, etc.) or if the HRX footers have always involved a sealed ball design similar to the new footers for the TNT. Maybe someone who has assembled or disassembled an HRX can chime in here on this topic.

Well, I have managed to do some listening since putting the new air suspension footers into my system. The improvements in sound were:

1. Lower noise floor - I should note that, while I had the turntable dissassembled, I took the opportunity to clean and re-lubricate the bearing, bearing shaft and bearing well. This might have contributed significantly to the lower noise floor. Whatever the underlying cause, it surely is a welcome improvement.

2. Stability in Peak Passages - In peak orchestral passages when the typmani or tom-tom is struck, the sound is now tighter and more stable with no sign of "cracking up." With hindsight, I would say that the vibration from these sorts of musical passages was previously causing the plinth of the turntable to move slightly on the spring suspension, thus causing the sound to "crack up" a bit particularly in trailing edge transients.

3. Treble Extension - Again, apparently due to the pneumatic air suspension footers providing more stability than the old model spring suspension footers, there is noticeably better air and treble extension with the new footers in place.

Overall, I would say the new air suspension footers are definitely a worthwhile upgrade from the old spring suspension footers.

FYI, the "squishy balls" that VPI is using in the new air suspension footers are paddleballs - specifically Reactor brand paddleballs:

Reactor Paddleballs

The good news is that replacements should be readily available at your local sporting goods store in the event paddleballs supplied with the footers were to gradually lose pressure.

The paddleballs are all the same - they are literally the balls that are used in the paddle sport. Given that the paddleballs come packaged in the original Reactor canister, I don't believe VPI has modified them at all.

The pressurized balls provide suspension that is quite firm in comparison the spring suspension of my previous footers. Because of the firmness, the added weight of the tonearm does not cause the right rear corner of the turntable to be out of level my much at all. Unless your shelf (or isolation base) is perfectly level, I think you will find yourself using the leveling adjustments to correct the leveling of your shelf more so than to correct for the effect of the weight distribution on the plinth.

Balancing of the turntable is accomplished through the leveling adjustments on the four footers. The new leveling adjustment is in the form of a ring around the base of each footer that is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in order to lower or raise the respective corner of the turntable. I like the new leveling adjustments better than the ones on my previous footers that required the use of an allen wrench to adjust screws at the top of the four footers.

Melm,

The Reactor paddleballs that came with my new suspension footers are blue. I do expect that the balls will gradually lose their pressurization and I expect they will need to be replaced periodically. However, VPI did not provide any product literature on this topic, and I have not inquired of VPI whether they have any experience that would suggest an average estimated lifespan for the balls in this particular use.