Has anyone had experiences good or bad with speaker isolation or isolation in general ?


hi
i have been enjoying buying and listening to hifi for some 35 years now and have seen many items come and go.I have also been interested in the audio cable discussions and i agree that cables do make a difference how much of a difference is a very individual, and a system dependent situation. There has been nothing that has got me so excited and improved the sound of my system that has ever made me want to really share it with fellow audiophiles until i started to try various isolation products.With so much choice from affordable to very expensive i found the hole subject very confusing and i did not know where to start. After trying lots of various products all shapes and sizes with very different results i decided to read reviews which is something i do not usually do to get some advise.I read a review on the Townshend audio seismic podiums they are isolation platforms that go under your speakers .This company is very famous for isolation ideas and have been around some 50 years based here in the UK they also had a factory in the USA back in the 1980s. I contacted Nick at Emporium hifi  and he agreed to install a pair for me so i could have a listen. My speakers are sound-lab dynastats which i use in quite a small room but with the adjustments give a nice sound. After installing the podiums we both sat down with jaws hitting the floor these podium things completely transformed the sound of my system to absolute perfection. After all this time trying various products under my equipment i have now isolated my speakers and the sound quality is exactly what i believe we all are chasing, my sound-labs are now transparent no more bass problems i have just got one big 3D sound stage the dynastats are now very open with deeper much better bass everything is perfect. I now believe isolating your loudspeakers is the first port of call i was so impressed by the Townshend audio seismic products i now sell them as i have never come across anything that has given my system such a great upgrade , the sound is the same as before but now its just so much better its playing deeper bass but tighter much more resolution and no boom , the midrange is so much more human sounding realistic and spacious with the top end so refined and perfect , is anyone using podiums and had the same experiences i would love to hear from you thank you john 
mains

Showing 6 responses by playpen

  Has anyone tried isolation on the front of the cabinet like I did?On my modest system with Paradigm studio 60V5's the best improvement beyond speaker base isolation was heavy brass weights and large brass strapped around the speaker under the air vent.Naturally covers have to be off and their is no damage done to the speakers.I have 2 spots on both speakers I did this with excellent results.Yes it looks odd but I'm after better sound not cosmetic appeal.The straps need to be secure and snug.This was the best improvement I did to those speakers.
  OK,thanks for the pic post info.Maybe I did do damping not isolation.I'll attempt a pic post tomorrow sunday.It's really quite simple,maybe it's just reinforcing the cabinet but I think it's reducing vibrations to the drivers.I did the same thing with my Paradigm studio V'2s with similar results.You have to experiment with different positions as some do nothing.
 Toddverrone,I did get my pics up on virtual system save,I hope you can view them,I'm not sure if I got them to post or not,let me know.
  I forgot to mention I also loaded those brass vessels with more brass inside of them.This is the best modification I did with these speakers,and you have to experiment where the best placement should be.
 Yes I made my own speaker platforms out of heavy bowling alley I believe maple 30" by30" by 2" and 4 half " all thread rod nuts top and bottom to thread exact tweeter height on both speakers,just less than a half inch off will degrade sound.I can also tweek out slight angle adjustments by simply adjusting bottom nuts.But I found my platforms also needed reinforced brass under the speakers from floor to the maple.I further tuned up the stands with brass and 10 lb barbell weights on top.Nuts isn't it,well that's what I like to do being retired.I'll take pics of my DIY platforms.
  Audiopoint Robert,yes I do believe you are right,I always wanted to do that but they were a pricey item I forgot about and should have done soon after I bought the speakers.I wonder if there is a set made with interchangeable screw in mounts so they could be used on other speakers if I ever sold mine.