Alternatives to Stillpoints


I am using the Stillpoints Ultra SS with good success in some of my gear. Looking to complete two more sets. Then it hit me, is there anything better (preferably cheaper) out there?
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Showing 2 responses by bdp24

The original, cheapest Ingress is indeed a Symposium Jr. imitation. The higher priced Ingress are a very different story. Larger diameter bowl with a shallower slope for the ball bearing to climb (that climb the most important isolation design element of the roller bearing), 7075 aluminum in place of the softer 6061 used by Symposium (harder and smoother), and superior polishing. State-Of-The-Art in roller bearings imo. I have the cheap ones (double cup design) and the more expensive ones (single cup, with a stainless steel disc on the bottom of the component for the ball bearing to roll on), as well as a couple sets of the Symposium Jr's. They're all good. Still need a spring though, as roller bearings do not isolate in the vertical plane.

And then there is the Townshend Audio Seismic Pod!

Symposium Acoustics is the best known maker of roller bearings, and their Rollerblock Series 2 and Rollerblock Jr. are fine products at a fair price, really well made. Before ordering either, consider the roller bearings offered by the Canadian company Ingress Engineering. They offer three models, the best (and most expensive of course, but still cheaper than both the Symposium models) of a decidedly better design and build than even the Rollerblock Series 2.

The bowl carved into the Ingress cup is of a larger diameter than that in the Symposiums, producing a lower resonant frequency (and therefore better isolation). The bowls are then polished to a mirror-like finish for lowest friction. Also, the cup is manufactured out of the harder 7075 formula aluminum, as opposed to the softer 6061 of the Symposiums and the cheaper Ingress’. Three cups with ball bearings for under $200, a good value imo. For those preferring a top and bottom cup, the bottom-level Ingress is of the dual-cup design. As good as the Symposium Rollerblock Jr., at about half it's price.