If you're going to stack PSA products, isolate in between them

Ever since I added the BHK preamp to my system, it was stacked on top of the DSD DAC, due to only having a three shelf rack. PST sits on the top shelf, BHK 250 on the bottom. Just decided to see if isolating the pre from the DAC with some inexpensive Sorbothane footers would improve the sound. Short answer, most definitely! Sound became more relaxed, with cymbals sounding more resolving and with less sibilance. Soundstage width and depth improved along with image specificity, and low level detail retrieval. Eventually want to get a four shelf rack, but for now, this was a nice inexpensive tweak.

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Gary, that’s exactly what I did with my M700’s—after reading a review about how much better side by side units sound. Your findings are similar to mine.

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So are you using a wider rack that allows you to place two components per shelf? I was thinking that might be a better idea vs having a higher rack than I’m currently using.

That will teach me to respond with a glass of wine in my hand . . . what meant to say, is I too use sorbothane blocks to separate the 2 units, since I have a 3 shelf unit.

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The more I listen, the more I’m amazed at the overall improvement in the sound, it’s not subtle at all. I started out listening to Chris Isaak’s Forever Blue CD, which sounded quite good, but during louder passages his voice and cymbals were a little too much in my face. After installing the Sorbothane footers, Chris’s voice remains smooth as silk even during louder passages, and cymbols have a brilliant shimmer without any exaggerated sibilance.

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I made the investment of Isoacoustic Orea’s under all my PS audio components and feel they make a significant improvement in sound quality.

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On the positive side, you have done the right thing for both thermal health of your setup and for the overall sonic performance. However, Sorbothane could leave marks on the top painted surface of the DS DAC. I am not sure how to handle that. Just FYI

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I like to trim notecards to size and place them between the top of kit and legs or footers/things that might mar the kit’s surface.

This is an invisible solution and I don’t believe it compromises the functionality of the footers.

FWIW.

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Thank you. My BHK pre and DSD are sitting next to each other, but I need to try the idea with the other smaller gear when stacked :+1:t2:

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What are the inexpensive sorbothane footers? Have a link?

I attached self sticking shelf-liner paper to the bottom of each sorbothane block.

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and I bought mine from:

Less that $1 each, with shipping and tax.

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Putting right sized Sorbothane footers under DS DAC to support weight units stacked above it.plus the DAC works too as does leaving the film on top cover of DS just trimming to fit front and sides protects DS top cover from marring.

That was my solution and sounds fine. And improvement too over none being used.

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Here is where I buy mine plus they have weight and sizing charts. Too big or too small you lose liw frequency effectiveness.

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_ID=6421

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IsoPod. I’ve had these forever, not even sure if the company is still in business.

I stopped using them years ago because they didn’t sound as good as the current ceramic footers I’m using. So they’re nothing special when it comes to isolation or draining vibrations from components. I think the thing that’s helping improve the sound is having some distance between the DAC and the preamp.

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I have a bunch of the ones from the SupplyHouse. They work great and are a steal at the price they sell them for.

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I bought fifty of those blocks for $35 from a similar industrial supply house. I see four of them for $30 for sale everywhere shysters sell stuff. I really like having 50 of them. I may buy more.

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Al, you are one of a kind. Glad you are on this forum…

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These are the footers I’m using between the DAC and preamp. Don’t think they’re available any longer.

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I use mostly IsoAcoustics series footers for my gears. But I found a cheap Bigfoot Isolation Feet from Amazon and they do wonder under my M1200 monoblock. Somehow they work better for my amps than anything else.