Speaker isolation or absorbtion - what is best?

You also may send an email to VERITY AUDIO to see what they might recommended you for an improvement....
Good luck

Lateley I have had the opportunity to experiment with some products from UK manufacturer Vertex AQ, who approach the problem of vibration transmission within a hi fi system from a novel perspective.

I own Avalon Indra speakers supported by their heavy Apex couplers (spikes) to my carpeted concrete floor. The Indras are pretty well damped as enclosures go but I had been thinking of the vibration transmitted back from the speaker terminals to the amplifier and so on into the system and the negative effects of that vibration.

I am a complete disciple of Stillpoints technology and use the ESS405 equipment rack for my source components with Stillpoints + Risers under each unit on each acrylic shelf.

AC power distribution and CJ Premier 350SA amp are both supported on Stillpoints Component Stands with intermediate Stillpoints + Risers.

I use MIT Oracle MA-X interconnects and MIT Magnum MA speaker cables which have network boxes containig circuitry.

I have enjoyed a substantial improvement to resolution and soundstage/imagery by utilising a pair of Vertex AQ Moncayo speaker links between the MAgnum MA's and the Indra speaker terminals.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a link to my Photobucket album pages http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/crystalref/
The first picture on page 1 shows the Vertex speaker links.

The boxes on the speaker links contain an acoustic labrynth with single point contact on the silver cables, which pass through the box unbroken. The acoustic labrynth is designed to 'drain' vibrational energy from the cables, preventing it from travelling back to the amplifier and source.

In my case, an extra benefit is to isolate the network circuitry in the MIT boxes as well.

Vertex AQ manufacture complete system solutions for support, mains EMI/RFI reduction and viibration control. Check out their website here http://www.vertexaq.com/

Vertex Pico boxes can also be placed on top of speakers where this allows and are designed to drain energy from the enclosure via the acoustic labrynths within the boxes.

I have absolutely no commercial connection with Vertex other than as a satisfied customer.

I think my non-UK enthusiasts would be interested in reading about their products as I rarely find any references to them on Audiogon.

With reference to the original question. I have tried Stillpoints + Inverse Risers under the Indras but prefer the stability offered by Avalon's Apex couplers.

Now Stillpoints Component stands under each speaker would be another proposition!

Oops! Looks like the links didn't post properly, so here they are again.

http://www.vertexaq.com/

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/crystalref/

Regards

Steve

As always with audio, it depends. With my old Focal Alto speakers they sounded best with spikes on couplers and Herbie's dbNeutralizer pads under the couplers. However, with my new Focal Scala speakers they sound best spiked directly into the floor.

There are no shortcuts, you have to try the options yourself. In this case, it's a relatively cheap experiment so there is no excuse.

All feets/ platforms will probably do something. Though, what they do, might be straighly the opposite to one another.
Generally speaking, spikes connects the chassis to the floor.
Which usually is no good idea. Springloaded or suspended often makes bass very dry and shy. Effect of this could be very high level of detail but a pronounced and not ear-friendly top. There are a possibility to use feets in conjunction with chassis drain-devices. But to fully determine which weight is not easy (on top of chassis).
However, it is not a bad thing to help the speakers get rid of stored energy as this tends to affect the overall sound very much. Some cases, cables choices become very different after and before the speakers are drained.
I understand what wonder about this.
I do not say this is your only choice, but you can look here for one choice.

Feets (you can order 4 instead of 3 per chassis):
http://www.entreq.com/default.asp?PageId=1923

Drain (mice and cone, same except for visual):
http://www.entreq.com/default.asp?PageId=1924

When i tried this, i must say, the effect is not at all small. A good speaker, can easily become extremely better sounding. (Mine is one example!)
This will most likely improve microdynamics, inner detail (as chassis vibration/ sound affects lesser), impact, start/stop-decay, bass nuance, air. The sound became clearer - less smear - less muddy. Intitially better speed (PRAT) and lesser sense of compression in woofer and upper mid.

This is part of what i notice in my system.

I hope that you dare try this and i believe the effect will put a smile in your face and ears.

I would try, from 4Kg's and up in weight for drain devies for full range speakers. I use Jumbo cone (one per chassis and four cat feets under speakers original feets).