Audio System Isolation is a very powerful thing
Written by Terry Ellis
Like most audiophiles the topic of Audio System Isolation is one I have always been aware of and had messed around with different types of isolation products with varying degrees of success, however no success worthy of note. The stance I had on the topic at this time is a world away from my views on the topic now, in fact the more I look into the subject the more it becomes very clear its an essential focus area for an audiophile looking to achieve the full potential of their system.
The proof is in the pudding
The first time I really took audio system Isolation seriously was after a visit to What HiFi to partake in an edition of their Big Question which was a semi regular magazine article piece. the Big Question consisted of blind tests to put certain debated hifi questions to the test.
After a few hours of blind testing and hearing consistent differences between system A, B and C I found out that the only difference between the three systems I was listening to was in fact the isolation of the cd player being used. The tester was moving a Cyrus CD6S from the concrete floor to a glass and then a bamboo rack both made by Atacama
I distinctly remember the difference between what was the bamboo rack and the other 2 being the most obvious - however I was able to select the same "system" as my favourite through every song played, I was able to consistently hear the difference isolation products made to the sound of a system, even to a non micro-phonic component such as a CD Player.
This fuelled my interest in the subject and I wanted to start my own testing into the effects of products to my own system.
Roll on Several years
I will roll on several years to save you the tales of all that I messed around with and tested, needless to say lots of different products, types of product and different materials. These have ranged from pieces of wood, Sorbuthane, Aluminium, Delrin, Stainless Steel, Ceramics and more.
The Material used for the isolation, coupled with the design definately has a sonic impact and an audio enthusiast can likely chose their preferred poison to either best suit their taste and or try and better balance their systems sound.
Bamboo is an interesting choice of material - I have now spent quite a bit of time listening to bamboo based products from the likes of Quadraspire. The sound of an audio system takes on a more relaxed character and the sound stage is able to form more clearly and precisely, with less harshness and edginess to the sound. I have been able to easily record this effect at systems with Quadraspire products at hifi shows I have attended and covered with video.
Stainless Steel based products such as Stillpoints are also intriguing as they seem to have a very different affect to the sound of a system compared to bamboo. Stillpoints for example have a very profound affect on sound stage space and depth and the edge of notes - some would say thats overall clarity. Its a very obvious and audible change using stillpoints based products, a huge improvement in the areas I just mentioned even from their smallest products. A system at the HiFi Show Live 2017 using Stillpoints products demonstrates this really well.
The two approaches mentioned seem to have the opposite affect on the sound of a system yet both improve it unequivocally. The bamboo products improve clarity but relax the sound of the system and make it a touch warmer, the Stillpoints also improve clarity but as a result of the increased edge definition can also sound leaner.
What system components should I be isolating?
I think the better question is what should I isolate first as every component I have tested (with one exception) has benefited from being isolated with good products.
There are two schools of thought here - one is follow the power, the other is start with the speakers. I have found very significant sonic gains from using very high quality isolation products on power conditioning components and that is actually where I started.
However after recently reviewing the outstanding IsoAcoustics GAIA II speaker isolators under our KEF Reference 3 speakers I actually feel that is probably a better place to start the process. Why do I say this, well because the speakers performance is the key to allowing the enthusiast to better hear all the work they do elsewhere in the system. The better the speakers perform the easier they will hear the benefits of incorporating isolation elsewhere in the system. It makes perfect sense to start here.
So what do I use?
The Isoacoustics GAIA are an essential part of my review system and I wouldn't listen without them
I will openly admit to being extremely impressed every time I hear a system playing sitting on a Quadraspire X Reference Rack, massively impressed with the systems musicality. It would be hard to attribute this to a rack system when the system components are also a huge factor but when you hear a consistent presentation quality across multiple systems with the only common factor being the rack system then its pretty clear its the rack systems influence.
Despite this admiration for such a great product I don't actually have one in my review system although I would be very interested and keen to try one.
For component isolation I use a product designed and made by a company called Plinth-Design called the Cera-disc
Like most audiophiles the topic of Audio System Isolation is one I have always been aware of and had messed around with different types of isolation products with varying degrees of success, however no success worthy of note. The stance I had on the topic at this time is a world away from my views on the topic now, in fact the more I look into the subject the more it becomes very clear its an essential focus area for an audiophile looking to achieve the full potential of their system.
The proof is in the pudding
The first time I really took audio system Isolation seriously was after a visit to What HiFi to partake in an edition of their Big Question which was a semi regular magazine article piece. the Big Question consisted of blind tests to put certain debated hifi questions to the test.
After a few hours of blind testing and hearing consistent differences between system A, B and C I found out that the only difference between the three systems I was listening to was in fact the isolation of the cd player being used. The tester was moving a Cyrus CD6S from the concrete floor to a glass and then a bamboo rack both made by Atacama
I distinctly remember the difference between what was the bamboo rack and the other 2 being the most obvious - however I was able to select the same "system" as my favourite through every song played, I was able to consistently hear the difference isolation products made to the sound of a system, even to a non micro-phonic component such as a CD Player.
This fuelled my interest in the subject and I wanted to start my own testing into the effects of products to my own system.
Roll on Several years
I will roll on several years to save you the tales of all that I messed around with and tested, needless to say lots of different products, types of product and different materials. These have ranged from pieces of wood, Sorbuthane, Aluminium, Delrin, Stainless Steel, Ceramics and more.
The Material used for the isolation, coupled with the design definately has a sonic impact and an audio enthusiast can likely chose their preferred poison to either best suit their taste and or try and better balance their systems sound.
Bamboo is an interesting choice of material - I have now spent quite a bit of time listening to bamboo based products from the likes of Quadraspire. The sound of an audio system takes on a more relaxed character and the sound stage is able to form more clearly and precisely, with less harshness and edginess to the sound. I have been able to easily record this effect at systems with Quadraspire products at hifi shows I have attended and covered with video.
Stainless Steel based products such as Stillpoints are also intriguing as they seem to have a very different affect to the sound of a system compared to bamboo. Stillpoints for example have a very profound affect on sound stage space and depth and the edge of notes - some would say thats overall clarity. Its a very obvious and audible change using stillpoints based products, a huge improvement in the areas I just mentioned even from their smallest products. A system at the HiFi Show Live 2017 using Stillpoints products demonstrates this really well.
The two approaches mentioned seem to have the opposite affect on the sound of a system yet both improve it unequivocally. The bamboo products improve clarity but relax the sound of the system and make it a touch warmer, the Stillpoints also improve clarity but as a result of the increased edge definition can also sound leaner.
What system components should I be isolating?
I think the better question is what should I isolate first as every component I have tested (with one exception) has benefited from being isolated with good products.
There are two schools of thought here - one is follow the power, the other is start with the speakers. I have found very significant sonic gains from using very high quality isolation products on power conditioning components and that is actually where I started.
However after recently reviewing the outstanding IsoAcoustics GAIA II speaker isolators under our KEF Reference 3 speakers I actually feel that is probably a better place to start the process. Why do I say this, well because the speakers performance is the key to allowing the enthusiast to better hear all the work they do elsewhere in the system. The better the speakers perform the easier they will hear the benefits of incorporating isolation elsewhere in the system. It makes perfect sense to start here.
So what do I use?
The Isoacoustics GAIA are an essential part of my review system and I wouldn't listen without them
I will openly admit to being extremely impressed every time I hear a system playing sitting on a Quadraspire X Reference Rack, massively impressed with the systems musicality. It would be hard to attribute this to a rack system when the system components are also a huge factor but when you hear a consistent presentation quality across multiple systems with the only common factor being the rack system then its pretty clear its the rack systems influence.
Despite this admiration for such a great product I don't actually have one in my review system although I would be very interested and keen to try one.
For component isolation I use a product designed and made by a company called Plinth-Design called the Cera-disc
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I was involved very heavily in the testing and ideas phase of the Cera-Disc its an outstanding product one that delivers benefits well above its price point, in fact these are steal at the current price. They are a clever design to act as both a drain to vibration and a barrier against it. You can tune the sound with them to a small degree, they come with rubber orings which you use or remove to preference. Using the rubber O rings will soften the sound akin to Bamboo and removing them will give a clearer edge akin to stillpoints. The one aspect these do not to do if used correctly is lean the sound out at all - you will still get a very deep and powerful bass and full sound.
How Best to use them?
I have found the best way to use the Cera-Disc and the stillpoints I have tried with "maximum contact" being the number one goal - more so than clever placement.
In an ideal world I would place all 4 isolation feet (4 is better than 3) under key components power supply, dac board etc and have maximum contact between the underside of the chassis and each foot. However in reality this is much harder than it sounds especially with the Cera-Disc. With the Cera-Disc often you will have one of the feet that doesnt bite up tight to the underside of the component chassis - if its not in contact its not doing anything. I have found its best to move them around until they bite up tight and you cannot move them easily, this ensures a solid contact with the chassis and the maximum contact is achieved. Stillpoints make this goal easier to achieve as you as you can adjust their height but I still found you need to them around to get the tightest fit you can with the underside of the chassis.
Do you only use them under products?
Definitely not, it makes sense to use them under components because that is usually the closest place to the circuit boards we are trying to remove or take the vibration away from, however the top of the chassis opens the possibility to add even more vibration drains to the chassis. Its also much easier to place them where you want and experiment.
The design of a top isolator will likely need to be different to the design of a under chassis isolator and that is something to pay attention to, you want a drain based product and not a barrier type product (pay attention to construction materials as a start here).
Are there any products not to use?
If you search the internet, especially forums you will see a lot of different products people use to achieve an improvement to the sounds of their systems. What works for them is great and maybe worth trying, however for me I achieved sonic improvements through all my testing of different isolation materials and products, there was always a benefit, but sometimes the benefit came with a cost too.
I have found products that have rubber or plastic between the isolator and the chassis will soften the sound and can cause it to lose clarity and focus, even if there are other sonic benefits.
I wouldn't let my experiences put anyone off trying things because a big part of the fun is in the trying and discovering. I stand by my recommendations in the article. I would also suggest any serious audio enthusiast give the topic of isolation some thought and do some experimenting as there are huge sonic improvements and gains to be had.