Cable isolators ???

The dielectric characteristics of foam are much more invasive than ceramic. I have used teepees and ceramic in previous systems, and I like the ceramic better.

Carpet is a dielectric that DOES effect the ability of cable to transfer signal.

I use cable isolators on both of my systems. They are used only to keep speaker cables and power cords off the carpet and route cables away from each other. Although they do not produce a dramatic improvement in sound, they do tend to slightly deepen and tighten bass and lower the noise floor. I would rather have them in my systems than do without. I would gladly purchase them again...

I use a set of audiophile cable insulators to lift my speaker cables off the carpet. They make enough of a difference that the day I put them in, my wife came home from work while I was listening to a well-recorded CD of jazz vocals and the first thing she said when walking through the door was "Did you change the tubes today? That sounds really good." So in my system it makes a real difference.

ElDartford - interesting experiment - How were you monitoring the preamp? On an oscilliscope? Connecte to a power amp and speaker? I've always felt the same - cna't understand how vibrations affect solid state electronics, and especially cables - although I could see where proxsimity to a di-electric such as a carpet might affect the cable properties.

I use them in both my systems, and they made a readily audible difference, mainly by lowering the noise floor. Well worth the investment, IMO.