Townshend Audio ones Through


Recently there was a posting where the OP asked if anyone else was having a problem getting a response from Townshend Audio to their questions. I responded in the affirmative as I had recently sent three emails to them via their website without a response. Emails sent through  Audiogon however did get an immediate  response. Apparently, an upgrade to their website caused this glitch. When this was brought to his attention a very apologetic John Townshend contacted me and went out of his way to address  the issue I emailed them about. Townshend Audio has great products and I would not hesitate to purchase from them in the future.
128x128lwin
Hello Mr. Miller Carbon:

I am going to bother you with one more question. Looking at your pictures, what are those discs between your speakers and the podiums and do you feel they are necessary?

Thanks again for all your help.
Sam$

Those are BDR Round Things. I have a lot of BDR from back in the 90's when it was pretty much the best thing around. So for years they were under everything. Pods and Podiums are a lot better, hugely better. But they can be used together. In my case since I already have them it cost me nothing. But if I didn't already have them no way would I buy, and that is why I don't even hardly mention them any more. It is such a chore moving the speakers around I haven't even tried to compare, just use em as much out of habit as anything, to be honest.   

The Round Things under the Podiums, different story. Those I did try both ways and they do make an improvement. Not enough to be worth buying though. If you use them on carpet I would just look for some nice looking furniture gliders, anything that will slide on carpet as that will make small adjustments a lot easier. 


Following MC I replaced my Gaia’s with the podiums and I was very surprised at the improvement. IMHO they work very very well with Full Range speakers and ribbon cables (In my case the wonderful silversmith Fideliums). Hard to imagine a more “live” sound. PRAT is amazing. Like others I thought I had vibration solved until these. Thanks MC
Following MC I replaced my Gaia’s with the podiums and I was very surprised at the improvement. IMHO they work very very well with Full Range speakers and ribbon cables (In my case the wonderful silversmith Fideliums). Hard to imagine a more “live” sound. PRAT is amazing. Like others I thought I had vibration solved until these. Thanks MC

Well I certainly have a "Townshend Audio Comes Through" story.

Ordered a set of Size 2 Seismic Bars with D Load Cells. It did take over 2 weeks before they shipped which was kind of a bummer, but these things happen. When they arrived, the first speaker (B&W Matrix 801 Series 2 with North Creek crossovers and 22lbs. of bass bin loading, about 150 lbs. all told) sat perfectly level with all the load cells at about half compression, perfect! Happily, the bars at maximum shortening are the perfect length for the big B&Ws. The second set didn't go so well. Long story short, one of the load cells, although labeled 'D' was in fact a C Load Cell. It got completely squished under the speaker.

So I called and left a message for John at Townshend Audio. He called back right away. He indicated that such a mistake was “extremely rare”, which, as I’m like the Grand Pooba of the FHS (Fallible Human Society), I had compassion for and believe to be true. John indicated that a replacement D Load Cell would be sent out, and sure enough, the next day I received notice that the shipment was on it’s way. He also indicated that he’d give me a discount on a future purchase which I thought was cool. Once installed, the replacement load cell made the second set of bars work perfectly, just like the first.

So, now I had a lone C Load Cell. What to do. Use it somehow. Our preamp is a 2006 Dodd Audio Battery Powered Preamp. It’s got 4 x 5Ah SLA batteries at the back of the preamp which makes the back of the preamp weigh about 25 lbs. The front of the preamp contains mostly air, along with 2 x 6N23P tubes, a couple of bypassed 2.2mF caps, some wire and 3 knobs, weighing about 5 lbs. So a really uneven weight distribution. Anyhoo, I placed the ‘C’ Load Cell under the middle of the back of the preamp and then a Nobsound spring footer (with only 4 springs/footer) under each front corner and the preamp was dead level. Sounded cleaner too. I emailed John asking him what he could sell me 2 x AA Load Cells and a Pod Cap for the lone C cell.  He wrote back that he would send them free of charge. Wow! That was unexpected and awesome!

The end of the story is that they arrived yesterday and the preamp is dead level under the 1 x C Load Cell at the center back and the 2 x AA Load Cells at each front corner. And yes, the sound is noticeably cleaner yet again! Nobsound footers are now under the turntable though destined to be replaced by something Townshend Audio…

Lotta nice folks in the boutique audio world, but I certainly view John and Max and Sue Townshend to be among the nicest.