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In Reply to: Help on the price... Which is more expenive? posted by WBWB on November 5, 2005 at 21:28:35:

From GPA's website, I list 3 statements:
"Apex Carbon Composite Footers (includes 3 x 1/2" hard-chrome balls): $550.00/set of 3"
"Silicone Nitride, Upgrade Ball for Apex"
"The common diameter of our ball bearing allows the end user to experiment with a variety of bearing materials readily available in this standard 0.5" size (ceramic silicon nitrate, Tungsten carbide)."
Does that mean GPA sell 2 types of balls?
1) Standard version = chrome, which I think I saw.
2) Upgrade version = Silicone Nitride = ceramic silicon nitrate = Tungsten carbide?
Oh boy! Now I am confused about the terminology!

Follow Ups:

It is Silicon Nitride, Silicon NitrATE implies oxygen atoms, like sulfATE, or chlorATE - tonemaniac 04:45:36 11/06/05 (2)
Silicon Nitride contains only silicon and nirtogen. The Apex Nitride upgrade bearings are nice because they have an extremely smooth surface. Thus there is little friction between the foot, the bearing, and the inverted cup shaped thing that rests on the bearing. Microvibrations can dissipate more easily. I think it is the exceptional surface smoothness that gives the nitride bearing its advantage.
- How do you identify the Apex Nitride upgrade bearings? - WBWB 06:51:50 11/06/05 (1)
  Hi Tonemaniac,
  This is the question I am trying to ask, as I am not a techie/chemist, I don't understand the jargon.
  How can i tell visually? Greyish color?
  Appreciate your guidance. thanks
  - Nitride bearings are light weight feeling, tungsten is as heavy as lead - tonemaniac 09:01:37 11/06/05 (0)
    A silicon nitride bearing with be a shiny medium grey color, seemingly much brighter and almost glassy than most metal beaingsunless they are milled to micron tolerances. A grade 3 (milled to 3 mu) Tunsten Carbide, sometimes refereed to as a WC, the chemical jargon for tungsten is W from its original name Wolfram, anyway, a grade 3 bearing will look like metal and feel dense for its size, a grade 10, a less precise bearing, will look kind of dirty but will feel smooth to the touch. When you handle a Silicon Nitride bearing it will feel too light, lighter than a standard steel ball, and you might conclude that it couldn't possibly be as strong as it is as it feels closer to dense plastic. In fact it is about as hard and strong as a sapphire bearing. I found a new use for them as contact surfaces inside a set of Harmonix feet, as the DAC sits directly on the nitride bearings that then then fit into the small pits on the top of the Harmonix bases.... couples exceptionally well... some have said that there are significant differences in this direct contact mode and that WC will sound cleaner and more energetic than SiN... I think I paid around $20 each for 3/8" SiN, would love to try sapphire.... cost though is insane.

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