Sonus Faber Guarneri - will any aiddtional isolation be beneficial?

I cannot say specifically about the SF Guarneri, but, with a lot of speakers, the use of an energy absorbing (vibration dissipated as friction/heat) platform does make a big difference.  Whether or not that difference is a positive, depends on the particular situation.  In my case, putting the bottom of my speaker in contact with a svelt shelf, instead of using footers, had a positive effect on the sound (tighter bass, greater clarity).  I have heard several other setups where svelte shelves or other energy dissipating platforms were used in lieu of cones or other types of footers, and in most cases, the results were positive.  I suspect that they work best when suspended wooden floors are involve because sharp cones would have the effect of coupling the floor to the speaker and making the floor act like a giant sounding board.

The only way to know if this is the right way to go is to actually experiment.  Perhaps, if you can find cheap sorbothane pucks, you can at least make a rough comparison of coupling to the floor, vs. decoupling and dissipating energy.

Hi Folkfreak,

I am looking at upping my isolation game by using something like the Townsend Podium or Corners in place of the Svelte Shelf I currently use.  I would need the largest Podium (24" wide), and even that would not have the full depth of my speakers so they would have to overhang the bottom plate.

Do the Podiums you use allow for tilting the speaker at an angle (raising the front two corners)?  For my setup, a mild rake angle would be desirable.  Townsend's website says the feet are adjustable for leveling the speakers, but, I am concerned that deliberately tilting the bottom platform might interfere with the movement of the springs that provide the isolation.  

Hi Folkfreak,

Thanks for your response.

I have a pair of SAP J2001 speakers, although I have switched out its midrange horn in favor of very old Western Electric 731 b driver and a Western Electric KS 12025 horn.  The bass cabinet should barely fit between the feet of the largest Podium.  

As for the tilt issue, I would prefer not using any kind of feet on the speaker so that the platform of the Podium is in full contact with the bottom of the speaker.  That would allow for the best transmission of vibration generated by the speaker into the platform device for dissipation (this is what Symposium said about use of their platforms under speakers).  I could put the Svelte Shelf under the speaker and use either the Townsend Podium (with some sort of riser) or the Townsend Corners to support the shelves.  

Chayro,

I completely agree.  As with any sort of "tuning" whether the result is positive or negative is dependent on a whole lot of factors that make it impossible to predict the outcome.  That is why I recommended some kind of cheap and rough experiment first before paying for very expensive isolation options.  By damping resonance, isolation devices will tighten up the sound which will most often mean a leaner sound; it is hard to say whether this will be "better" in any particular application.