Has anyone had experiences good or bad with speaker isolation or isolation in general ?


hi
i have been enjoying buying and listening to hifi for some 35 years now and have seen many items come and go.I have also been interested in the audio cable discussions and i agree that cables do make a difference how much of a difference is a very individual, and a system dependent situation. There has been nothing that has got me so excited and improved the sound of my system that has ever made me want to really share it with fellow audiophiles until i started to try various isolation products.With so much choice from affordable to very expensive i found the hole subject very confusing and i did not know where to start. After trying lots of various products all shapes and sizes with very different results i decided to read reviews which is something i do not usually do to get some advise.I read a review on the Townshend audio seismic podiums they are isolation platforms that go under your speakers .This company is very famous for isolation ideas and have been around some 50 years based here in the UK they also had a factory in the USA back in the 1980s. I contacted Nick at Emporium hifi  and he agreed to install a pair for me so i could have a listen. My speakers are sound-lab dynastats which i use in quite a small room but with the adjustments give a nice sound. After installing the podiums we both sat down with jaws hitting the floor these podium things completely transformed the sound of my system to absolute perfection. After all this time trying various products under my equipment i have now isolated my speakers and the sound quality is exactly what i believe we all are chasing, my sound-labs are now transparent no more bass problems i have just got one big 3D sound stage the dynastats are now very open with deeper much better bass everything is perfect. I now believe isolating your loudspeakers is the first port of call i was so impressed by the Townshend audio seismic products i now sell them as i have never come across anything that has given my system such a great upgrade , the sound is the same as before but now its just so much better its playing deeper bass but tighter much more resolution and no boom , the midrange is so much more human sounding realistic and spacious with the top end so refined and perfect , is anyone using podiums and had the same experiences i would love to hear from you thank you john 
mains
@cellcbern how stable are those iso pucks on carpet? Would I need to have a spiked platform to put my speakers on if I fitted them with the iso pucks? They’re still expensive, but..

Never you mind. I just looked at their web page. They sell cups with little spikes on them. 
Mains,

After, I stabilize my rack, I think my best approach is to isolate my speakers and especially my subs in the beginning. Then, go ahead and better isolate my equipment.

I had checked out the Townsend website due to this post, and sent an email seeking equipment recommendations. I'm waiting to hear back. Checking out the products, I can't use the podiums due to proximity of other equipment, but the Bars would work for my subs. An additional thought would be to put the Bars under my existing Symposium isolation platforms that the subs currently sit on. From your experience with the product, do you think this application of the Bars would be my best starting point?

BTW - I will be adding to my rack, side boards at the rear with a 1" dowel running across the backside of the rack at the top. From the dowel will hang strings attached to my components' ICs and power cords for the purpose of relieving strain due to the weight of these cables on the connectors. This was recommended to me by Bill at Shun Mook, and the side boards will also help to make my rack more rigid.
Kenny
to toddverrone:

With a heavy speaker like my Merlins (85 lbs. ea.) they are rock solid stable on carpet.  With a much lighter speaker I don't know.  However the rubber base of the Gaia prevents the footer from sliding so I use corian boards with large felt discs on the bottom on my wood floor just so I can slide them around.  On carpet, a wood, corian, marble, glass, granite, etc. board by itself would provide an even surface and allow you to slide the speakers.  The photo of the Kef Blades at the Isoacoustics website, for example, shows a glass or acrylic board between the Gaia footers and the carpet:

http://www.isoacoustics.com/products/gaia-series/



 
kennythekey,

please email me on johnhannant2016@hotmail.com i will help you sought your subs out kind regards john
hi todveronne,

Before you spend any money try the Townshend audio speaker bars they retail for around 1000gbp but can be found cheaper from where i purchased my Townshend Podiums regards john