Turntable Isolation Platform

[Fiftyfifty]

Hi,

Has anyone tried:
Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform?

Is it useful? Is it effective? Does a heavy turntable with a solid plinth need an isolation platform? Any recommendations for a good tt isolation platform? Any used one available for sale?

Thanks

 

[jls001]

No experience with the Auralex isolation platform.

I have tried a few different footers under a heavy-plinthed idler drive. This TT has no inbuilt dampening of any sort. Simple brass cones work well in draining the vibration from the TT to support shelf (and I think it prevents or at least minimise vibration from the support from reaching the TT).

On the same TT, ceramic ball based footers work better than brass.

Replacing brass cone or ceramic ball based footer with thick foam totally killed the sound. I got lots of bad bass energy and lost definition in mids and highs.

Adding a 12 mm thick slab of slate tightens focus and makes it more coherent, but then I believe the slate provides damping (by virtue of its natural property) and not isolation. Alternatively, or may be additionally, it's perfectly possible that the dense slate provides added mass loading to the plinth.

Currently I'm using four springs under the TT, atop two layers of 12 mm slate slabs which rest on the shelf of audio rack. It took lots of trials to find ideal position for the springs since the TT has uneven weight distribution, while the springs are all of the same spring rate so they compress unequally when simply placed on the four corners. Further experimentation and trial was needed to actually damp the springs themselves. Without damping, they react like hair triggers. The number of rebounces when the TT is pushed down with some force needs fine tuning by varying the amount of damping applied.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Hi jls001,

All that you have said makes perfect sense. I have had very similar experience with foam, nicely described by you as 'lots of bad bass energy and lost definition in mids and highs'. And the uneven weight of the tt is also a very important factor, which I discovered when I tried to use Vibrapod isolators under the 3 feet and one under the motor, making the levelling of the tt a nightmare. I have the additional issue of the motor independently resting on the shelf, separate from the plinth! Therefore a platform is a better solution that will give me level surface.
I don't really have a vibration problem, no skips when I walk, run or jump around the room. I was just trying to squeeze out the elusive last drop of SQ from the tt, hence my curiosity about an isolation platform. My tt currently rests on a 1" marble slab that forms the top shelf of my beech wood equipment rack, which is supported on spikes resting on the ceramic floor.

Thanks a ton!

 

[mpw]

I am using simple spikes from magma

It looks good aesthetically too ..for me atleast..

My concern was more from aesthetic pov but I feel it helps with the sound too.

My setup is quite modest anyways

 

[reignofchaos]

I use cerabase clones made by magma (soundfoundations) with the two layer sandwiched plinth as the base. Works really well for my clearaudio concept. Since your marantz is also a clearaudio, I think it will work pretty well.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Soundfoundations now also offers a Maplewood turntable isolation platform!

 

[prem]

Fiftyfifty, I would remove the marble slab you have and see how your turntable works directly on your beechwood shelf

If you must have something on top of your wood shelf for aesthetic reasons try acrylic instead of marble. Ideally avoid either

 

[G401fan]

Fiftyfifty,
You have an unsuspended turntable, for which a marble slab is a potential disaster. Marble rings, and would potentially give a ‘hard’ Sound. Try a wooden block instead, or better still, check out the Cerabase footers from Soundfoundations.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

@prem @G401 Thanks for the inputs.
I had thought that marble is less likely to transmit vibrations as compared to wood. The marble slab actually forms the top shelf of the rack - there is no wooden top. I will try the SSC magnetic decouplers that I got from Jochen. If they impact the sound positively, I will move in that direction. Ad then there's this: https://www.hifimart.com/sound-foundation-isolation-plinth-platforms.html
The size is not appropriate to my need but perhaps I could ask Ali to custom make one for me.

 

[prem]

If possible have a nice maple shelf wall mounted on brackets and place your turntable on that.

http://www.townshendaudio.com/hi-fi...t-vibration-isolation/seismic-isolation-pods/

These would also work very well

 

[Fiftyfifty]

These are what I use under my preamp. I will try these under my tt:
https://www.maplatine.com/en/cones-feet-and-decoupling/3657-ssc-magicpoint-200-isolation-feet.html

The other optionis the SF Isolation platform that brings in the features sought for with maple + isolation:
https://www.hifimart.com/sound-foundation-isolation-plinth-platforms.html

@G401fan My system does not sound harsh at all, no glare, no hardness, despite the marble. In fact, I switched to marble from wood because of boominess. If anything, the sound leans towards being backward and warm.

I will start with the magnetic decoupling feet and then think of the SF or other platform. I also have my eye on the Gingko Cloud 11 platform:
https://www.musicdirect.com/vibration-control/gingko-cloud-11-platform

Thanks for the inputs

 

[prem]

I like the Sound Foundation platform. Check if a 4 inch version can be supplied

Both the SF and the Gingko will provide you isolation. But I don’t know your turntable. So you need to figure out if you want to drain out the vibrations or isolate it from feedback.

Your options are better at isolating.

 

[JayaRaa]

Would advise you look at the Avid Platform. Absolute phase has in stock.
http://www.avidhifi.com/supports_platform.htm

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Hi @prem @JayaRaa @G401fan @mpw @jls001 @reignofchaos

Thanks for all the inputs. After reading up several reviews of the Marantz TT15S1, it appears that the turntable itself is fairly well isolated with three large aluminium feet, a decoupled motor, an endless belt, a suspended spindle and a magnetic antiskate. So rather than try to isolate the turntable, I thought I should first focus on the replacing the marble top of my equipment rack with maple wood. I find that maple wood is not available in board form but as blocks. In order to fabricate a top for the rack, I need to fuse or stick several of these blocks together to give a, say, 3" x 60" x 20" board. Does this make sense, or will the fusing together of the blocks adversely affect the quality of sound. I'm happy to experiment along these lines. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[prem]

Fusing is fine. The 3 inch thick maple should hopefully solve all your issues

 

[jls001]

20 inch wide boards won't be available natively so gluing together smaller boards is the only way to get wider boards. Modern wood glues are so strong, provided they're cured under clamping pressure, that the joint will hold up even after the wood cracks under pressure.

 

[mpw]

i hope you hear the difference

good luck !

 

[Fiftyfifty]

i hope you hear the difference

good luck !

mpw, I can always imagine the difference. And the human mind cannot tell the difference between a real experience and an imagined one!

 

[sanjivnayak]

20 inch wide boards won't be available natively so gluing together smaller boards is the only way to get wider boards. Modern wood glues are so strong, provided they're cured under clamping pressure, that the joint will hold up even after the wood cracks under pressure.

It comes in different sizes. Length-wise 6' to 8' and width is 3' or 4'. So you can cut it to your size. Either you can go for Plywood or Blockboard. Blockboard contains small strips of wood blocks whereas plywood is solid. Thickness is up to 25mm. But there is possibility of buckling in plywood, hence go for blockboard of 3 layers for 3" thckness.

 

[MaSh]

Have you thought of building a Sand Box? I recently tried it out with my tower speakers and noticed a big difference in the sound. They sound so much more cleaner and clearer with no Bass Boom at all. I am sure a similar sand box made out of Ply should help. Any carpenter would be able to it in a couple of hours. Should cost close to nothing if you have ply left from interior woodwork.

MaSh