Why spend more than $25 per piece of equipment on vibration reduction?


Do products more expensive than Vibrapods ($24 per set of four) provide superior isolation? I've been pretty happy with the pods, but I wonder whether spending somewhat more, e.g., on Iso-pucks, would bring notably superior results. Or is more a matter of visual, as opposed to audible, aesthetics? 

audio-satisficer

In my very limited experience, I found that hockey pucks, sometimes stacked on sponge pucks, have offered satisfactory isolation of a component.  However, it would certainly depend on your environment:  my components are on a concrete slab, not a suspended wood floor.  I tried some spring loaded isolation footers, and while they isolated from vibrations of the underlying component stand better, the sound was far inferior.  

I love Mapleshade brass cones...totally different concept than the vibrapod...much prefer the Mapleshade, but do use the Vibrapods in a few places the Mapleshades won't go...

Vibrapods are not that effective compared 

To the more expensive isolation devices 

Such as stillpoints critical mass and other similar devices

 

If you hear critical mass centerstage footers it is like upgrading a major component

 

You gain an increassed soundstage greater clarity and  imroved dynamics 

 

DAVE and  TROY 

audio intellect nj

Critical mass dealers 

 

 

I used to use Herbie's Tenderfeet (different types and sizes) and they used to work for me back when I first started in this hobby. As my equipment got more discerning and revealing, they tended to soften and muddy the sound so I just used the standard footers on my Marantz Reference gear. 

On a lark, I tried the Isoacoustic Oreas and they made a very big difference in the focus of the sound from top to bottom. Nothing negative to report. As the focus improved, so did imaging, decay, ambience and all those subtle cues that make for better realization of what's in the recording.

The Iso-Pucks look like a less fancy version of the Oreas and did come out first, and are used by lots of recording studios for their monitors. They should work fine for your gear. Most places have a return guarantee as long as you return them in as new condition.

All the best,
Nonoise