Isolation: What are you guys using under your Directstream?

A local dealer once told me the following. He had a customer that had experimented with different turntable mats, and became convinced that something organic was missing. He had a 12" circle of uncured, untanned pigskin cut, and kept it in the freezer between listening sessions. Apparently it inevitably gave to rotting, and he tossed it when the smell became unbearable. The dealer, a normally quite sober fellow, was laughing so hard he nearly couldn’t finish the story. badpork, indeed.

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OMG, that’s awesome.

I use a fairly modestly priced mat, costs £40, $55 plus shipping. Very popular.

Incidentally, but it wasn’t incidental, those two units were bespoke, handmade, matched veneers throughout, the high gloss finish also takes a load of time, and the total cost delivered was less than the UK cost of a Directstream DAC. One of the reasons for the design was being paranoid about getting a stylus ripped off by child/cleaner/wife/me.

Just ordered some of these from Diversitech

Thought i’d start at the cheaper end of the market and work my way up…Also the butcher blocks from Ikea look like they’ll do the job.

I’m using SSC absorber plates; relatively cheap with very good results. Highly recommendable!

I have a different take on what’s going on. If you download a vibration meter app for your phone …and place it on your DAC, it will tell you, fairly accurately, how much vibration is going on. It can sense me shuffling my feet or a truck passing by. However, it doesn’t seem to register vibration caused by the speakers playing music. Like nothing …even at moderate volumes.
Its incredulous that a sold state electronic device has any benefit from isolation …but I think we all agree it that we hear something. But the isolation can’t be helping the integrated circuits or well soldered joints … something else must be going on.
My theory is that no RCA metal-to-metal connection is 100% present at a microscopic level. The air gaps are filled with impurities and debris casing fluctuations in conduction impedance.
I posit that vibration control must benefit this phenomenon. Whereas vibration control is of no benefit to soldered joints, it does benefit loosely (relative) connected metal. Perhaps the flopping around of the cable (microscopic movements) are to blame.
For a test, I tried an inexpensive (Stabilant22) commercial contact enhancer on my interconnects and IMO …it worked!
Even better, I think this solution sounds better than $750 worth of isolation …and in my mind,has a scientific basis for working.
Dan

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10c approach you say…? :slight_smile:
Doing this with my cables opened up the top end with my setup, particularly noticable with female vocals .

Instead of black cable and painting the hooks black (what dedication), I use this stuff.

Hmmm . . . adding another layer of dielectric does not strike me as a good idea.

That was my initial thought as well, assuming the rest of the system is “revealing” enough.

Cheers.

I would think laying cable on metal hooks would not be so good either.

All fair points, the hooks are coated in a layer of rubber though, so hopefully ok on that front?
Main thing was to get it up off the carpet, can hear the differences these things make in the system and a nice tweak.

The cables use a similar braided sleeving to the Shakmods stuff.
Happy with it. :slight_smile:

Hi Ted, do any of the Stellar series components use surface mount boards vs. thru hole boards like the DS? Just curious if any of these products are inherently less vulnerable to microphonic sounds like the DS? Thanks.

Using this line of reasoning - do you believe quality isolation for the rack itself is just as critical? I’m thinking about focusing on isolating my wooden, enclosed (3-sides) rack first, and then working my way to the components (S300, GCD, Bluesound Node 2).

Ted is an outside supplier who makes the DS DACs. I would be surprised if he’s seen the inside of a Stellar.

Thanks, I didn’t realize that! That would explain some of his other remarks on PS Audio gear outside of the DS line.

Can anybody who works with PS Audio chime in on this question if they know the answer?

Can’t recall off the top of my head who is responsible for that, but I would suggest asking on a Stellar forum rather than on this thread, as you would be much more likely to find someone with the answer there.

I believe Darren is the Stellar guy…Or at least the “D” expert…?

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Is Darren on these forums often? In my reading I don’t think I’ve seen him (knowingly, anyways).