@kennythekey
I’ve come to similar conclusions about the efficacy of springs for isolation.
As I’ve detailed in my thread about re-vamping my Lovan rack to accommodate my new high mass turntable, I’ve tried a great many types of isolation materials and devices, using a variety of (home-spun) vibration tests and nothing has come close to the isolation effects of the spring-based Townshend iso-pods I am now using. (Measurably, when using seismometer apps).
I’ve been trying to reduce vibration/ringing both getting to the turntable and it’s base externally, and also reducing the chance of vibration from the turntable/motor etc. It was easy to reduce vibration getting to the turntable: just put it on a base being held up by the Townshend springs. Viola. Stomp the floor, knock on the rack below it, vibration effects almost gone.
But reducing vibration effects ABOVE the springs was another thing.
Knocking or rapping on the turntable platter or base, or using other vibration sources (e.g. I would try a powered toothbrush buzzing on the turntable/base at various settings) didn’t show a big reduction in vibration on the equipment held up by the springs (and in fact could show a bit more ringing energy).
Eventually what I’ve found out is that I want as much mass as possible ABOVE the springs (within their load limit of course, which is pretty high for the ones I’m using). So the turntable is sitting on a thick maple block, with other layers of heavy MDF below it. This seems to gain the dual benefits of being isolated from vibrations "below" via the springs (e.g. floor-born), but also having the turntable anchored on a very heavy, dense surface and getting the benefits of less vibration/ringing that way. Now I can tap both the rack below the springs, and the turntable itself, and I see a big reduction in vibration/ringing in both cases.
Having gone back and researched other people’s experience I happened upon a forum thread where another guy had come to exactly the same conclusions about how to best employ springs. Rather than right under the piece of equipment, they work best at the "bottom" of the chain, so he tends to use them to hold up his rack (or somewhere down the rack).
FWIW....
(I’m a skeptic about the need for heroic isolation for things like digital sources/amps etc, but for turntables it makes more sense to me).
I’ve come to similar conclusions about the efficacy of springs for isolation.
As I’ve detailed in my thread about re-vamping my Lovan rack to accommodate my new high mass turntable, I’ve tried a great many types of isolation materials and devices, using a variety of (home-spun) vibration tests and nothing has come close to the isolation effects of the spring-based Townshend iso-pods I am now using. (Measurably, when using seismometer apps).
I’ve been trying to reduce vibration/ringing both getting to the turntable and it’s base externally, and also reducing the chance of vibration from the turntable/motor etc. It was easy to reduce vibration getting to the turntable: just put it on a base being held up by the Townshend springs. Viola. Stomp the floor, knock on the rack below it, vibration effects almost gone.
But reducing vibration effects ABOVE the springs was another thing.
Knocking or rapping on the turntable platter or base, or using other vibration sources (e.g. I would try a powered toothbrush buzzing on the turntable/base at various settings) didn’t show a big reduction in vibration on the equipment held up by the springs (and in fact could show a bit more ringing energy).
Eventually what I’ve found out is that I want as much mass as possible ABOVE the springs (within their load limit of course, which is pretty high for the ones I’m using). So the turntable is sitting on a thick maple block, with other layers of heavy MDF below it. This seems to gain the dual benefits of being isolated from vibrations "below" via the springs (e.g. floor-born), but also having the turntable anchored on a very heavy, dense surface and getting the benefits of less vibration/ringing that way. Now I can tap both the rack below the springs, and the turntable itself, and I see a big reduction in vibration/ringing in both cases.
Having gone back and researched other people’s experience I happened upon a forum thread where another guy had come to exactly the same conclusions about how to best employ springs. Rather than right under the piece of equipment, they work best at the "bottom" of the chain, so he tends to use them to hold up his rack (or somewhere down the rack).
FWIW....
(I’m a skeptic about the need for heroic isolation for things like digital sources/amps etc, but for turntables it makes more sense to me).