|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
129.237.61.31
I've been messing with the footers on my Vecteur D-2 transport and am reminded again of how important this variable is, which leads me to ask: what are now the "best" footers for digital transports?I've experimented in the past with diyumas, inner tubes, etc, but had tentatively settled on "unhappy balls" resting on a sandbox on a quality diy rack. Last night I experimented with placing some small, thick sorbothane mats under each "unhappy ball," because I've had great success with similar mats under the footers of my dac (Altmann Attraction) and amps (Nuforce 8.02 monos). I'm reaching the conclusion that digital/switching gear is incredibly sensitive to vibrations. But the sorbothane mats under the Vecteur transport muddied things up a bit. Which leads back to my question: what do veteran tweakers prefer under their transports? Thanks in advance, this is a great forum.
Follow Ups:
Grand Prix Audio Apex footers is what I ended up with for my Vecteur L-4. But here's an interesting one perhaps... have you experimented with moving your footers around to different positions? Try it, moving one at a time here and there, then checking for audible results.
I would agree that CDPs seem to be very sensitive to support/vibration. Personally, I don't really care for lossy supports (at least in the vertical plane) like sorbothane or deadballs. I'm using an Neuance/Greater Ranges platform. I've also used the Golden Sound DH Cones and in another system I found Stillpoints or Aurios to work well.
. . . .and then place the transport on a sandbox. Works for me.
BTW, kenster, I agree about the value of an isolation transformer for digital sources... I use a Jon Risch diy digital isolation transformer for my transport, and wouldn't listen w/o it. This discussion leads me to think I've got to do some more experimenting. Thanks again, folks.
throughout all stages, give a listen...you might be really surprised by what you hear when keeping it simple.i have a really cheap cdp, but it sounds great now that i slid 2 empty LP album covers underneath it. side-by-side and not touching, so 2 feet are on top of 1 LP cover. a truly simple form of isloation.
nothing else.. try it and build from there.
"I've been messing with the footers on my Vecteur D-2 transport and am reminded again of how important this variable is, which leads me to ask: what are now the "best" footers for digital transports?"It is difficult to say that there is one "best" solution as each system will be different but in my system, I found that employing the Walker Audio Valid Points Super Tuning kit to the CD player made a tremendous improvement in all aspects of CD playback.
The Walker kit, in addition to an air isolation base, and a Walker Audio precision motor controller supplying power to the CD player, has made CD playback most pleasing natural without one bit of the "digital nasties" ascociated with CD playback.
IME, isolating any digital gear from the rest of the AC world, either by a power regenerator or a balanced isolation transformer, is the best upgrade one can do to digital playback.
Cheers,
> > ... and a Walker Audio precision motor controller supplying power to the CD playerSeriously? I've never thought to try that. What prompted you to try it?
æNormal is just a setting on my dryer.
_____________________________
"Seriously? I've never thought to try that. What prompted you to try it?"I bought it for my VPI Scout and then shelved the TT due to frustration issues....long story.
Since the WAPMC was just sitting there, I called Lloyd Walker and asked him if it would be OK to power a CD player from it and he said "yes as long as it draws no more than 25 watts.".
Since the WAPMC has an input tranny, a sinewave regenerator and then an output tranny, anything plugged into it is completely isolated from the outside world. One can even switch between 60hz and 81hz with adjustment pots for each. Found my CD player sounds MUCH better at 81.14hz with the motor phase control reversed.
Have been running my CD player thru the WAPMC for about 7 months now with no issues at all and it sounds frickin' killer! So much so that I don't even think about vinyl much any more :-)
Cheers,
Thanks for the details.I was aware that the unit has an input tranny, a sinewave regenerator
and then an output tranny, and when a TT was plugged into it it was
completely isolated from the outside world. I learned that when I was
reviewing the piece and noticed that my digital playack improved when
the unit when regulating my turntable. In my closing remarks, I wrote:"Same difference. Almost exactly. But wait, there's more. Order now
and you (may) also get incredible digital playback! I did.??#^*@?? Okay, we all recognize that cleaning up noise in the digital
domain is a useful thing. Now we also know that cleaning up the power
to a motor on a turntable can produce results far beyond what one
might expect. But? But! I found myself fretting. How was it that this
PMC, designed for turntables, made my digital playback sound better? I
was consistently experiencing similar returns in dynamic nuance,
transparency, staging, improved pitch definition and extension in the
bass - plus just plain naturalness when listening -- believe it or
don't -- to cee dees.
Since living in Washington didn't create enough motivational energy to
road-bike my way to Walker's place in Pennsylvania, I elected to surf
over to his web site. He musta seen me coming, because, lo and behold,
he had already attended to the matter - in a manner of speaking. He
sez the PMC 'also prevents electrical noise from the AC drive motor of
the turntable from contaminating the AC power supply of your other
components.'"I just never thought to try it on the CDP itself. Good for you!
æNormal is just a setting on my dryer.
_____________________________
...that some type of rollerball footers (like Symposium Rollerblocks)are necessary under CD players to compensate for lateral motion.Because my floor is concrete, they don't seem to be an improvement over my Black Diamond Racing Shelf and Cones. I used Townshend Seismic Sinks (inner-tube-like) before these.
Some people prefer soft footers, others don't.
You really have to experiment (with some longer term listening) and find out what works best for your situation and musical listening preferences.
Lots of ideas and choices. Dunno about "best practice". My method is to use compliant footers, wood platform, and hard cones with couplers.Summary: Digital transports stock feet replaced with a quadpod set of Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfoot feet, then placed on an Acacia wood platform (1.25 inch thick) supported by a tripod set of Audio Point 1.0AP1D brass cones placed on a tripod set of Audio Point APCD2 brass coupling discs with Herbie's Audio Lab grungebuster Dots placed between the coupling discs and MDF rack shelf surface:
transport ---> compliant footers ---> wood platform ---> brass cones ---> brass coupling discs ---> compliant dots ---> MDF rack shelf
Compliant footers: Quadpod set of Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfoot feet.
Wood platform: 1.25'' Acacia wood cutting board used as platform.
Brass cones: Tripod set of Audio Point 1.0AP1D brass cones.
Brass coupling discs: Tripod set of Audio Point APCD2 brass coupling discs.
Compliant dots: Set of three Herbie's Audio Lab grungebuster Dots.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: