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Isolation Devices Binge - Nearing the Finish Line (long)

Posted by zog (A) on December 1, 2004 at 10:37:31

I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

I’ve decided to limit this “binge”, at least the public part, to the isolation of my SACD player. While much of this may be “blah, blah, blah” to many of you, perhaps the semblance of a controlled environment will provide meaningful information to a few. All of my comments relate exclusively to the use of these devices while isolating my SACD player. I imagine (in fact, I know) that the results would be different isolating other parts of my system or using these devices in conjunction with one another. So, here is a summary of some devices not previously covered as well as a little more on a few that have already been mentioned. At the bottom, you will find a ranking. I couldn’t help myself, it’s a man thing. Please be kind and don’t flame me. Please.

THE REVIEWS (In no particular order):

Finite Elemente Ceraballs: I’ll start by saying that I really like these. So far, they are my favorite footer and they only cost $99 for a set of four. I found them extremely easy to place and they are sturdy enough to hold all but the heaviest components. They also firmly couple your component to the rack so you don’t get the swaying motion that some other ball bearing isolators produce when you push a button on your SACD player. The sound they allowed my SACD player to produce was clean and refined. There was a sense of air around individual instruments and vocalists and improved low level resolution. The tonal color palette was richer and the overall presentation more relaxed and inviting. Bass was tighter and more articulate. Dynamic were enhanced without a sense of etch or glare. If I had to categorize the overall affect I’d say the Ceraballs helped to produce a more analogue-like sound. If you made me quibble, perhaps the soundstage width was a little smaller than some of the other isolators. Bottom line, if you’ve got $100 to spend and you want to know what all the isolation fuss is about, buy these.

Aurios 1.2 (now called “Classic”): I also really liked the Aurios and found them to be extremely versatile. While I am now confining this survey to the isolation of my SACD player, I found them to have a positive impact on all of my components. They are more difficult to place than the Ceraballs or cone products, and you will have to play around with them a bit before you find the optimal location, but once you’ve got them dialed in, you’ll hear good things. Your player will develop a rocking pattern every time you touch a button, but this is the way the Aurios are designed to work. The Aurios displayed all of the benefits of a good isolator. A cleaner, clearer presentation, increased transparency, and improved soundstaging. They were not quite as energetic as the Black Diamonds or as refined as the Ceraballs, but they did most everything well. Expensive at a retail price of $400, but the improvements rendered will be heard by those who care to listen.

Ganymedes: These are very similar to the Aurios in as much as they use a ball bearing device sandwiched between metal couplers. The Ganymede’s are perhaps the most tweaky of this lot to set up, but are also capable of producing very good results once they are dialed in. You might be surprised by the wide range of motion, perhaps 1/2”, that these allow. Your player will definitely sway when you press a button. I suggest use of the remote with these in your system. Most of the descriptors used to describe the Aurios apply here. Key differences were that they created a slightly more forward presentation and had a little less soundstage width than the Aurios. I imagine they would be an excellent match for a system needing a little more detail and immediacy. Retail is $200.

Black Diamond Racing Cones with Pucks: I used type 4 cones and pucks in this comparison. This combination produced the most drastic change in the overall sound of my SACD player. They were very easy to use, had none of the rocking issues of the Aurios or Ganymedes, and produced obvious benefits. I am not going to review the BDR’s without the Pucks, because I felt the Pucks created a quantum improvement over the cones used alone. So, what did they do. Again, the usual adjectives apply: a cleaner overall presentation, better soundstaging, increased resolution. What the BDR combo did better than any of the other isolators was to create a sense of scale, drive and rhythmic energy that the others failed to achieve. If I needed to add some energy and slam to my system, or if I was big into rock and roll or Wagner, I’d buy these. However, with all of this excitement came a slight loss of finesse and refinement. Depending upon your sensibilities and system I can easily see how the BDRs would be the preferred product of this lot. For me, it was just a little too much of a good thing, but it was fun. A setup like this will set you back about $225.

Stillpoints: I’ve covered the Stillpoints in an earlier post, but I reintroduced them for this part of the evaluation to get a better sense of where I felt they fit in as a source isolator. Without question, the Stillpoints are my favorite speaker isolator. Used on my SACD player, they were a definite step up from the stock feet. The soundstage became slightly more forward, larger, and more precise, a neat trick. Transparency and low level detail also improved versus the stock feet. It was only in comparison to the other isolators that I felt the Stillpoints suffered. For example, compared to the Ceraballs, there was a slight loss of air and presence. These are attributes which I prize. If you don’t share my passion for presence then all is well and good. Your wallet will be $300 lighter after buying these.

Polycrystal Isolators: I’m not going to say too much here. The Polycrystals definitely made an improvement over the stock feet, without any downside that I was able to identify, but the improvements were more subtle than with the other devices. They are substantially less expensive than the $400 Aurios or $300 Stillpoints, and, while perhaps not offering state of the art isolation, they do offer a good value and a worthwhile improvement in overall musical enjoyment. Cost about $60, I think. Mine were used.

SSC Pucks: Looks a little like a felt cookie with a hard center. Very short – perhaps ½” tall. These were not synergistic with my SACD player and created a slightly loose and obscured presentation. Fortunately, they worked well elsewhere in my system. $99 for a set of four pucks.

Vibrapods and Vibracones: Covered in detail in an earlier posting. Please read for additional information. I did reenter them into the system for this comparison just to be sure of my ranking.

For those of you who missed my “ranking” which was buried in an earlier thread, here is a recap with some additions. It related exclusively to the use of these devices under my SACD player with no other changes in the system. You can read earlier posts if you want more detail on any of these. The list does not include the Magix because my SACD player is too heavy. I’ve got some more Magix on the way and will let you know my findings then. The Gingko Cloud 11 is still under review so please consider the ranking below provisional. The Brightstar Combo is at a friend’s house, so testing was not done in the control environment, so I am only making an educated guess and you must consider this ranking provisional too (don’t flame me for this, I beg you). I should receive my German Strings and JJAZ Fod footers by the end of the week. That, my friends, will be the end of this journey.

THE RANKING ( Most Preferred to Least Preferred)
SAP Relaxa
Finite Elemente Ceraball
Gingko Cloud 11 (provisional)
Bright Star Combo (provisional)
Aurios 1.2
Ganymede
Black Diamond Racing Cones with Pucks
Vibrapods
Stillpoints
Vibracones
Black Diamond Racing Cones
Polycrystal Isolators
Stock Feet
SSC Pucks

THE RESULTS
I’ve lost about 4 lbs. doing all this gear swapping and my wife is starting to notice my biceps! Perhaps it really is time to give up tweaking

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

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