What isolation feet under your amp with great result?
Absolute Sound just gave the Isoacoustic Orea and Gaia a Golden Ear Award. 80% of the performance of the really high end stuff at 20% of the price. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2020-golden-ear-awards-matt-clott/ All the best, Nonoise |
After all of my experimenting, I found the best place for the Oreas under the footers of my integrated and SACD player. I was told by Isoacousitcs and musicdirect that directly under the chassis was the best place to start. No matter where I placed them, using direct contact with the chassis, the highs were affected. I had some wonderful mids and lows having an almost 3D effect but I missed that last bit of air and reach. Now I have the best of both worlds with just a minor shift back in that 3D effect but all the air, extension and realism that the highs add to the mix. The isolation offers a lot of that see-through into the recording that all the spinning and whatnot of the SACD player masks. The focus just from the integrated is appreciated as well. On the Black Keys Brothers CD, on one track a guitar is now playing about 5’ to the right of the right speaker, which places it outside my apartment. I have to close my eyes to complete the soundstage image as it’s kind of jarring to just look at it. On Jacintha’s Jacintha Is Her Name, on the Light My Fire track, the bongos, instead of coming from one point, are coming from three distinct places. Close together, but distinctly separate. I think I’m done tinkering for awhile. And, like someone else said about their footers, it looks cool to see the gear situated up off the media top shelf, adding a kind of elegance to the whole affair. All the best, Nonoise |
Just thought I'd chime in to let you know I got the Isoacoustic Oreas today (FedEx must have read this). I had an inkling they'd work better for my SACD player what with all the spinning going on so I tried them with integrated first, to see just how little it would improve things. I was wrong. The result wasn't earth shattering but the focus is much better. My Marantz/JBL combo always had a nice, full and easy sound. Now it's like it went on a diet. I thought it was more midrange centric but after lots of listening, it's across the board improvement with no area sacrificing for another. Inner detail or insight, if you will is everywhere to be heard. Vocals are much more intelligible and natural sounding. Highs have a bit more air and sparkle, but just a bit. I'd say more coherent would sum it up best. It got better when used under the SACD player. I'm going to experiment with the front two footers and see if just one sounds better tomorrow. I was told that having just one resonance point working under the CD transport might sound better than having two. This is starting to be fun again, All the best, Nonoise |
I, too, found the Herbie's products to make things sound a bit mushier as well, and I've tried 3 different types of their products. I'm still waiting for my Isoacoustic Oreas to arrive and just found out it took 4 days to go 14.5 miles, from Niles, Ill. to Chicago, Illl. and now they seem to be on the way via FedEx ground and pound to the Los Angeles area. Original delivery was supposed to be yesterday. Go figure. By their track record, I should get them by the end of next week, if not the week after. All the best, Nonoise |
@cal3713 , Your feedback is most appreciated. Knowing now what you did, I'm going to try the Oreas under my integrated first, thinking it may have the least effect, and then under my SACD player, where there's lots of motion that needs to be quelled, despite the robust build of it. My speakers won't be touched as of now but after reading many positive reviews on use with speakers, I may entertain some other way of stand mounting my speakers. The problem is, I love the way they look on their low metal stands with that slight tilt back. It's so retro. 👍 All the best, Nonoise |
Interesting that you got great results with the speakers but not any improvement with your gear. I'll be getting my Isoacoustic Oreas for my integrated and SACD player tomorrow and will report back soon. The nice part is: if I don't like them, they go back, with only postage to pay. All the best, Nonoise |
With nothing to do and all day to do it, I went and got out my remaining supply of Les Davis constrained layer damping pads and doubled up what I was already using, now with 2 under each footer on my Marantz PM15S2b integrated and 4 under the matching SA15S2b SACD player. That was all it took to take it up the level of my Kinki EX-M1 in regard to extension, decay, clarity and almost, the impact. It's there, but in a different manner, and wonderful on it's own. It's like they are brothers who naturally speak in different tones but in similar manner. I could live with either and am really loving the sound with the all Marantz set up. It's not as spot lighted as the Kinki but it's every bit as resolving, if that makes sense, and sounds a touch more organic. Before doubling up, the Marantz came close, but no cigar. Now with similar resolution, it's Arturo Fuente and Davidoff Signature all around. All the best, Nonoise |
