Kit racks and isolation

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Hi guy's.recently there is a thread on the turntable section about achieving isolation for turntables.well my turntable is on the top shelf of a attacama eris 5.0,and it's on floorboards (and carpet)I'm just wondering if there's a way to cut down on the vibrations that the rack is receiving from general to and fro in the room,short of sticking two concrete slabs in the corner of my room i can't think of anything,with some WAF,and a wall mounted shelf for the turntable,i don't think is a option,would adding ballast to the rack help?It's not critical obviously,but if there's a cheap and effective way I'd like to hear any ideas,thanks.

 

[wilro15]

I'm using some sorbothane feet under my turntable. Seems to do a good job of absorbing most vibrations from the floor (such as people walking or children bouncing). Can't say whether it makes any difference to the sound, but stops skipping!

 

[davedotco]

I know I go on a lot about modern enthusiasts (and most dealers) knowing nothing about turntables and vinyl replay in general, but sometimes I am amazed at just how much knowhow and expertise has been lost in this area.

I am not sure what is more disappointing, the mediocre performance of most vinyl systems or the fact that a lot of enthusiasts don't seem to know any better.

Find a decent dealer and get him to demonstrate the difference a proper support will make. I can explain all this till I am blue in the face but no-one takes any notice, a simple demonstration is all it takes.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Please explain then Dave.i'm nowhere near a dealership and can't just jump into one on a whim and start asking him to demonstrate such things.also the dealership is not my house and probably has stone floors or something ,whatever they'd set up would be wildly different to what my room/acoustics and whatever other variables are in my room.I'm not asking the earth,just an idea,but it doesn't matter,I'm not that fussed.If some of us trouble you so much,then why bother answering if you've nothing constructive to add.it seems you think most on the site are retards as we don't all seem to have your priveleged knowledge.bye.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Is your rack a hollow metal rack or have you got a wooden one ? If its hollow metal you could fill it with kids play sand that's been dried out . And for the shelves you could go to some where like home base and buy some marble slab for the base of the rack on the floor and then those big marble tiles for each of the shelves under each hi fi separate at least it would look better then concrete slabs but apart from that I am not sure what else you can do but look around for a heavyset rack

 

[davedotco]

Is your rack a hollow metal rack or have you got a wooden one ? If its hollow metal you could fill it with kids play sand that's been dried out . And for the shelves you could go to some where like home base and buy some marble slab for the base of the rack on the floor and then those big marble tiles for each of the shelves under each hi fi separate at least it would look better then concrete slabs but apart from that I am not sure what else you can do but look around for a heavyset rack

Sorry but this is just plain rubbish and will make the setup sound worse.

Vinyl players of the type under discussion need to be decoupled from the room, not coupled to the room by additional mass...*dash1*

This is absolutely basic setup, as I said above, no-one has a clue about turntables anymore.

 

[Al ears]

Is your rack a hollow metal rack or have you got a wooden one ? If its hollow metal you could fill it with kids play sand that's been dried out . And for the shelves you could go to some where like home base and buy some marble slab for the base of the rack on the floor and then those big marble tiles for each of the shelves under each hi fi separate at least it would look better then concrete slabs but apart from that I am not sure what else you can do but look around for a heavyset rack

Sorry but this is just plain rubbish and will make the setup sound worse.

Vinyl players of the type under discussion need to be decoupled from the room, not coupled to the room by additional mass...*dash1*

This is absolutely basic setup, as I said above, no-one has a clue about turntables anymore.

Agree, and the best de-coupler is a wall shelf.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Ok.I need to ask the mrs if I can put a shelf above my attacama eris stand then.thank you,I thought that would probably be the best solution,but I doubt she'll let me drill some big holes in the wall in the name of hi-fi,you see they just don't understand.. I did think adding some weigh might add solidity and make it less prone to the effects of vibrations from the floor.I'll just play my vinyl alone in my room when there's nothing to upset the stillness.lol.

 

[davedotco]

Is your rack a hollow metal rack or have you got a wooden one ? If its hollow metal you could fill it with kids play sand that's been dried out . And for the shelves you could go to some where like home base and buy some marble slab for the base of the rack on the floor and then those big marble tiles for each of the shelves under each hi fi separate at least it would look better then concrete slabs but apart from that I am not sure what else you can do but look around for a heavyset rack

Sorry but this is just plain rubbish and will make the setup sound worse.

Vinyl players of the type under discussion need to be decoupled from the room, not coupled to the room by additional mass...*dash1*

This is absolutely basic setup, as I said above, no-one has a clue about turntables anymore.

Agree, and the best de-coupler is a wall shelf.

The best, even on a wooden floor is a decent table, but decent tables are hard to find these days.

If you can find one of these...

Or even better a 'Phase 4', then you are sorted.

 

[davedotco]

Ok.I need to ask the mrs if I can put a shelf above my attacama eris stand then.thank you,I thought that would probably be the best solution,but I doubt she'll let me drill some big holes in the wall in the name of hi-fi,you see they just don't understand.. I did think adding some weigh might add solidity and make it less prone to the effects of vibrations from the floor.I'll just play my vinyl alone in my room when there's nothing to upset the stillness.lol.

But there is something "to upset the stillness".

It's called music and it will, given the chance, get into your player and wreck the sound. That is why supporting your player correctly is so important.

 

[drummerman]

Townshend isolation platform

 

[davedotco]

Townshend isolation platform

Not familier with the current versions but the older models were not effective on most players, worked well with the Rock by all accounts.

 

[macdiddy]

for those without unlimited funds or wishing not to upset the wife here we go.

so from what I gather from the above picture all we need is a sheet of glass with some spikes under it, both easily found online (amazon,ebay, search google for a glass cutters etc).

I personally use a set of these:

http://www.russandrews.com/jumbo-cone-feet-kit-of-3-42259990063/

(sometimes come up cheaper on ebay) as replacements for the existing feet on my Project so the only contact it has with the shelf it sits on is the three points at the end of the feet.

I would like to admit that my turntable is mounted on a wall shelf and also I have concrete floors but unlike the op, I don't have to worry about the waf (wife acceptance factor) when it came to drilling some very large holes in the wall.

*music2*

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Damn, I forgot about the music.I'll just sit alone in silence then.lol.

 

[drummerman]

Townshend isolation platform

Not familier with the current versions but the older models were not effective on most players, worked well with the Rock by all accounts.

Expensive but they work. He demonstrates them at shows with accelometers attached to speakers and TT's measuring vibration with/without (the product range now covers speaker platforms and other things as well as turntable sinks).

 

[Andrewjvt]

Blue Horizon

Sanctum Isolation Platform
PRICE: £195 TELEPHONE: 01276 501392 WEBSITE: bluehorizonideas

DETAILS

PRODUCT Blue Horizon Sanctum Isolation Platform

ORIGIN UK

TYPE Equipment isolation platform

FEATURES High-density fibreboard construction; shock-absorbing spiked feet

DISTRIBUTOR Sound Fowndations

ISOLATION PLATFORMS OFFER a great way to separate your audio equipment from all of those unwanted external vibrations. Your equipment itself also generates vibrations that need to be dissipated away from the signal chain in the audio setup, and the Sanctum Isolation Platform is designed to support all types of hi-fi component to do just that.

Available in a choice of either matt black or matt white finishes, the Sanctum is made from high-density fibreboard (HDF) for good mechanical stability and measures 450 x 40 x 400mm (WxHxD), including the shelf and isolation feet. The HDF shelf has four recesses that contain a dense compound of cork, rubber and leather to disperse mechanical resonances. It also contains a ‘visco-elastic’ polymer, which combines shock absorption with vibration isolation and damping characteristics over a very wide temperature range. The recesses are then finished with precisionmachined spiked aluminium cones, each of which fits into a 5mm brass spike protection foot. The Sanctum is designed to support loads of up to 30kg and has a large circular hole in the centre that claims to eliminate any vibrations within the shelf itself.

Make a difference

When in use supporting my record deck, I hear definite improvements, including a tightening up of the bass, which has more attack and punch than without the Sanctum in situ. The music appears to flow more effortlessly and I find that silences during momentary pauses sound somehow more natural and realistic. I am also able to hear similar improvements, though not quite as great, when the platform is used to support my valve CD player.

VERDICT

A well-made isolation platform that offers clear sonic improvements

 

[Vladimir]

The best, even on a wooden floor is a decent table, but decent tables are hard to find these days.

If you can find one of these...

Or even better a 'Phase 4', then you are sorted.

So simple yet effective. A table with a decoupled platform on spikes.

 

[drummerman]

Personally, I would say that spiked feet are probably the worst kind of 'decoupling' you can do where turntables are concerned.

You need something lossy, something that either converts energy/vibration into heat or some form of suspension which dissipates vibration into more minor movement.

As the cheapest option I'd use decent Sorbothane feet of appropriate volume for the weight of the turntable concerned.

Different materials will add to dissipation, so sorbothane with a further damped platform is even better.

However, this will not suffice if footfall due to dodgy floorboards are the problem. A wall mounted shelf will do a better job but you could add the sorbothane there.

At the top of the products available I'd probably splash out for a Townshend seismic platform had I got a table/system of sufficient quality.

 

[Vladimir]

The spikes need to be up with the pointy ends, otherwise it's coupling not decoupling. I think.

 

[andyjm]

Anything in direct, sharp or pointy contact will couple the items together (no matter which way up the spikes are). Squidgy, soft and bouncy contact will isolate the items from each other.

If the floor is a suspended wood floor, then the turntable should be isolated. ​In an old house, wall brackets should work. However, if the wall is plasterboard / studwork, then that is likely to be just as bad as the floor.

A DIY floor isolator can be made with a number of sheets of carpet underlay with a paving slab on top. This is the mechanical analogue of a low-pass filter. It won't stop the floor bouncing up and down, but will go a long way to filter out much of the floor resonances.

 

[Vladimir]

Anything in direct, sharp or pointy contact will couple the items together (no matter which way up the spikes are). Squidgy, soft and bouncy contact will isolate the items from each other.

If the floor is a suspended wood floor, then the turntable should be isolated. ​In an old house, wall brackets should work. However, if the wall is plasterboard / studwork, then that is likely to be just as bad as the floor.

A DIY floor isolator can be made with a number of sheets of carpet underlay with a paving slab on top. This is the mechanical analogue of a low-pass filter. It won't stop the floor bouncing up and down, but will go a long way to filter out much of the floor resonances.

Good to know this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

This was what I was trying to say in useing marble slab as the base as it looks better then concrete slab . Marble is heavy like concrete but looks better it was just an idea to help you but did not realise it was about stopping vibration on a record player . You can buy isolation cones on eBay very cheap

 

[CnoEvil]

Back when I was owned a TT, the advice was as DDC has stated ie. Light rigid tables with a MDF/Medite top. I still have the one by The Sound Organisation though I remember others from Origin Live (Cable Design).

 

[Al ears]

Back when I was owned a TT, the advice was as DDC has stated ie. Light rigid tables with a MDF/Medite top. I still have the one by The Sound Organisation though I remember others from Origin Live (Cable Design).

In my day is was the good old IKEA Lack side-table with Sorbothane half-domes under the legs. 🙂

It worked and was dirt cheap.