CD player "super spikes" dampening feet: wow!

[Shock-Late]

Thanks, D-MAN.

I was quite shocked by the kind of answers I got here.

I can't believe so many people on this BB don't believe in cables and dampening feet.

I'm not golden eared. I'm not a rich old guy looking for new ways to spend his money; I'm a 25 y/o unemployed guy with not much cash. But the tips I try (mostly well established hi-fi "tweaks") often work a wonder. Even my friends do notice a difference each time.

Stopping your low frequencies from disturbing your CD player and making all electronics parts and transport vibrate, has nothing to do with snake oil. Audio signals are so little they can be easily disturbed by spurious vibrations of the components. It's been measured. That's why high-end audio stuff generally use big, solid, heavy cases.

i'm into hi-fi, not into PA. I'm not rating my hi-fi by knowing how loud it can go before there is distortion. But when i do crank it up, and believe me I DO, the sound stays the same as it is at low volumes. No blurring, no "fat" midbass, no harsh treble.

Now to answer some real questions:

the spikes i bought are enclosed into composite feet; they don't scratch your support. There's a multi layered, upside-down spike inside. I'll try to post the schematics. From the outside you can't guess there's a spike in there. They DO work a magic. Maybe better than normal spikes.

[3dzapper]

Shock-Late,

I wasn't kidding about the asphalt deadener( one brand name is Dynamat). I put it on the inside of the CD cover and smaller pieces wherever vibration may transmit. It is worth the hour it takes to put it on believe me. One or two 10x10 inch sheet from Parts Express is enough to do a CD player. All those houses that do CD mods list this as one of the things they do (as well as the sites who do Jolida mods).

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=268-010

Rick

[3dzapper]

Here are a couple of inexpensive mods to improve the bass response and overall clearity of your TT without spending A grand or more on a new tone-arm. The white stuff on the headshell is rope caulk applied per Frank Vanalsteen in his letters; the black imediatly behind the headshell are rubber rings on the coupler; the next two black lines are asphalt strips held in place by black tape(tight contact is necessary);unseen: equal amounts of asphalt on the counter weight; proper bearing adjustment and lubrication; under the platter isolation mat from drive motor(ordinary small cell bubble wrap cut to fit).

Rick

[Audio Flynn]

CD Players turn unmanaged vibration into jitter. Jitter caused distortion makes hte play of CD music fatiguing for me.

www.virmode.com sells resonsce control materilas as well as EMI shielding to mod your player.

If you only apply a sheet of constrained layer dampening (CLD)to the inside of the lid and anti static foam on top of the CLD you will reduce jitter, IMHO.

I use use sorthobane feet or wine cork for amps and CDs.

COne points for the JA Michel TT.

[cwm]

"Stopping your low frequencies from disturbing your CD player and making all electronics parts and transport vibrate, has nothing to do with snake oil. Audio signals are so little they can be easily disturbed by spurious vibrations of the components. It's been measured."

I notice people are bouncing back and forth between TT acoustical isolation and CD players. Turntables being mechanical devices from storage medium to playback mechanics (stylus, tonearm, platter etc.) would certainly benefit from mechanical isolation. You say isolation necessity has been measured and thusly quantified as to audible acoustical effects in the case of CD players, I will accept that if you can direct me to that sort of information. With the buffering of the data prior to hitting the DAC I wonder how this is so. (please no "golden eared" subjective evaluations!). The only data I can find indicates that the SPLs and consequent vibration effects would have to be enormous in the case of CD players and no one would want to be exposed to these levels.....(if things are so grim sonically, how do people tolerate them in cars?) Of course, with tubes the reality of potential "microphonic" problems with the tube elements themselves i.e. grid, screen, suppressor grid, cathode etc. are valid and acoustical isolation would certainly help keep things clean. I notice some here become very dismissive of even good natured disagreement and dont take the time to support their views with hard data and not audiophile consensus. In any case there is ultimately no harm in these isolation devices and they could be looked upon as a form of cheap insurance........

[No Disc]

I isolated my Cary 308 using 4 vibraods and Wham-O Superballs. Results are superb. $6 each vibrapod, $1.29 each superball.

I isolated by VPI Scout by having it sit on a shelf fully suspended by Vibrapods. Also isolated the motor from the table by having the motor rest on 4 "Wrist Wrest" strips that sit on the table below the Scout. This was the biggest tweak I've heard from the Scout and I'm quite happy with the results.

tb