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What's the best isolation system?

Let's hear your ideas on isolation. I'm hoping this will be a survey of systems featuring the different cone products including Mapleshade Triplepoints and heavy hats, Audiopoints various sizes and their footers, Black Diamond, DB Systems etc; through products like Vibrapod and the sorbathane gel feet,include the bearing type products like Aurios, and how you implemeneted or combined systems for the best sound.

If anyone has tried the Van Slyke Engineering Tri Orbs that have been heavily advertised I'd like to know also.

For instance I'm now using a hybrid Vibrapod sandwich which includes a set of Vibrapods (tumed for each component) a quarter inch piece of plate glass, and then Audiopoint or Mapleshade cones (I'm trying to decide between the two.) I have arrived at this combo by a couple of years of listening in a friends and my system by carefully substituting one product at a time.

Hope to hear from you all.
Steve
128x128sgr

Showing 2 responses by lugnut

lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Steve,

My ideas on isolation? This will anger a lot of folks but here goes. Best: Concrete floor, rigid stand(s) with spikes, 3/4" MDF shelves. Second best: Wall mounted 3/4" MDF shelves on a load bearing wall. Turntables should be isolated from other equipment by having their own stand or shelf. The only thing one needs to worry about with this concept is airborne vibrations and that can be minimized by strategically placing the speakers in relation to the electronics.

I certainly believe that anti-vibration devices can work and are desirable for tubes and CDP's. I question the use of glass in thicknesses of less than 1/2".

I'll share a little trick I learned 30+ years ago to check vibrations and it's cheap. Buy one of the laser pointers and tape it to a tripod which is placed on the ground outside of an open window. Use double sided tape to attach a very small mirror to the item to be checked for the effects of vibration. The goal is to reflect the light to a surface as far away as possible. Watch the reflected beam of light with and without music and you will observe the vibrations.

As for glass, do this test on an exterior window as far away from the music as possible. You'll see instantly why glass is an audio no-no.
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Rcrump,

I really am interested in your comments about the points since I'm in the process of building a new equipment rack. Would you say that aluminum points for a rack would be the way to go with a mild steel frame? Do you think aluminum would be a better material for the frame itself? Also, my comments about glass were limited to shelving material. In no way was I being critical with whatever works. Also, a world without windows would be an ugly thing, indeed. It doesn't surprise me that windows behind your system have little effect especially if you have floor standers out in the room as is the norm. Is there an aduible difference between the drapes being open and closed? Just to clarify on my turntable recommendations; what I described works extremely well with suspension turntables. I understand that suspension-less tables want lots of mass.

Patrick
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