A Breakthrough in New Shelving For My Linn

[Paulssurround]

I was informed a couple of years ago about 8mm 16 layer Baltic Birch aviation plywood from Finland, and it’s beneficial properties as HiFi shelving.

Being 8mm thick with 16 layers of ply, it is light and extremely rigid, presumably mitigating vibrations in electronics placed on the shelf. The instructions to make this work properly, to get the benefits, is to place the 8mm Baltic birch shelves on top of spikes or cones pointed upwards, so the shelving is suspended on top of the spikes or cones. Then place the electronics on top of the shelving.

The only issue is that this product is almost impossible to source in North America. I can possibly get 2mm, 4mm, 6mm and many other sizes, but the 8mm thickness has been extremely elusive, until now. One of the Linn Club guys facilitated the purchase and shipping of 6 sheets of 50 X 50 cm to me.

‘The wood arrived late last week but I had to wait until this Tuesday to visit my friend with a woodworking shop to come back to Vancouver, so that he could cut the pieces for me. I was advised that a hand saw would not be able to cut through the plywood, so I waited for the proper power tools to do the job. I carefully measured the wood to fit under the feet of my Klimax Hub, OPPO, Akurate Exaktbox I, Akurate Exaktbox 6, Akurate 4200, Shunyata Denali, Environmental Potentials 2460. I even had pieces measured for my Bonn switches and power supply, as well as the HD box for my TV.

Tuesday was the big day, and a visit to the woodworking shop resulted in a all the pieces I needed to place under my electronics.

That night, I started placing one of the Baltic Birch boards under the TV HD box, which vibrates because of the built in hard drive. There was an immediate visual improvement in picture quality on my TV, with the first board added. Encouraged, I placed more pieces under the Shunyata Denali, Environmental Potentials 2460, Klimax Hub and OPPO. I have found Isoacoustic pucks more effective than spikes, so I will try that first.

Sound quality of my system was significantly improved, with more transparency, improved timbre, detail and soundstage.

Yesterday, I finished placing the remaining boards under the Bonn switches, Forester F1 power supply, Akurate Exaktbox 6 and Akurate 4200. I let it settle for a few hours and then started my listening session. All I can say is the results are phenomenal.

This was definitely worth the effort, and I am absolutely delighted with the result.

Here are a couple of photos of the 8mm Baltic birch plywood, with Isoacoustic pucks underneath. I plan to try some cones as well, to see what results I obtain.

 

[36 hours]

Plank

 

[Paulssurround]

Quick update:

I have installed all Baltic Birch 8mm 16 layer plywood and let it settle in for several days

I have reached a level of sound quality,

I can highly recommend giving this a try under your electronics.

 

[sunbeamgls]

Hi Paul

Can you please list what you now have under each component as its difficult to keep up

There have been various bits of squishy Ikea stuff, felt, pucks, chopping boards etc. What is the current stack of stuff please?

What was the last change? You've put an extra layer of board between pucks and feet? Or replaced an existing board?

 

[Paulssurround]

The folks in Germany that use 8mm 16 layer Baltic birch are generally using spikes or pointed cones, under their Baltic birch plywood, that sits on their HiFi stand

I have a HiFi cabinet made of MDF, so I add an extra layer of isolaction, with an Ikea Aptitlig bamboo butcher block sitting on Gunstigs, as my bottom layer on the shelving. Then I put the Baltic birch plywood on top of the butcher block, separated by Isoacoustic pucks

I have tried, Isoacoustic pucks, spikes, cones, Synergist Research MIGs, and Gunstigs under the Baltic birch plywood. My preference is with the Isoacoustic pucks giving me the most listening enjoyment. The Synergist Research MIGs were my second favourite

 

[Ben Webster]

I have installed all Baltic Birch 8mm 16 layer plywood and let it settle in for several days

I have reached a level of sound quality,

I can highly recommend giving this a try under your electronics.

Hi Paul,

good to hear, congratulations. Now you can understand why I like my TimeTables and do not use any kitchen tools from IKEA .

Greetings Ben

 

[Paulssurround]

Hi Ben,

‘’What makes you think I don’t have some IKEA kitchen stuff in my listening room.

Yes the 8mm 16 ply Baltic birch plywood is the platform that Timetables are built on. Lucky that you have so many Time Tables for your LP12 and all your electronics.

 

[sunbeamgls]

The folks in Germany that use 8mm 16 layer Baltic birch are generally using spikes or pointed cones, under their Baltic birch plywood, that sits on their HiFi stand

I have a HiFi cabinet made of MDF, so I add an extra layer of isolaction, with an Ikea Aptitlig bamboo butcher block sitting on Gunstigs, as my bottom layer on the shelving. Then I put the Baltic birch plywood on top of the butcher block, separated by Isoacoustic pucks

I have tried, Isoacoustic pucks, spikes, cones, Synergist Research MIGs, and Gunstigs under the Baltic birch plywood. My preference is with the Isoacoustic pucks giving me the most listening enjoyment. The Synergist Research MIGs were my second favourite

Thanks Paul.

Its interesting that you've found a board that will pick up airborne vibrations sitting between component and pucks would improve the sound of the system compared to when the equipment stands directly on the pucks. Its difficult to understand why that would work.

 

[Paulssurround]

Thanks Paul.

Its interesting that you've found a board that will pick up airborne vibrations sitting between component and pucks would improve the sound of the system compared to when the equipment stands directly on the pucks. Its difficult to understand why that would work.

Thanks Sunbeam,

I just got home from a 3 hour session of trying different combinations of devices for vibration control under various HiFi components, including 2.5 inch solid maple butcher block, Baltic birch plywood, Isoacoustic Pucks, Nordost Cones, and Synergist Research MIG’s.

We only had time to try 2 different HiFi components (Shunyata Denali version 2 and his Akurate DSM/3 Katalyst) with combinations of the above mentioned devices for vibration control. Basically, it reaffirmed what I found in my own system.

We used one song, Liberty, on the Anette Askvik album ”Liberty”, which we repeated for each test. This song is exceptional recording quality, and makes an excellent reference music source.

My friend just bought a new Shunyata Denali version 2, like mine, but in black colour. The Denali was placed on top of the 2.5 inch solid maple butcher block, with Synergist Research MIG’s on top of the maple butcher block but under the Denali chassis, when I arrived at his home. Steely Dan’s “Everything Must Go” was playing. I thought it sounded excellent, with tight, taunt bass and an excellent presentation.

Then we tried combinations of 8mm 16 layer Baltic birch plywood with Isoacoustic pucks underneath or various configurations of Synergist Research MIG’s with the plywood.

We tried the MIGs upside down, right side up and a mixture of both as per manufacture’s instruction, under the Denali’s chassis, with or without the Baltic birch plywood. Then we removed the MIG’s and placed Isoacoustic pucks and Baltic birch plywood under the Denali. We even tried the MIG’s on top of the Baltic birch plywood, with Isoacoustic pucks under the plywood, sitting on top of the maple butcher block.

‘The unanimous favourite was the Denali feet directly on top of the Baltic birch with the Isoacoustic pucks under the plywood, similar to the pictures I posted earlier in this thread under my Denali and my NAS.

We performed a similar experiment with the Akurate DSM/3 Katalyst sitting on top of the Baltic birch plywood using Nordost cones under the plywood, or MIGs and or Isoacoustic Pucks. Again the Isoacoustic pucks with the Baltic birch was out favourite.

I had also tried spikes under the Baltic birch plywood at my home earlier in the week and preferred the Isoacoustic pucks with the plywood, but did not repeat this again at my friends.

I surmise this is system dependent, depending on which components and shelving you are using.

My friend will be purchasing some Isoacoustic pucks and I will give him some extra Baltic birch plywood left over from my adventures.

 

[kernow]

Is it on the roof with no cables connected?
Best place for a linn

 

[Sound Hound]

Is it on the roof with no cables connected?
Best place for a linn

ooooOOOOoooohhh !

(I think you might be on the wrong forum kernow ;- )

 

[Sound Hound]

Paulssurround wrote......

"That night, I started placing some of the boards under the TV HD box, which vibrates because of the built in hard drive. There was an immediate visual improvement in picture quality on my TV, with the first board added."

Wow !! That's incredible !!

 

[fredbatch]

Is this evidence that too much planking affects human senses other than eye-sight?

 

[Ben Webster]

Then we tried combinations of 8mm 16 layer Baltic birch plywood with Isoacoustic pucks underneath

H Paul,

have you tried to place the pucks not at each corner but in the middle of each side (like TimeTable works)? Keen to hear your feedback.

 

[Paulssurround]

Paulssurround wrote......

"That night, I started placing some of the boards under the TV HD box, which vibrates because of the built in hard drive. There was an immediate visual improvement in picture quality on my TV, with the first board added."

Wow !! That's incredible !!

Oops, damn spelling correction

I intended to write, place one of the boards under the TV HD box

 

[Paulssurround]

H Paul,

have you tried to place the pucks not at each corner but in the middle of each side (like TimeTable works)? Keen to hear your feedback.

Thank you Ben!!!

I will try that out today and let you know.

How do the Time Tables metal structure connect and contact to their Baltic birch shelving? Spikes? Isolation pads?

 

[Ben Webster]

Thank you Ben!!!

I will try that out today and let you know.

How do the Time Tables metal structure connect and contact to their Baltic birch shelving? Spikes? Isolation pads?

The link between frame and top plate are four wooden dowels.

 

[Tendaberry]

H Paul,

have you tried to place the pucks not at each corner but in the middle of each side (like TimeTable works)? Keen to hear your feedback.

I don't use pucks, but small cones and they work much better in the corners, than if you put them in the middle of each side. In the middle did sound more detailed, but the flow of the music was gone. Didn't like that. The idea of this is a bit similar to the Quadraspire X Reference shelf.

 

[Paulssurround]

The link between frame and top plate are four wooden dowels.

Thank you Ben,

Another possibility to consider.

 

[Ben Webster]

they work much better in the corners

I‘ve got no experience with these cones but I‘m sure that Paul will try my recommendation with the „middle setup“. It costs only time…