View Full Version : Nobsound sprung feet - had to check them out
montesquieu
17-08-2019, 14:39
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EsYAAOSwkpxc-Luh/s-l1600.jpg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Aluminum-Spring-HiFi-Speaker-Isolation-Amplifier-Feet-Anti-vibration-Pad-Stand/253980040845?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
The above have been on ebay for a bit and I've been curious. I run a set of Townshend Seismic Pods (the heavy ones, so retailing at £119 each, x 4 is the best part of £500) which made a surprisingly big difference to the performance of my Thorens TD124. The Nobsound ones of course are considerably cheaper, only £29 a set, now shipped from within the UK (until relatively recently they were only available from the Far East).
Anyway they duly arrived just a couple of days after ordering, and I have to say opening the box, I was quite impressed. Nice manufacturing quality and it took no time at all - 10 minutes tops - to stick the rubber patches on the outsides, fit the springs and make the feet up as four cool looking spring sandwiches.
Out of the box with all springs fitted, they are very stiff indeed, supposedly rated for 32kg the set but I would say probably can be used quite a bit higher. I removed the middle spring from each and tried them under the TT plinth which is about 30kg all up with the solid wood plinth and Schopper platter. Immediate impression was that the bounce frequency was far too high compared to the Townshend Pods' slowly-moving single spring based assembly, which is also free to move in all dimensions not just up and down. I tried various combinations of springs, reducing the number in use from 7 down to 4 (practical minimum for stability), but there was a notable decline in performance in every configuration compared to the Townshend Pods. For turntables at least, these are not Townshend killers.
However I think they are mainly intended for speakers for that that purpose they could well be pretty good. (Not with my very heavy Tannoys though).
In the end I used them with four springs in place under my DAC (AN kit recently upgraded again and re-cased - with its very heavily upgraded PSU it is now comparable to in size and weight to and indeed in execution to the top end Lampizator DACs, and as heavy as a hefty valve amp, but just had rubber feet). I thought I detected a slight improvement so I've left them there, where they actually look pretty nice.
Upshot - curiosity satisfied but the Townshends have it for sure in a critical application like a turntable. Might be of interest for source components if they also produced say a smaller set with less stiff springs.
Following on from returning home from visiting a friend, where trials on speaker footers become the topic of the get together.
Using different footers under Speakers belonging to the system, were seen to be improving the interface and noticeable sonic benefits were evident.
Much music was played and then the Speakers returned to their original set up.
It was evident that the newly added feet were the better method to use on the speakers.
A discussion on cost of the components used against purchasing Townsend's was on the table.
The Nobusound Feet could prove to be the answer at a extremely fair outlay.
The link has been forwarded to the friend I visited. :thumbsup:
Pieoftheday
14-10-2019, 15:07
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EsYAAOSwkpxc-Luh/s-l1600.jpg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Aluminum-Spring-HiFi-Speaker-Isolation-Amplifier-Feet-Anti-vibration-Pad-Stand/253980040845?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
The above have been on ebay for a bit and I've been curious. I run a set of Townshend Seismic Pods (the heavy ones, so retailing at £119 each, x 4 is the best part of £500) which made a surprisingly big difference to the performance of my Thorens TD124. The Nobsound ones of course are considerably cheaper, only £29 a set, now shipped from within the UK (until relatively recently they were only available from the Far East).
Anyway they duly arrived just a couple of days after ordering, and I have to say opening the box, I was quite impressed. Nice manufacturing quality and it took no time at all - 10 minutes tops - to stick the rubber patches on the outsides, fit the springs and make the feet up as four cool looking spring sandwiches.
Out of the box with all springs fitted, they are very stiff indeed, supposedly rated for 32kg the set but I would say probably can be used quite a bit higher. I removed the middle spring from each and tried them under the TT plinth which is about 30kg all up with the solid wood plinth and Schopper platter. Immediate impression was that the bounce frequency was far too high compared to the Townshend Pods' slowly-moving single spring based assembly, which is also free to move in all dimensions not just up and down. I tried various combinations of springs, reducing the number in use from 7 down to 4 (practical minimum for stability), but there was a notable decline in performance in every configuration compared to the Townshend Pods. For turntables at least, these are not Townshend killers.
However I think they are mainly intended for speakers for that that purpose they could well be pretty good. (Not with my very heavy Tannoys though).
In the end I used them with four springs in place under my DAC (AN kit recently upgraded again and re-cased - with its very heavily upgraded PSU it is now comparable to in size and weight to and indeed in execution to the top end Lampizator DACs, and as heavy as a hefty valve amp, but just had rubber feet). I thought I detected a slight improvement so I've left them there, where they actually look pretty nice.
Upshot - curiosity satisfied but the Townshends have it for sure in a critical application like a turntable. Might be of interest for source components if they also produced say a smaller set with less stiff springs.
Do you think these might work under a soundbar with down firing sub which is causing some issues with regards to vibration? Cheers Jim
jandl100
14-10-2019, 18:10
Do you think these might work under a soundbar with down firing sub which is causing some issues with regards to vibration? Cheers Jim
Hi Jim
I've a very similar set of 4 of these spare if you'd like to try them out.
Just PM me your name and address if you fancy giving them a go and I'll pop them in the post.
If they work for you and you want to buy them, I'm sure we can agree a price. :)
Mine look like this ...
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2l4AAOSw~RVaCvi5/s-l300.jpg
Pieoftheday
15-10-2019, 13:57
Hi Jim
I've a very similar set of 4 of these spare if you'd like to try them out.
Just PM me your name and address if you fancy giving them a go and I'll pop them in the post.
If they work for you and you want to buy them, I'm sure we can agree a price. :)
Mine look like this ...
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2l4AAOSw~RVaCvi5/s-l300.jpg
Hi Jerry sorry for the late reply, I pulled the trigger on the nobsound ones last night:doh: I'm very grateful for the kind offer, jim
Hibster_2000
15-10-2019, 18:12
Nobsound feet would probably go very well when using the Bum gauge for levelling your tonearm.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LP-Vinyl-Record-Player-Measuring-Phono-Tone-VTA-Cartridge-Azimuth-Ruler/352545218564?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SI M%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D60272%26meid%3D03b47c8c1de34ae0 bb9ce3addf1f58f6%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D1 2%26mehot%3Dco%26sd%3D323928389124%26itm%3D3525452 18564%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
Sadly the Nobsound ones are copies of the RD'd Viablue ones. Nobsound, like much of the Chinese Alibaba specials have no RD into the product an merely 'copy' what they see. The spring loaded probably isnt even correct either. Waste of money no natter how cheap they are.
montesquieu
05-12-2019, 16:49
Sadly the Nobsound ones are copies of the RD'd Viablue ones. Nobsound, like much of the Chinese Alibaba specials have no RD into the product an merely 'copy' what they see. The spring loaded probably isnt even correct either. Waste of money no natter how cheap they are.
You tried them then or is this just an anti-nobsound rant?
You tried them then or is this just an anti-nobsound rant?
The 'copies' are IMO no different from the originals. The springs are springs, not subject to any mystical audio spec. Very good too.
montesquieu
05-12-2019, 19:20
The 'copies' are IMO no different from the originals. The springs are springs, not subject to any mystical audio spec. Very good too.
Quite. They aren't Townshend killers by any means (as I said above) but neither - at a tenth of the price - are they a waste of money.
Wakefield Turntables
05-12-2019, 20:27
Springs are springs
NO! Completely incorrect. A spring has to be specially designed to reject a specific Hz frequency.
jandl100
05-12-2019, 20:40
You can tune them by using different numbers of springs - and different weights of supported components will have different resonant frequencies when combined with the springs anyway.
NO! Completely incorrect. A spring has to be specially designed to reject a specific Hz frequency.
:lol: brilliant
You can tune them by using different numbers of springs - and different weights of supported components will have different resonant frequencies when combined with the springs anyway.
This
montesquieu
06-12-2019, 10:03
This
Exactly what I’ve been doing. There are seven springs and for a light component it will work fine with as few as 3.
walpurgis
06-12-2019, 10:16
Waste of money no natter how cheap they are.
So they didn't work when you tried them?
The 'copies' are IMO no different from the originals. The springs are springs, not subject to any mystical audio spec. Very good too.
They do, they have set weighting and composition for the job they are doing. Lots of RD work goes into them. The Nob ones are just generic from the factory.
I am often baffled how swayed people are by Chinese cheap production copies of genuine RD'd parts.
If Viablue actually got their backside into gear, they would be able to have them all removed under IP right infringement.
So they didn't work when you tried them?
No, I know enough about Chinese knockoffs to not waste money.
I have tried the Viablue ones, very good units.
You tried them then or is this just an anti-nobsound rant?
Its a 'Chinese knock off of someones designed product ' rant, sure.
NO! Completely incorrect. A spring has to be specially designed to reject a specific Hz frequency.
Exactly, amongst other tasks in this instance too.
montesquieu
06-12-2019, 13:14
Its a 'Chinese knock off of someones designed product ' rant, sure.
Which product would that be then? Got a link to the product the Nobsound ones are ripping off?
I got a bit irritated a while back by someone buying and building what was effectively a kit that not only purported to be a circut based on a Kondo preamp, but came with a a fully-marked up, Kondo-branded case as well. Now in my book, that's a knock off in similar vein to someone sporting a fake Rolex from the looky-looky man.
On the other hand I see the Nobsound dampers for what they are which is a capable but somewhat basic implementation of a common enough idea. There is no passing off something as what it isn't. I wrote above that they are not as good as my ten times the price Townshend Seismic Pods (which were in the market long before Viablue - did they rip off Max's idea? Or is the idea obvious enough, and the execution variable according to price point?). But categorically, they are not junk and I don't believe they are any kind of fake either.
I've bought a few Nobsound products over the years and they are exactly what you'd expect, cheap, functional, arguably somewhat derivative designs but executed at reasonably quality for the prices asked. As for derivative, the fact is that copying and not innovation is actually the norm in the hifi industry, from the Williamson circut onwards but only really becomes an issue when the rip-off is blatant and patents or trademarks are infringed. I see no such issue here. I'm happy to be proved wrong though.
I have multiple sets of the acrylic 'Ecstasy Prop Isolation Feet' that jandl100 posted a picture of in post #4.
I have been using them for years and am very satisfied with them.
I have modified one set of 4 to replace the feet on my SL1200MK2 where they work brilliantly.
I use a set of 4 under each speaker, a set of 3 under my pre amp, 3 under my power amp and 3 under my CD player. The key to making them work properly is to get the compression/weight and spring ratio just right, I use extra weights on top of the supported unit where needed.
The acrylic 'Ecstasy Prop Isolation Feet' are either a re-branded or a direct copy of the 'Solid-Tech IsoClear Isolation Feet', I have compared them with the genuine Solid-Tech version and apart from the logo/felt layer I can find no differences. Unlike the Nobsound aluminium version the acrylic ones use a sandwich of acrylic-felt-acrylic per disc, whether this helps with isolation and performance who knows.
I have done many drop tests measuring with vibration meters and can report that they really do work in terms of stopping vibration from reaching the supported unit. Solid tech state that the "Solid Tech IsoClear discs are a universal isolation device that exhibit a measured 84.64% vibration reduction at 20Hz" my findings pretty much back this up.
In terms of sound quality I believe they have had a positive impact in my system, the more units I have supported the better the improvements have become.
Are they as good as Townshend?...I doubt it, but they are a fraction of the price and I believe are a bargain. One of the big design differences is the use of air dampening in the Townshend design which the discussed units do not have.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.