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MartinT
06-02-2009, 15:17
I installed a set of Isonoe feet today onto my Technics SL-1210 to replace the current Foculpod feet in order to see how they compare.

Installation and levelling is easy as each foot can be simply twisted to adjust its height - easier than the Foculpods which have no height adjustment and necessitate levelling of the support (in my case a system rack with six feet making adjustment a nightmare). The deck sits higher on the Isonoes compared with either the Foculpods or original Technics feet.

The first thing to notice is that the deck does not rock or bounce, somewhat surprisingly. There is much more damping in the feet than you might expect and the deck stays level and firm in any kind of handling.

Differences are small and subtle. On listening to familiar material, I can hear a fleet-of-foot lightness of touch and opening of the soundstage. Crescendos are more comfortable as if the system has a little more headroom. Bass is tighter but lacks the subterranean impact of the deck when using the Foculpods. Possibly this is due to the Foculpods providing lossy coupling to a larger support more than the Isonoe's decoupling from the support.

The gradual sense that distortion and headroom are improved (I play my system fairly loud and my speakers can move serious air) are good qualities. I shall leave the Isonoes in place and keep listening over the next few days.

Gromit
06-02-2009, 22:54
Thanks for that Martin - most interesting. :)

I've had a play around with a couple of different types of 'feet' for my 1210 and, as I think I've mentioned, I'm very happy with the SolidTech Isoclear sprung feet. They sit directly under the edge of the turntable's plinth and present quite a large surface area to it (ie they don't screw in anywhere). I've obviously used the std feet - fine until you hear the deck on something decent.

Spikes? Good grief no - they 'sound' mushy, slow and the bass seems to want to play catch-up all the time. I'm also sure there are resonances being excited in the system.

The Isoclears lessen background noise, the bass is more nimble and gains pitch coherence and texture. Vocals have more expression due to them being able to display dynamic contrast without break-up. Cartridge tracking improves which is a big tell-tale as to less unwanted disturbance getting through to the stylus.

Of course these different feet options and their success/lack of could be turned on their head by using different tables/supports. I use an old Audiotech table which I've had for years, and on my solid concrete floor I've yet to find anything which is better. And I've tried loads of stuff!!

Filterlab
06-02-2009, 23:00
Sounds like the Isonoe feet do the trick on your set up Martin, it seems to be turntables that benefit the most from good quality isolation. However I remember the first time I tried the Foculpods; in was back in 1993 and I'd just bought an Arcam Alpha 5+ on the recommendation of my ears and What Hi-Fi. The chap in the shop (Martin's Hi-Fi, Norwich) asked me if I'd like to spend an extra fifteen quid on top of the £475 I'd just spent to really feel the benefit of my new CD player. "Sure" I said, he took a pack of four Foculpods off his display and handed them to me.

He said that I should take my player home and set it up and let it run in, but under no circumstance should I consider using the Foculpods. "Ok" I said. He then went on to tell me that when, and only when, I was really happy with my player, I should remove three of the four Foculpods from the packet and place them under the player - two at the front and one at the rear to the side where the weight of the transformer was. "If you don't notice any difference then bring them back" he said, "if you do then bring me fifteen quid" he continued.

Once my player had run in nicely I opened the packet and placed the Foculpods under the player. Three hours later I drove to the shop and handed him fifteen quid. :)

Amazing how the most seemingly insignificant things can make a huge difference, and it sounds like these Isonoe feet do just that! Lovely old job mate.

Marco
09-02-2009, 09:44
Excellent write-up, Martin. I suspected that the differences would be subtle, but those you have indentified are precisely the sort of improvements I value. This has intrigued me, though:


Bass is tighter but lacks the subterranean impact of the deck when using the Foculpods. Possibly this is due to the Foculpods providing lossy coupling to a larger support more than the Isonoe's decoupling from the support.


You're right, of course, and I hadn't thought of that. I'm wondering if in my set-up the Isonoes decoupling method is a good or bad thing... The last thing I want is the deck being decoupled from the Mana effect given by 16 Phases of the supports! So I think I'll dig out some Foculpods (I've got some somewhere) and do an experiment of my own in conjunction with my Mana supports and see what happens.

TBH, the sound I'm getting at the moment is pretty amazing so I'd be shocked and stunned if I was missing out on anything really significant, but there's only one way to find out, so watch this space! :)

How are you getting on with the Isonoes now you've been living with them for a few days?

Marco.

SteveW
09-02-2009, 10:04
funny chaps, coincidences.

Marco..looks like we are both thinking alike on putting supports under Mana.

Is that the distant sound of a support/skeet bake-off ?? !!

Marco
09-02-2009, 10:22
Hi Steve,

How's it going? Long time no hear! :)

I think it's because you normally live in the 'Digital-Boy' area of the forum ;)

For me, it's what's going on top of the Mana supports (and underneath my deck) that I'm concerned with. Personally I wouldn't use anything different underneath any of the Stages or racks.

Experimenting with the feet used under the deck will be a one-off as I've already tried putting Foculpods and suchlike underneath my CDP and amps, and it kills the sound. I just stick to using the feet supplied with the equipment directly onto the spiked glass shelves on the Mana rack - this has always been the best solution for me.

Yep, once I find the Foculpods I'll try them under my 1210 and report back.

How's life treating you these days? :smoking:

Marco.

MartinT
09-02-2009, 11:28
Marco - I'll be interested if your findings with the Foculpods mirror mine, especially in the bass.

Marco
09-02-2009, 11:54
Hi Martin,

It'll be interesting. I think Dave could be right though in terms of the results being dependant on the arm and cartridge used, and of course the balance of your system as a whole, which of course means he needs to sell both ;)

It depends on what happens with the bass in my system, because like you, I'm not short of any in the slightest! If it makes it 'thicker' and fuller, and tunefulness is adversely affected, it won't be for me. I like deep, tight-as-knats-arse, rhythmic, tuneful bass with serious extension, which is what I get at the moment. As soon as things start sounding bloated or ponderous, whatever the cause, is ejected toute-suite!

However, if the Focalpods give me greater control and extension in the bass, or an effect like that, then it could be interesting, providing they don't muddy the remainder of the frequency range and reduce dynamics, which is just as important. If overall though the Isonoes give a tighter, more precise, 'cleaner' sound, then this is the balance that will suit my arm and cartridge combination better, and my system as a whole.

I won't get a chance to play until the weekend so I'll keep you posted :)

Marco.

Mike
09-02-2009, 16:58
Marco,

Why not try some Clearlight RDC cones & cups just for the hell of it? Would be interesting to see (hear) what happens. :)

SteveW
09-02-2009, 17:49
Hi Steve,

How's it going? Long time no hear! :)

I think it's because you normally live in the 'Digital-Boy' area of the forum ;)
...

How's life treating you these days? :smoking:

Marco.

Hey Marco,
Very good thanks.

You are right...I now have two of Stan's DAC's and they have led me on to a whole load of new listening experiences. At the end of the day though, my Vinyl still rules ...and is what I come back to for real listening...Especially now I've discovered what my speakers really can do !!

Peter Stockwell
12-02-2009, 09:31
Marco,

Why not try some Clearlight RDC cones & cups just for the hell of it? Would be interesting to see (hear) what happens. :)

Damn it, I'd forget those things. I put the focalpods in last night, but can't help wondering if i'm paying a, tiny, price in terms of rhythmic pulse. I'd say they are better than the stock feet, though, I think.

cheers

Yiangos
12-02-2009, 12:32
I believe i heard differences into anything i tried in my system except 2 things.Power cables and anti-vibration devices,be it cones or whatever but i have to admit when i first tried those rdc cones,i believe i've heard some difference regarding PRAT but then again, i never did actually sit down and evaluate those things properly.

Peter Stockwell
19-03-2009, 07:44
I installed a set of Isonoe feet today onto my Technics SL-1210 to replace the current Foculpod feet in order to see how they compare.

....

The first thing to notice is that the deck does not rock or bounce, somewhat surprisingly. There is much more damping in the feet than you might expect and the deck stays level and firm in any kind of handling.

Differences are small and subtle. On listening to familiar material, I can hear a fleet-of-foot lightness of touch and opening of the soundstage. Crescendos are more comfortable as if the system has a little more headroom. Bass is tighter but lacks the subterranean impact of the deck when using the Foculpods.

The gradual sense that distortion and headroom are improved (I play my system fairly loud and my speakers can move serious air) are good qualities. I shall leave the Isonoes in place and keep listening over the next few days.

Just to put some more life into this thread, I have now gone the Isonoe route.

From the floor upwards my TT is on RDC buttons, spikes, wooden vestigial stand, SDS sounddeadsteel pads, then finally a granite composite shelf.

I felt that the Feet 1/Foculpods are a definite improvement over the stock feet, giving a nice solidity and homogenity to the sound. I was also convinced that I could hear the "sorbothane effect", where everything is bigger but fuzzier in the soundstage (care about soundstage, what me ? :scratch: ).

The isonoes are more grown up in the presentation, I think you get closer to what was originally intended, there's a lowering of that aura of excitement that some playback systems have. As Martin concluded, the effect is subtle, but given the price of impovements in systems these days, if you've gone to the trouble to change the PSU (c. £300), change the arm or rewire (minimum £100), get the audiophile mat (c. £80), then another £100 for the isonoes represents acceptable value. I don't think I'd bother with them if the SL1200/SL1210 was stock, then the Feet 1 at £20 would be reasonable, IMHO.

ben, bon, voilą, quoi.

Marco
19-03-2009, 10:58
Interesting stuff, Peter.

Dave and I were having a chat about this yesterday and we came to the conclusion that, as with anything else in hi-fi, the context of a particular application is everything. There is no one 'best' universal solution.

Therefore, different types of support feet will have different effects depending on what they're used with and where. We feel that the most significant factors which affect the outcome are what cartridge is used with the deck and which type of support (glass, wood, etc) the feet are placed on.

It was thought, for example, that Dave's Feet 1 (Sorbothane-type) might be best when using, say, an OC-9 with a wooden support, due to the sonic characteristics of those three variables and how they therefore would form a 'holistic' or synergistic match, whereas, say, a DL-103 fitted to a 1200/1210 on a support using glass shelves could work better with Isonoes.

In effect, in terms of support feet, one should select those which 'tune' one's system depending on the results desired and the sonic characteristics of the partnering ancillaries, particularly the material construction of racks/supports used and how they interface with any given types of feet. As usual, therefore, experimenting is the best way of assessing things! :)

Marco.

Peter Stockwell
19-03-2009, 11:52
The other advantage of the isonoes is the fact that it becomes easy to get the TT of the shelf :lol:

Marco
19-03-2009, 12:13
Practicalities? As if such things are important. Tut tut, my boy - call yourself an audiophile! You're supposed to make life as difficult for yourself as possible! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Dave Cawley
19-03-2009, 12:14
I now have the Isonoe Sorbothane Boots and Instrument Glass Pads here in stock, lovely heavy things they are too! :youtheman:

www.SL-1200-MK2.com

:bag:

Regards

Dave

Mike
19-03-2009, 12:15
Won't the Isonoe feet skate about on the glass? :scratch:

Marco
19-03-2009, 12:19
Only if you push the deck about, Mikey. The weight of a 1210 keeps things pretty firmly in place :)

Also, the Isonoes are designed to work best, sonically, on a glass surface. The underneath of the Isonoes is also made to 'bite' the glass ever so slightly, therefore between that and the weight of the deck, skating never occurs during normal use.

Marco.

Mike
19-03-2009, 12:26
Is the glass smooth or 'frosted'?... I'd imagine a frosted finish would reduce any slippery tendencies.

Dave Cawley
19-03-2009, 12:29
One side is frosted, the other polished!! :kiss: You can try both?

:bag:

Dave

Marco
19-03-2009, 12:30
I suspect the frosted glass will have a 'cooler' presentation...

Marco.

Mike
19-03-2009, 12:32
HoHo.... :doh:

Peter Stockwell
19-03-2009, 14:07
Thing with the sticky feets is that I'd lift 15kg of shelf with the 12kg of TT everytime! I have to admit that the Boots and glass are interesting combo, but I don't think I need them with my arrangement. In the Isonoe blurb it says to rest the feet on a hard surface, which is why there's the glass to go in the boots. But can't help thinking I'm allergic to sorbothane anywhere in a system. Of course I haven't heard what the boots and glass can bring. Dave ?

Marco
23-03-2009, 11:09
Just found this whilst surfing the Net:

http://www.hifido.co.jp/KWAudio+Technica/G0601/E/280-10/C05-22518-47236-00/

http://www.hifido.co.jp/KWAudio+Technica/G0601/E/320-10/C03-16488-18322-00/

I've read that these ATs are highly regarded and now long discontinued, so I thought those of you who are looking for good quality support feet for the Techy and haven't obtained any yet might like to give them a go :)

Marco.

MartinT
23-03-2009, 12:52
They look exactly like the Micro Seiki feet I used under my very first turntable (Connoisseur BD-1 and SME 3009/II). I wonder who really made them?

Marco
23-03-2009, 13:49
Probably Audio Technica, Martin, just like Jelco make 'things' for many other hi-end manufacturers which are then 'suitably priced' to reflect the status of their badge ;)

I reckon that the AT feet would work great on the Techy.

Marco.

Peter Stockwell
24-03-2009, 11:11
They didn't with an old Thorens fruit box I had, back in the day.