A Breakthrough in New Shelving For My Linn

[Paulssurround]

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.

Great setup Tendaberry.

Thank you for your encouragement to try this out.

At the moment, I have my Isoacoustic pucks in the corners, but will try them in the middle of each side and see if that makes a difference, as per Ben’s suggestion.

I have tried different kinds of cones, under the plywood, but preferred the Isoacoustic pucks. I don’t have a Quadraspire rack, so that may be the difference.

 

[Ben Webster]

but will try them in the middle of each side and see if that makes a difference

As mentioned above I have no experience with this setup. Before my TimeTable time I have used cones in the corner.
and I‘m sure it will sound different but as Tendaberry said maybe not better.

 

[sunbeamgls]

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.

Thanks Paul

I suggest trying 2" squares of the ply to eliminate board vibration - let us know how it goes!

 

[Tendaberry]

Thanks Paul

I suggest trying 2" squares of the ply to eliminate board vibration - let us know how it goes!

That's an interesting idea, have you tried it/something similar?

 

[Ben Webster]

Paul is still testing… ?

 

[Paulssurround]

Thanks Paul

I suggest trying 2" squares of the ply to eliminate board vibration - let us know how it goes!

Thanks Sunbeam

I have some leftover pieces, but will have to schedule a visit with my friend with the woodworking shop to cut them to 2 inch squares.

It might not happen for a week or two, as he is very busy

 

[Paulssurround]

Paul is still testing… ?

Might have some time this evening to try it out

Thank you

 

[Sound Hound]

Oops, damn spelling correction

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

No worries Paul, one board, or many boards it makes no difference, at least I wouldn't imagine so !?

 

[sunbeamgls]

That's an interesting idea, have you tried it/something similar?

No, I just can't imagine a board with a small number of suspension points, open to the air in which the speakers are operating, being anything other than a way of collecting vibrations to transmit into the equipment. Hence I was wondering if just the layer of wood, without the big vibration collecting surface, might be a better way.

 

[sunbeamgls]

Thanks Sunbeam

I have some leftover pieces, but will have to schedule a visit with my friend with the woodworking shop to cut them to 2 inch squares.

It might not happen for a week or two, as he is very busy

2" was a guess - I think the minimum size to fit the biggest foot on any of your equipment might be a better guess? I thought 2" might cover it, but smaller may do so too.

 

[Nopiano]

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.

That’s surprisingly similar to how I have my Akurate. It sits on a Quadraspire shelf - they don’t seem to make this style any longer. It has a cutout so it’s not just a rectangular plank, like a chopping board - and it has nice brassy feet with a tiny cork inlay that you can install as 4 or 3 pieces, depending on the distribution of weight in your kit. I won it in a prize draw at Oxford Audio Consultants a few years ago and had nothing to put it under that made sense.

However, it looks cool under the Linn. The stand itself is a slim Hifi Racks brand in oak. I’ve no idea whether the Quadraspire makes any difference to the sound, but maybe it gives me brownie points on a forum, as long as I don’t admit why I use it!

 

[Paulssurround]

Paul is still testing… ?

Hi Ben,

Last night, I placed the Isoacoustic pucks in the middle of each side of the Baltic birch plywood, as per the Time Tables suspension points on the wooden dowels. I compared it to having the Isoacoustic pucks in the corners the of the plywood underneath my Denali power conditioner.

I played 2 songs many times under each configuration, Midnight Sugar 24/96 bit from Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, and Liberty, with Annette Askvik’s album Liberty 16/44

Both configurations had positive presentation highlights. My clear preference in this particular setup was with the Isoacoustic pucks placed under the four corners of the Baltic birch plywood, as per the picture in my first post of this thread

Placed in the corners, the music had more aliveness, bigger soundstage, more detail and extended highs

I will try the same experiment under other pieces of equipment at some point, but this gave a bit of an indication, under just one piece of equipment.

 

[Paulssurround]

Thanks Paul

I suggest trying 2" squares of the ply to eliminate board vibration - let us know how it goes!

I have arranged to have some of my leftover Baltic birch plywood cut into 2 inch squares, which hopefully will be done in the coming week.

In the meantime, I have a number of other suspension devices to try under the Baltic birch, as per the picture. I have some Gunstigs from IKEA in the top left corner, walnut wood pieces in the top right of the picture, Black Diamond Racing cones in the bottom left and stainless steel cones in the bottom right of the picture.

 

[Newton John]

Here is a supplier of Baltic Birch already cut to roughly the right size for hifi components in the UK.

https://www.jacksonsart.com/jackson-s-baltic-birch-9mm-plywood-wood-block-299x360mm

 

[Ben Webster]

Both configurations had positive presentation highlights. My clear preference in this particular setup was with the Isoacoustic pucks placed under the four corners of the Baltic birch plywood, as per the picture in my first post of this thread

Hi Paul,

many thanks for sharing. I guess it was worth to try. Now you can be sure, that in your setup the corners are the right place.

Happy listening!

 

[Paulssurround]

Hi Paul,

many thanks for sharing. I guess it was worth to try. Now you can be sure, that in your setup the corners are the right place.

Happy listening!

Hi Ben,

I have only tried placing the Isoacoustic pucks in the middle of each board for one piece of electronics, so it would be hard to extrapolate results to other components.

There are many other pieces I can try this under, and it may have a different outcome.

I am a bit apprehensive to change too much around as it is sounding incredibly good.

 

[Paulssurround]

No worries Paul, one board, or many boards it makes no difference, at least I wouldn't imagine so !?

Surprisingly, it does make a nice difference to the picture quality, with improvements to detail, definition and colour quality.

Picture detail is sharper, colours are richer and the picture seems more 3 dimensional.

This is easily repeated, by removing the board, and replacing it back into positi on.

 

[Ben Webster]

It is important that the board does not rattle. To check this, simply tap the corners and edges with your finger: it must sound identical everywhere.