Black Diamond Racing Pyramid Cones

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Performance (continued)   In the last several weeks I had the opportunity to re-evaluate my preferred version Mk4's to that of the Vibrapods. It is with these two that I have mixed results and varied preferences. Initially I had positioned the BDR cones as the other devices in previous reviews: Two in front on each corner and one in the back midway. As suggested, I faced the cones pointing down and to what I considered to be the more resonant medium; my shelf. Setup like this, in my system and to my ears the BDR cones came second to Vibrapods. With Vibrapods I was getting a bit more space around the performers, the image was a bit more palpable and the overall sound a touch more involving - more musical. The BDR cones were precise but somewhat unexciting in their presentation and flatter dynamically. They lacked that organic quality I find very rewarding with Vibrapods.   Drastic times call for drastic measures. It was time to flip the cones up and slide them beneath key spots under the player. As instructed I positioned the pyramid cones directly under 1) the CD drive mechanism, 2) the power transformer and 3) in a position to complete a stable triangle. This arrangement made all the difference. The sound was now more involving and exciting again it gained that organic quality I was looking for in the first place. The sound stage opened up with renewed focus and fine layer definition. There was plenty of detail coming through with smooth highs and solid lows. So, are BDR cones now better than the Vibrapods? Yes and no. Yes in absolute terms but not in terms of "bang for the money". Three BDR cones will cost you $60 - not an excessive amount, but that same $60 will buy you 10 possibly 12 Vibrapods which is enough to treat all your components not just one. Cumulatively, a budget system or any system for that matter would benefit more from an overall treatment as compared to a treatment of a single component. Having said that, if you had 2 or 3 x $60 … So, why do BDR cones work better in my system pointing up? Perhaps because the player I used for this review, being a budget player after all, is built only adequately so and ultimately is resonant. Don't forget that the drive mechanism is not as well damped either and is probably a source of low-level mechanical noise too. It is my guess that the cones pointing up help sink player bound vibrations more effectively than when pointing down. I'm sure there is more to it but I'll leave the details of "why" and "how come" to more qualified and knowledgeable folk than myself. In the mean time I'll just sit back, hit the play button and enjoy. Conclusion   I've held on to my set of BDR Pyramid Cones for one good reason. They continue to surprise me with their effectiveness and their versatility. I found two additional ways to use the cones and neither way has to do with using them as feet under components. I will post those soon so stay tuned. Key to the success of these "black diamonds" is to work your way through the different versions as well as placement direction and options. Be persistent and experiment - fortune and glory is just around the corner.   If you would like to comment on this tweak or suggest alternative use with it, please click here.

Comments (add)     Roy For me, the Mk4's were not to my taste and the Mk3's worse - but! I had a problem with quietly buzzing power transformers in my tube amps. Wax impregnation of the transformer helped a little, but putting an upside down BDR cone on top of each (power and output) transformer was a revelation! The buzz got a little quieter, the clarity improved HUGELY! Go figure....... Nothing else has come close in this particular case.   Boris Yes, these cones do offer alternative use. I had good results by placing one (pointing up) on top of a CD player, centered above the drive mechanism. Coherence and clarity improved. I also had positive results by placing one of these over a pair of loudspeaker binding posts. I got the idea from here (see bottom left picture).