I’m trying to be objective here, however, my guess is that if you stop with the embellishments 2 Chan, many on here will stop responding to the hyperbole.
While a $4 Walmart buy is not what Albert is referencing, it is tangentially related.
I don’t have the measurement tools to actively provide feedback, and by a simple listening session, I could not hear a difference. However, if someone wanted to take it a step further, feel free to measure. What I found is it does a great job keeping my bookshelf speaker in place and the rest can be used for my basement bar stemware as referenced in a former post.
I can see how a better coupling between speaker and stand by placing a sticky layer between them could improve the sound. It would perhaps reduce the rock of the cabinet during large speaker excursions. Also a layer of different material could decrease the ringing of the speaker/stand combination.
Here’s a simple tweak from the old Naim forum (I confess I tried it but heard no difference ) - make 4 little ‘sandwiches’ out of two small nuts and a ball bearing. The ball bearing is the meat of the sandwich. Use them as small footers under a shelf. Costs pennies and might help. Don’t ask me if it’s supposed to de-couple or couple, damp or dissipate or whatever other word stand makers like to use!
Actually trying something similar under my Oppo player, and maybe the BHK and DSS if it pans out.
Found a good improvement under the 203 using a stainless steel bearing (minimum point of contact under casework a good thing?), but trying a ceramic ball bearing (Silicon Nitride Si3N4) which are much harder and lower friction than steel.
See what happens, supposed to be better in this application from what I’ve read.
That’s a great idea to check out! I confess that I’ve just used inexpensive tweaks (HD dots or some of the inexpensive Herbies). While I’ve been reluctant to spend more $$, the IsoAcoustics options are appealing. But if there can be alternate options at lower cost/performance, I’m all for it.
Measured exactly what?
With exactly what type of meters?
Stop being coy and just tell us. Why the game playing?
Otherwise I call this measurement claim
(I have no problem with a suggestion of “try this, it worked for me,” but little patience for “I measured something critical, did it somehow, and realized a 20dB improvement in something.”)
When I had a turntable, I had a wall mounted shelf very similar to the one you posted. It was mounted to a long wall that is shared with my garage. The wall turns 90 degrees to a door that leads to the garage. On top of the turntable wall rack sat a 1.5" thick maple platform with some herbies grungebuster material sandwiched between another thin layer of maple. You could slam that door closed hard and the turntable didn’t pick up the vibration in an audible fashion at all. Note, I did have the turntable stand anchored directly into the 2x4 wall studs. Great, product and concept!
I don’t think I’ve seen this one yet… bored one day and at a drugstore with the wife I found myself in front of the Dr. Scholls display. Picked up 2 packs (4 total) Massaging Gel Heel inserts for a total of $10.
I think I could hear a difference when putting them under the feet of my CD player. I’ve since moved on to Sorbothane for a few bucks more. For equipment where you notice an improvement I think the better material provides a better result (I have a few tenderfoot from Herbie’s as well). There is some equipment where I hear no difference at all with anything I put under it. But, if you want to “try” I think the Dr. Scholls gels are the cheapest you can use and are available everywhere.
Speaker placement and or listening position adjustments along with room treatments can be inexpensive and very effective tweaks. Even after I think I have things dialed in, I continue to experiment with all of the above.
Elk, I already stated in this thread my methodology. Read back.
I am rather amazed that there is this much drama over $1 shelf liner.
If you are not interested forget about it. I am not going to speak any more on the subject.
Be careful with this one. Last time I asked my wife to help me move the couch she stopped talking to me for some time. Very expensive. Would not recommend.
Perhaps you all can stick to proposing “Best Inexpensive Tweaks” and start a new thread for challenging ideas shared here so others don’t have to sift through all the noise.
Aaaaand back to the tread…
Has anyone mentioned blue tack for cleaning record needles? Roll a small ball of it, flatten it on a coin, place the coin on the platter and lower the needle on the blue tack a few times. $2.00 beats out $30 astrogel. And works a heck of a lot better.
Used to use “audiophile” blue tack with my stylus.
Only snag with that is that it can leave an oily residue on your stylus, and potentially creep up into your cantilever doing who knows what to it.
Putty danger!!
What works for me is to dip the stylus a couple of times into a small strip of “magic eraser” sponge every few weeks?
Lifts any gunk right off and doesn’t leave any trace.
Checked with magnifier afterwards, clean as a whistle.
) - make 4 little ‘sandwiches’ out of two small nuts and a ball bearing. The ball bearing is the meat of the sandwich. Use them as small footers under a shelf. Costs pennies and might help. Don’t ask me if it’s supposed to de-couple or couple, damp or dissipate or whatever other word stand makers like to use!
