On what material should I place my TT

navinsinha

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I am presently placing my TT on a marble slab. Is it right or is there a better material on which I should put my TT? Kindly help.
 
I am presently placing my TT on a marble slab. Is it right or is there a better material on which I should put my TT? Kindly help.

My question is - Where is the marble slab placed ?

I have found the best results when my turntable was kept directly on the cement floor (ground floor of the house). This was very uncomfortable to use so after experimenting a lot, I found the next best option on a heavy wooden rack which was placed directly on the floor.
 
Not a turntable expert, just a guy who grew up in the days when that was how we played music because... that was how we played music.

Now, much as I hate all the useless parafin alia which has seemingly become compulsory in the hifi world, like all the stuff about protecting cables and solid-state electronics from vibrations...

Turntables is different.

Unless you always listen to your music motionless, and never do anything crazy like get up and dance ;) --- protect it from vibration.

And if I was still a serious turntable guy these days, I'd lust after one of those special isolation tables. Seriously. :)
 
Navinji, what do you want to achieve? More damping? Or more liveliness? Is your equipment rest/rack susceptible to air borne or floor borne vibrations? How is the level of the tonearm board of your 160? Is it perfectly level with the rest of the top plate? If you gently push down the arm board (with arm secured in the arm lock) , does it spring back to it's initial position immediately or does it go into a short oscillation before it can settle back to equiibrium?
 
How is the level...

And you did use a spirit level, right?

No, eyes are not good enough: our eyes are great at judging if things are parallel or perpendicular to each other, so eyes will tell you if the turntable "looks" right with reference to nearby shelves, floor, wall, etc. But most houses are not actually built straight.
 
I am presently placing my TT on a marble slab. Is it right or is there a better material on which I should put my TT? Kindly help.

Yes, and most llikely No, to your two questions. But you can always experiment, and then, trust your own ears, not those of any of the 'experts'. The 160 is a suspended TT, which is less affected by the supporting shelf, so long as it's reasonably firm.
 
I use one of those soundfoundations multielement platforms placed on their finite elemente cerabase clones. Makes a profound difference to the sound of my Clearaudio tt.
 
Thanks FMs for all the responses.

The marble slab is fixed as the top of a wooden unit, well secured, hence no vibrations likely from the bottom or sides as the wooden unit is fixed to the wall.

I would like my music to be more lively. The tonearm looks to be level, but I have not used a spirit-level Bro.

Where can I find those soundfoundations multielement platforms Bro?
 
I would shy away from any manner of stones etc. I'm not sure if Maple wood is available there, but if you can get a 2 inch to 4 inch thick Maple block, you will be very happy. It acts as a sink for unwanted vibrations while at the same time imparting a natural tone that is pleasant to the listening experience.

Maple and Brass are a combination that is very very musical. Maple has a certain density and resonates a certain way that just works for audio applications in general.

If possible, look for air dried maple wood. If there is too much moisture still trapped inside the wood, these natural resonances I am talking about don't truly bloom.

One thing is a fact...EVERYTHING has a sound...every material, every interface, every combination of materials...everything. So you are surely headed on the right path.

If possible, couple the turntable plinth with brass spikes into the maple wood. If your turntable has built in isolation, you would need to experiment a bit more.
 
Hi Friend,

i used a wood Board little bigger in size than the TT, and mounted spikes as their feet,

Kept this wood Board above a solid wood table ... the difference was noticiable instantly, no echo even though you place speakers very close to the table ( although i place about 4 feet far )

I got the spikes done at a Lathe Machine shop at Hyderabad

Regards

Tanoj
 
Hi Shaizada,
Thanks! But Maple is not available in this part of the world. I am sure you know the Indian conditions, is there an alternative - Teak or Rosewood? I have already purchased the brass spikes form FM Magma (excellent stuff) but debating where to fix them - below the TT plinth or below a board?

Hi Tanoj,
Thanks! As mentioned above, the spikes are with me already. Now finally thinking what to do as mentioned above..........
 
Navin,

May I suggest you try BOTH wood platforms and possibly report back to the community. Try the platforms with the spikes and just trust your ears. The platform that you feel is not ideal for the turntable can still be used under the power amp or another audio equipment.

Very glad you got the brass footers! For now, use the spikes and experiment with different places in your audio system besides the turntable. You might love them under the amp. If you have 2 sets of three spikes, try them under the speakers as well.

Always fun to play with resonance and vibration control...you will learn a lot about your system. For solid state electronics, try compliant material like rubber based footers. It will make the sound more round and musical. Just have to tune and trust your ears :)
 
Hi Shaizada

The SRA team recommends use of sandstone or soapstone. In fact on their Craz rack they use soapstone. I have tried sandstone in the past and unlike other stones has no ringing and also is pretty neutral

Further a 2 inch thick slab should cost you approx Rs 1000. So not very expensive to give it a shot.
 
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Hi Shaizada

The SRA team recommends use of sandstone or soapstone. In fact on their Craz rack they use soapstone. I have tried sandstone in the past and unlike other stones has no ringing and also is pretty neutral

Further a 2 inch thick slab should cost you approx Rs 1000. So not very expensive to give it a shot.

Excellent idea Prem. With SRA, they tend to use wood internally or as a beam structure in their products. Stone bases when combined with compliant rubber and wood have a very different behavior as opposed to being used alone. In the SRA world, the designer has already figured out the correct combination and used the materials in a complete vibrational control system.

However, there is no substitute for experimentation. With prices that are so reasonable, I would surely experiment with the soapstone. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks a lot Brothers! You guys are really helpful.
Prem, another question to you - where do I get soapstone slab in Mumbai? I feel, they may not be available in the usual construction stone shops? Need your assistance Bro.
 
Soapstone is not available in Mumbai. It's equivalent is sandstone. Either of the stones are fine

Sandstone is available in Santacruz near the airport on the Western Express Highway.
 
Soapstone is not available in Mumbai. It's equivalent is sandstone. Either of the stones are fine

Sandstone is available in Santacruz near the airport on the Western Express Highway.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give Sandstone a shot and place me 401 on this as its currently staged on Glass.
 
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