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Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium Platform Review:

Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium Platform Review:

Comparison:  To the Iso- Acoustics Gaia 1’s.

Procedure: I removed my Iso-Acoustics Gaia 1’s that I have had under my Focal Sopra 2’s speakers from their entry into my system to compare the sound with the Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium Platform.

With the 2 Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium Platform size 3 now in place. BTW,  I must add that I placed the order from Townshend in England from the USA on Tuesday, they were shipped on Thursday and I received both of them by Monday. Pretty fast shipping, Oh, if only the USPS could get there act together…

Starting with the bass. = There is definatly more clearly defined bass notes. Defined is my choice word. I listened to familiar tunes with prominent bass notes.  I like to imagine if I can feel a real bass player playing along. That is; with the power and tonality of a live performer. Can you feel the bass pluck?

Midrange. = I hear more hidden clues in the music. I listen for the clarity of the voice and instruments. Live recording’s is usually the best to examine. (See my conclusion below)

Treble. = The highs are extended naturally. Nothing added or taken away. I think the treble sounds more open, cymbals shimmer longer, better? Again, I think so.

Soundstage. = Definitely an improvement in both front/back side to side images. Very happy.

Conclusion:

Ok, I admit I am an old time rocker. My favorite group is Creedence Clearwater Revival. On the “Green River” tune (24/192hz download), previously I could sense the rhythm guitar of John’s older brother Tom strumming but could never quite hear it clearly. No wonder he got pissed.

Well today with the Townshend Platforms in place, I can hear the brother clearly strumming along, a little left of center, sort of floating above the speakers. This tells me that I am hearing deeper minute images that were once buried in the mix.

I like the livelier sound on the Led Zeppelin track “Rock & Roll” HD 24/96hz but it always seemed a little anemic, like it should sound more dynamic. Well now with Townshend Platforms in place it does! The drum whacks have more presence. And the cymbals really ride with the music. Most impressive.

The size of the Platforms fit my Focal Sopra 2’s perfectly, almost like they were made for them. Edge to edge in all directions, perfect fit. For smaller rooms the outrigger extensions may be cumbersome but in my open room they look fine.

Nothing negative to report, except maybe the cost. But I also own many Critical Mass footers that are quite impressive and I can’t believe what those little buggers’ cost.

Quite frankly, instead of trying other footers that are perhaps cheaper and sort of a band aid approach that will cause you to keep searchin’ for that missing element, go for the real thing(s) and finally enjoy your system.

ozzy


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Showing 8 responses by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
They transformed mine to the point they transformed the room. Seriously. I was just about ready to give up and look into tube traps or something, when Podiums cleaned up the bass so much there is no longer any point really.  
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
No, they are springs, no break-in. Just take your time getting them set up, speakers perfectly positioned, nice and level. Then kick back and enjoy!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Wow that is one impressive fantasy you got going there!

Internal resonances are internal resonances, distinctly different than ringing, which is just a fact and not anything to do with how I like to put it. Actually for the record the ringing description came from Max and his video. But it is a really good and accurate description and so since I like to be accurate I use it.

Feel free any time you want to stop spinning fantasies and start writing clearly to use it yourself- when appropriate, please!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Awesome.
Thank you, Oz
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I tried so many things, under speakers and everything else, and the BDR system of carbon fiber Cones and Shelf was so much better that it was my reference for decades. Then I was shocked to find springs so much better, and for a lot less money too which hardly ever happens.

Probably would have stopped right there were it not for John Hannant leading me onto the Townshend Pods and Podiums. They have been around a long time but pretty much off the radar here in the US and with nobody I knew about using them it took me a while to feel like giving them a try. Once I did though, wow!

Obviously others had used them before, just hardly anyone knew about it. When I find something really good like this, well it’s just the coolest thing to let people know. Don’t care if it’s a spring or a rubber band, a Schumann generator or a cable elevator, if it helps the magic I am all for it. This stuff totally helps make the magic.

This helps in a general sense too. Because the way I see it, what this shows is not just that this one particular thing is really good, but that this one fundamental concept is really good. That idea being, to leave each component free to vibrate on it’s own. Works with speakers, turntables, amps, source components. Works with speaker cables, interconnects, power cords. Recently cut my crossovers free from the brace they were mounted on, working on testing how well it works there. This is now as far as I’m concerned a proven concept.

Where else can we use it? Think of something, try it- find out!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
You got that right. Oz and some of the others have been around long enough to know this, but I was a huge fan of BDR Cones and stiff massive carbon fiber. Springs were such a radically different concept from the status quo it was hard to see how it could work. But the Townshend video was compelling, all the springs I tried were way better than BDR, and when finally Townshend turned out to be way better than all the other springs. 

Turns out there is a good explanation for why these things work. But there is also a lot of stuff out there that does indeed work, we just maybe haven't yet figured out how. And probably a whole lot more stuff that works but we haven't even heard of it yet. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Nice work on the tweaks, tvad. Nobsound under tubes, springs in general, are quite the tweak for tubes. Pods are even better. Podiums are by far the better looking. Mine look almost like they were made for my Charcoal Moabs.


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Excellent. There's stuff like this that really matters, and Podiums are one of the bigger ones I have tried. But is hard to believe especially when only one or two talking about it. Really appreciate taking the time to write this up Oz, thanks!
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