I have used AC, BC and TC Sort Kones and highly recommend them. I ended up with TC's under all of my equipment...the positive effect is cumulative. They were most effective under my CD player then preamp then amp (in that order). You will only need 3 under the CD and preamp, I use 4 under my amp. Try to find a Nordost dealer that will let you demo them. Good luck!
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@agiaccio - here is the link to my site detailing the cone feet I have tried http://image99.net/blog/files/505119d0be04fa00f053d1e3491df5c8-80.html Hope you find it useful Regards - Steve |
@ agiaccio - I am a DIYer and just getting into the use of "cones" under all of my components and I like to try different options Based on my limited experience to date I can tell you that cones do make a noticeable difference, and sometimes not for the better. Even the design/materials of the cone under each component may need to be varied. What I have tried so far... - Glass & steel under turntable - sound is very detailed and full bodied - Wood Cone under turntable - a little more full bodied than the Glass + Steel, but very pleasing sound - Wood under the Phono stage - very full bodied sound and great image - Steel under the phono stage - extremely detailed, but the image was so far back it was as though I had been moved right to the back of the venue - I changed back to the wood cones - Wood under the Bluesound Node 2 digital streamer - improved image with a nice full bodied sound and much improved details. All of my components are housed in a metal three-leg rack with MDF shelves + layer of foam + granite tile. Each shelf is supported on strips of sorbotane to isolate it from from rack vibrations The rack is also extremely well isolated from surrounding airborn and floor vibrations, being placed well behind the speakers (about 6 feet), with very few vibrations from the ambient music to colour what the listener hears. Because I use granite to sit the component on I DO NOT use the little spike protectors that often accompany cones - I’ve heard they negatively impact the sound and granite does not require "protecting" I am having some cones made from Bronze and Brass to compare to those I have tried to date, but I am confident that they too will yield a "difference" in the way my system sounds. I will post my listening results here in a couple of weeks I think that this area is extremely complex to get right and may involve cones from different manufacturers and different materials based on the actual component and the rack it is housed in. The diameter of the cone, the mass of the material used and the materials used in the component are probably key in attaining the most suitable outcome Unfortunately there are lots of products to choose from and any of them could actually detract from the sound quality you currently have, depending on your listening room acoustics, rack configuration and components. If you are seeking the perfect sound then I would try some options from different brands. Depending on how deep your wallet is... - Mapleshade has it’s own approach and from their web site literature they have a two pronged approach of shelf material and brass feet - HiFi Collective is the company I purchased my wood cones from https://www.hificollective.co.uk/hifi-accessories/glasshouse-large-feet.html I have seen many other selections on Ebay - like these https://www.ebay.com/itm/6Set-Speaker-Spike-Isolation-ebony-Wood-Stand-Cone-Feet-Base-HIFI-Isolator-... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010FB0DYQ/ref=s9_acsd_topr_hd_bw_bkKYZ_c_x_1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080JCMS6/ref=s9_acsd_zwish_hd_bw_bkKYZ_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0D... https://www.amazon.com/Home-Audio-Video-Theatre-System/dp/B07GWN5WT1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538... The diferences I observed were mainly related to clarity, venue acoustics, image and the position of musicians within that image. Prior to trying out cones, I had addresed various areas in my system setup that I believed would affect the outcome of installing cones - e.g. - first, I eliminated most all echoes in my listening environment, because I felt that some changes may be rendrered in-audible by those echoes - second, I minimized any vibrations in my component rack - since I felt this would simply transfer those vibrations into the component - negating the benefits of the cones. From what I have read, the purpose of a cone is two-fold 1. to isolate the component from rack vibrations 2, but more importantly, to drain internal vibrations from the component itself Take a look at ... http://www.symposiumusa.com/tech1.html Those vibrations can be caused by airborn vibrations from the music and vibrations from the power supply transformer - and there are probably a host of other sources of vibrations as well. My own observations have been quite eye-opening, since I was a bit of a sceptic in this area. But installing the wood cones from Hifi Collective has now led be down this particular "rabbit hole" in order to observe what effects the different materials can have on sound quality. e.g. I know I already do not like the effect steel had on my phono stage The Nordost Cone may well be the "ultimate solution". Their explanations for the matierals/design sound good on paper, but I feel there may just be some other solutions that may outperform them under certain situations. Most of the feet I have queried on the web have been around 1" - 1.25" diameter. But I think for heavier components like Amps and TT’s the wider feet perform better. The medium sized feet from Hi-fi collective certainly worked best on my Phono stage. Complicated? - yes it is definitely more complex than I had imagined at the outset Hope you find some of this info useful. I’ll keep you posted - Steve |
Yes, same experience as Zimwig. I have TC kones under my Cary CDP and just about everything else as well |
I just installed the Sort Kones BC model under my Bel Canto CD-2 (used as transport). The diference in sound to my ear was dramatic. Increased air around every instrument, much blacker background, tighter bass and wider and deeper soundstage. I am very impressed. Have tried Black Diamond Racing Cones MK4 with some similar results, but not in the same class as the BC model. |