Anyone use Isolation pads etc for their components

Can anyone recommend a good isolation pad/product for components?

Or is it hype to think that isolation products improve sound quality enough to justify any price?

I was thinking that, maybe, I can improve my system's sound by using isonodes or vibrapods, for example, under all my components.

What do you think about isolation products?

Thanks

Intune

save your money and buy some more music or something

Used them when I had a turntable - haven't used an isolation pad since 1987. Unless your stereo stand etc suffers from a lot of vibration and causes your DVD/CD to skip, I can't them adding much value.

Sean

Hi intune

I try to isolate my components from the energy put out by the speakers and subs. I got some ergo keyboard wrist pads from Staples - multilayered something or other, just looked at them and they seem to be made of 3 layers of materials, a center layer of rubber, and outer layers of a large pore foam and a tighter foam. Anyway, I got a bunch of these pads, cut them up into squares and put them under the feet of my components. Works for me. I think each pad costs a couple of bucks.

In reply to:
I was thinking that, maybe, I can improve my system's sound by using isonodes or vibrapods, for example, under all my components.

Isonodes and vibropods? Nasty things, those... dug up a few in my garden this afternoon.

Seriously, though... unless the rack is shaking and making your turntable skip, don't sweat the petty things.

Bren R.

Well if u wannna try on the Cheapy my budds all use an get this but if u think about it works , Hockey Pucks put one on each corner

Tune, it's hype that isolation products improve sound quality at all. In the past vibration was sometimes a problem with turntables, but CD/DVD players are immune to anything but the most extreme shocks which would cause them to completely skip.

I'm not a huge believer in spending money on vibration control, buy like the idea of using the ergo wrist pads. Maybe I'll try that.

I think it'd be helpful to split this into two cases:

Regarding 'helping' the sound by steadying electronic components, it'll not help one bit. Solid state amps aren't effected by vibrations, and as for the CD-player... digital is digital is digital. Unless it's skipping due to some thumping bass, it's fine.

Regarding helping sound due to equipment vibrating and making rattling noise because of it, pads might help. You can do it cheap like 2x did. To see if you need to worry about this second type of vibration, just run the sub and turn the volume on a bass-heavy track up. If you don't hear any weird rattles, you're golden.

I have tried isolation- on the cheap- and have truthfully heard no difference. First, I tried isonodes for 13bucks, or so, under the cd player ( Cambridge Audio d300). Next, I
put the m-60's on a 12x12x1 granite pad resting on a 12x12x1 cork pad ( 25$). Neither made a change in sound as far as I could tell. I think that if you spend alot on isolation, then you feel you MUST hear your money's worth.
My advise is put your money in music you enjoy.

Chuck

On a somewhat similar note - does anyone use the carpet spikes supplied with their speakers? I have M60's on thick capet and pad over a concrete floor. I haven't put the spikes on yet and am wondering if anyone has noticed any difference when they have. I don't seem to have any stability problems without them.

expat,
When i placed my M60s on a thick carpet w/o the spikes, one of them tilted left. The primary reason for using the spikes is set the speakers level on such odd surfaces, although by the time you reach the point where the speaker may be considered tilted to the point of 'off axis' it would most likely be falling over anyway.
The more surface area of the speaker that is in contact with the flloor, i would imagine there would be a greater transfer of bass into the floor surface as well. With a concrete basement, i haven't noticed any real sound difference though. This may change if i had wood flooring.