4 Walker tuning discs on top, Walker Ultimate Valid points underneath 1 in front 2 in back, and that all sits on a Sounds of Silence Vibraplane. |
To decouple or couple? That is the question. You cannot mix the two. Well, you can, but you're killing your road to happy coupling...I'm a coupler, and have been happy ever since...It's doable...total isolation isn't. Never! Happy listening. |
Neuance Alpha shelf with the cdp supported by myrtlewood blocks. There is a picture showing the maple boards on the wall stand in my virtual system. |
Warrehn beat me to it! I also like the Audiopoint line. |
Warrehn beat me to it! I also like the Audiopoint line. |
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Vibrapods under; 5 lbs of sand on top. |
I have a Karik III and I use Audiopoints brass cones between the player and a Michael Green rack. I found the pneumatic platforms (Townshend and Brightstar) and Vibrapods slowed the pacing and bass, although they are smooth-sounding. Audiopoints opened up the top, reduced the digital glare and added depth and space, with absolutely zero trade-off. (Mapleshades are also very good). My experience, BTW, is that power cords are not very meaningful to Linn equipment, especially pieces with switching power supplies, like the Ikemi. I tried the JPS Digital and others, and also tried Shunyata and others on my Karik and on my Lingo, and sent them all back. PC's did improve my Majik and my old LK280, so the amps seem to be a different story. |
Try some isolation cones or isolation platforms, simply search "isolation" on AUdiogon and you will find tons. |
I use Audioquest sorbothane pucks under my Sony SCD-777es. I wish they weren't as tall as the are (about 1") because the Sony is top loading and I have a turntable as my primary source. With the sony on the second shelf it gets crowded sometimes. |
Sony 9000ES... set of Walker Valid Points brass cones on their matching lead discs on a lead filled Lovan Sovereign stand. Tara Labs Decade power cord. |
I use those gel filled wrist pads for computer typing under my CD player. Great for vibration absorption. I place small (2 by 2) ceramic tile under them for stability. Works great. |
Many PCs to choose from. I think you will be surprised at the performance of a good PC. The Neuance shelf on a rack or Sistrum rack greatly improves the sound you will get from your CDP. Good advice from some above. |
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If you spell your coffee laughing while reading this I'm not responsable. First there is 1" bubblewrap[from advice here on AG]. Thanks again. On top of the Bubblewrap is a maple butcher block. On top of the block are three Smitty Balls[ my version of the DIYumas] The cd player floates nicely on this[leveled] with a sand bag setting on the top cover...It took a bit of trial and error listening and changing until I liked what I heard. After all, all the above methods obviously work for their owners. You have to decide which "effect" furthers your enjoyment of your cds. Happy New Year everyone. |
my "digital stack" top-to-bottom:
CDP
Nordost Pulsar Points - titanium option
Zoethecus Z-Slab shelf
Vibrapods
(all this is atop the rack's shelf)
JPS Digital AC power cord
Your own situation dictates what will work best for you - the same tweaks in another rig will have some effects, but they will be different & not necessarily optimum. The only way to find out what works best for you & with your sonic preferences is to experiment. Try lots of different things & then sell what you don't keep. Use the aforementioned suggestions only as guidelines. Cones alone come in numerous variations, & they are all different sounding - aluminum, brass, titanium, steel, carbon fiber, ceramic, polycrystal, wood, (you-name-it). |
I have my CDP sitting on a Sisturm Platform designed to couple my CDP. This is one beautiful piece of engineering. Imagine to 2" brass cones, one point up, one point down, threaded together through a steel triangular resonant coupler. Can't imagine? Go to their website: audiopoints.com and you'll see the whole deal. You'll think you bought a new CDP once you put your baby on top of this system. They are amazing. I'm not a decoupler. While I know it works for many, it's really quite an impossibility to achieve, especially when you (we forget) take into account airborne resonances. Then the very things you're using to decouple, keep those nasty microphonous resonances right where you don't want them. Coupling. That
's the ticket. The technology and physics is still a mystery to many of us. On their website, they and Robert, will explain, very patiently, what the whole deal is about. Their stuff has a money back guarentee. Whaddaya got to lose? Happy New Year, warren |
Audio Aero Capitol Mark 2 comes with BDR cones,underneath is a bright star air mass 2 underneath this is a bright star big rock setting on concrete floor. |
Putting Tara Labs Vanishing Points under my Linn Genki made a HUGE difference. Three points, one in front & two in back (ala YBA) made everything wider, deeper and less glary. No joke, I took them out after a few months to see if I was imaginaing things and the soundstage just collapsed. AC cords on the other hand changed the sound but just made it different, not better. Most people suggest sticking to the Linn AC cable and I would have to agree. Since your Ikemi is the same chassis I would be shocked if some good iso points (BDR does not go well with Linn IMHO) like the Tara Labs would have similar improvements. |
Symposium Roller Bearings on top of a Purist Audio Isolation shelf.
I agree with Tsrart about replacing the power cord on the Sony 9000. I got a big improvement swapping mine too. |
Solid Tech 'Feet of Silence'- use under transport/CDP |
Aurios Pro at the top of the structure under the CDP.
Bright Star Big Rock in the middle.
Aural Thrills Turntable Isolation Box at the bottom. |
I put a DIY sandbox under my Sony 9000ES and swapped the stock power cord for one of Ernie's DIY Belden Firewire power cords -- made a BIG difference in the sound. The CDP now sounds a lot smoother with much more detail. |
