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Setup

For this and the other five footer reviews I will be using my upstairs system. The CD player is a Cambridge Audio D500SE, the amplification a Classe CA-101 power amp with directly mounted EVS Ultimate Attenuators for adjusting volume. The speakers are a pair of Magnepan MMGs and the cabling by Nordost: Red Dawn interconnects and Flatline Gold MkII speaker cables. The CD player and amp are on top of the DIY Rack we built earlier. The rack shelves are pretty good themselves at controlling vibration so in order to have a more representative shelf I placed a standard shelf on top of the DIY rack supported only by the tips of the four rack pillars. A few taps on this shelf nicely confirmed that we now have a sufficiently resonant platform for our tests. Our primary assessment will be based on three footers under the CD player, two in front and one in the back. This arrangement will ensure consistency throughout the footer reviews.

Performance

As with the other footer reviews we will first gauge what improvements (if any) are brought about by switching from an untreated audio component to one with the footers in place. If appropriate we will draw comparisons with devices we have previously reviewed.

The Pads brought about a rather noticeable improvement in comparison to the standard feet of the player. There was noticeable improvement in detail with better coherence of individual instruments and better definition across the frequency spectrum. Focus improved, as did the sound stage depth. There was more space and air around the performance and more of the recorded ambiance coming through. Without the units in place the sound defaulted back to one with less attack and involvement, and more smear. With the Pads removed the sound was shallower, thinner, with less bass definition as well.

Compared to the Racquetball Halves, the Pads are better. They provide better sound stage and focus with better dynamics as well. They are smoother too with a sweeter top end. Given the sonic advantages of these pads and the negligible price difference, I would recommend getting them over the racquetball halves.

Conclusion

I like the Vibration Isolation Pads; they are effective and easy to use and they can be applied to any audio component including loudspeakers. At the asking price of $10 - standard and $20 - for the bigger ones (sets of four), they are very good. They are attainable by anyone and should be auditioned. Next week we take a look at the popular Vibrapods. It's going to be interesting to se how these two compare!

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Comments (add)


Larry	Can you send me the web address for the isolation pads you reviewed, i would like to order some for myself. Thanks.

Russell	Where can you purchase the pads?

Boris	These devices go by different names/manufacturers. Here are some sources: Vibration Isolation Pads (reviewed) or go to audiogon.com and search for: vibration isolation pads, Sound Quest Isol-Pads, and MapleShade ISOBLOKS.

Dave	What's your opinion of just putting Isoblocks under the existing four feet of a CD Player?

Boris	The results are still good. But I prefer to remove the existing feet which are usually a cheep, hollow, and plastic resonant medium. My experience is that you get the best performance if you position a device underneath and in contact with the metal plate of the equipment chassis.