IsoAcoustics Isolation Feet - Does it really make positive effect or fancy accessories

[DSJR]

The stuff under loudspeakers.
Keith

I just wanted to ask - I gather you work from home? If so and if your house has an upstairs with floorboards-on-joists as many UK houses have, have you ever set up a full range rig with extended-bass speakers in one of the upstairs rooms, then played a thumpy-bass track (the fairly recent remix of 'Blue Monday' should do it nicely [enhanced 'kick drum' tone]) with the speakers/stands sitting directly on the floor, hearing the 'thump' downstairs. Then using isopods or similar under the 'feet' and listening again. One chap I know had to use these as he lives in a flat with similar floor to that described and wanted to minimise bass transmission to the elderly lady in the flat below through his floor-her ceiling...

 

[Purité Audio]

I have indeed alongside a manufacturer who made laboratory isolation equipment, we placed their active isolation under the speakers and measured with and without, there was some structural transmission but almost nothing, the air borne transmission on the other hand…
Keith

 

[Purité Audio]

Measure how much vibration is being transmitted by the enclosure, cheap plastic accelerometer or to begin with even a bowl of water placed on the floor next to the speaker.
Keith

 

[Purité Audio]

Show me the evidence that vibration from your loudspeaker’s enclosure is causing audible resonance?
Audible resonance.
Keith

 

[Mart68]

I have indeed alongside a manufacturer who made laboratory isolation equipment, we placed their active isolation under the speakers and measured with and without, there was some structural transmission but almost nothing, the air borne transmission on the other hand…
Keith

Exactly, it's the airborne transmission.

I recall someone going to huge lengths to isolate big Tannoys from the floor so the low frequencies didn't disturb his daughter in the room upstairs. He was baffled that nothing he tried worked because he assumed the transmission was structure-born when in fact none of it was.

 

[Purité Audio]

No adding mass just changes the frequency of the natural vibration .
Keith

 

[Cypherdelic]

Im not a big fan of measurements and proving an advantage with some curves in general.

I try to find music where resonance problems of all kind become audible, wether it be the furnitures, or the cabinet, the connection to the ground, or something inside the cabinet or even the keys laying on the table.

Tracks like this wonderful peace.

Usually when i hear a disturbance, it is not from the speaker but something in my room... Ie a shelve or something on a shelve. Then i remove whatever it is and sound is OK again.

In most music it is no problem... But some tracks, like that one, can work like a test....

Usually a slow sweep test 20-250hz helps to identify resonances to a level where you wont hear any disturbance in real music better.

 

[DSJR]

Measure how much vibration is being transmitted by the enclosure, cheap plastic accelerometer or to begin with even a bowl of water placed on the floor next to the speaker.
Keith

My ancient Spendors have 'talking boxes,' so no need to use accelerometers, spikes or anything else. Mind you, the low volumes I now play at, it doesn't matter as it did half my life ago

 

[mns3dhm]

While ASR members can debate the efficacy of this product, I’d suggest buying them from a source that allows customers to return them if they are not satisfied. Endless discussions regarding the scientific merits are just argumentation for argumentations sake. It is possible that in your room you will think these improve sound reproduction. Respected loudspeaker designers at PSB, Magic, and other companies have tested Isoacoustic products and incorporated them into their designs. To persons here suggesting that this technology cannot possibly be beneficial I simply ask ‘have you tried them?’ and
‘what academic qualifications or professional speaker design experience do you have that warrants listening to your opinions?’.

 

[kyuu]

Endless discussions regarding the scientific merits are just argumentation for argumentations sake.

Uh, no. Scientific merits, or lack thereof, are just that.

‘what academic qualifications or professional speaker design experience do you have that warrants listening to your opinions?’

One doesn't have to have qualifications to point to others who do have the qualifications and have performed testing. And as often happens, you're pretending the burden of proof lies with those who are skeptical rather than with those presenting a fantastical claim. We have seen testing that shows that these products don't do anything that can't be explained by improper controls (e.g. position of the speaker changing between tests). Meanwhile, we have seen absolutely no evidence that these products do what they claim outside of anecdotal, sighted listening which we know is not reliable.

Kindly don't come in pretending to be the voice of reason while misrepresenting the whole situation and making the old audiophile appeal to "just listen for yourself".

 

[mns3dhm]

The first question I asked was have you tried the Isoacoustic product? Are you trying to suggest that it's absolutely impossible that they are beneficial in some circumstances? Do you think persons here posting charts and graphs that supposedly lend credibility to their opinions are more knowledgeable regarding speaker design that Paul Barton at PSB or Magico's designers? That's laughable. YOU are taking it for granted these so-called experts actually know what they are talking about. Are you trying to suggest these companies are engaged in some cynical marketing ploy to mislead their customers? That's cynicism in its purest form. What evidence do you have that supports that nonsense other than charts and graphs posted by third parties that you admittedly do not understand yourself? Do you think the current ability to measure and evaluate audio gear is all knowing and all encompassing? Do you think it's possible that some important things related to audio reproduction are not measurable by modern testing methods? Has that thought ever crossed your mind? Why don't you knock off the condescending pedantic attitude and actually try the product risk free and tell us what you think? Or you could just sit there pointing at charts and graphs supporting your opinion produced by supposed experts and insisting it's just impossible.

 

[snakedctr]

I might fix that resonances in the mounting of the chassis with underlaying the aluminium frame

Without measurements?? :/

Im not a big fan of measurements

Oh boy.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Mart68]

Are you trying to suggest these companies are engaged in some cynical marketing ploy to mislead their customers?

That's not uncommon at all in the world of audio. Some other areas of commerce too.

 

[Cypherdelic]

You were right, i was wrong.
The green 55 sylomer pads (15-30kg) arrived.
It it very "swammy", touch it with a finger now and the speaker moves in all directions....
The stoneplate does NO more vibrate... And the speaker is calmer too... But doesnt make a difference for the resonances inget from the aluminium-chassi-frames
Still its good... Im gonna use it.
But the wobblyness of the speaker is kinda weird.

 

[Thomas_A]

Coupling to higher mass works great, believe me or not. Im not the only one suggesting that.
Some people lay stoneplates on top of the speaker and swear it works wonders.
Although that is pretty ugly and not neccesary since coupling the mass stiff and tight through the ground works the same way, you dont need to put weightload on the speaker to achieve that.

None of this is true however.

 

[Thomas_A]

You were right, i was wrong.
The green 55 sylomer pads (15-30kg) arrived.
It it very "swammy", touch it with a finger now and the speaker moves in all directions....
The stoneplate does NO more vibrate... And the speaker is calmer too... But doesnt make a difference for the resonances inget from the aluminium-chassi-frames
Still its good... Im gonna use it.
But the wobblyness of the speaker is kinda weird.

A reading tip:

Sonic Design anti-vibration Damping Feet for CD, SACD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray & loudspeakers

Sonic Design anti-vibration damping feet - Reduce unwanted vibration in CD SACD DVD HD-DVD Blu-Ray LaserDisc players loudspeakers centre channel audio, hi-fi, home cinema and AV systems

www.sonicdesign.co.uk

 

[Cypherdelic]

But the cabinet resonances have become WORSE.
I removed them again... The stoneplates vibrating again, the cabinets do vibrate more on the outside too... But the resonant noises from inside the cabinet are LOWER now again.

Sry these sylomer pucks dont work for me.

 

[Thomas_A]

But the cabinet resonances have become WORSE.
I removed them again... The stoneplates vibrating again, the cabinets do vibrate more on the outside too... But the resonant noises from inside the cabinet are LOWER now again.

Sry these sylomer pucks dont work for me.

What is "resonant noises from inside cabinet"? If you have loose things inside the cabinet - better fix the problem.

 

[Purité Audio]

Buy decent speakers.
Keith

 

[Cypherdelic]

Look, i tried these sylomer pads for speakers 15-30kg... My speakers weight is 23kg...
The cabinet is vibrating less, the stoneplate is vibrating no more... Its "swammy" like hell... Blow at it and it moves like a pendulum.
But the resonance noises from the chassis-frames or inside (imdont know exactl) now arise at a lower volume... Its clearly there. Im not imaginating it.
When i remove them and replace it with those small thin hard shims, these:

The resonant noises that disturb me at high volumes are gone.

I might not have the correct physical explanation for it....
I dont give a heck.

I just want it to as good as possible, i drive these speakers over their limit, and they are not the newest.

And yes "no measurements"... What you give about? As long as i dont hear disturbant noises at high volumes, its good... When i hear them i address them and whatever helps it, i dont need to explain why it helps as long as it helps.
I dont know why hardcoupling works better for me, thats ok, and if you dont know why its ok for me too.

These are cheap speakers... They feature biamp, but most people not use it, but choosing high crossover.
These are not initially good speaker to go that volume.

Teufel ultima 40... Not the active ones... Ultimative bullshit

Probably new better speakers would be best solution, youre right... But when the volume is enough for me using hard-coupling, what YOU give about? F off
Thx, i know that, now have a nice day, please.
Im outta here... The sylomer pucks were a waste of money.