Sorbothane

Printable View

08-03-2010, 14:49
electric beach

Sorbothane

Want to lose a weekend - without drugs or alcohol? :eyebrows:

I found these Sorbothane sheets and about 10 uses - what fun! If "fiddling about" and "cheap tweaks" are expressions that have you salivating then these are the kiddies. At £13 each for a self adhesive-backed 6" x 6" sheet (the self-adhesive doesn't stick well to the sorbothane but the backing sheet is conveniently marked to guide cutting into smaller squares) the return on investment can almost be guaranteed.

Sorbothane's vibration damping properties are awesome. I intended to isolate the shelves on my wall mounted Target equipment racks and the resulting improvement was well worth the minimal effort, plus everything got a clean.

As an illustration, our washing machine was walking some two feet across the floor during the spin cycle and violently rocking about to an impression of a jet fighter on take-off. Four 30mm squares under the feet and the tendency to build up vibration was eliminated. It's not whisper quiet but it's like a different machine; an egg will stay on top for the duration and it's not moved a millimetre. We were absolutely in denial, it just didn't seem possible. :stalks:

So, start with the washing machine and then you too can play with the HiFi all weekend! That's what I call a Top Tweak!! ;)

http://www.britishaudio.co.uk/isolation.htm
08-03-2010, 15:01
webby

I used to wear Sorbothane insoles in my football boots. They were great!
08-03-2010, 15:30
electric beach

Apart from dedicated Sorbothane domed feet for HiFi, which is a harder compound, the only other source I could find was in fact inner soles for footwear.

I wonder who will be first to cut up their discarded jogging trainers for tweakery :hmm:
08-03-2010, 15:57
Stratmangler

These guys make the stuff http://www.deflex.co.uk/catalog/index.php

Chris:)
08-03-2010, 17:06
electric beach

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratmangler

These guys make the stuff http://www.deflex.co.uk/catalog/index.php

Chris:)

Sorry Chris - don't think so. Sorbothane is a different material and trademarked.
08-03-2010, 20:03
DSJR

I loved the original Audioquest big feet and had loads. Most gone now (I know not where), but I can vouch for the squidgey stuff (not the rock-hard feet the Mission Isoplat came with..)
08-03-2010, 20:20
electric beach

I've had a field day! There are so many uses in sheet form. I've used it, or will use it:

- under the sub feet on a hard wood floor: reduced the cabinet vibrations and tightened the bass - no, the whole frequency range benefitted.
- under the main speaker feet, which were merely solid aluminium legs directly to the solid wood stands.
- under the support rack shelves at the interface with the tubular frame.
- between granite slabs.
- directly between the preamp and power supply and the granite platform.
- under the hood of the preamp, around the valve sockets.
- on the rear of the tweeters.
- as a shim between cables and either wall or the racks.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :scratch: :confused: :eek: :lol: :lol: :lol:
08-03-2010, 21:06
The Grand Wazoo

I had a few of those sheets years ago & put bits of them all over the place (not under the washing machine though!

Some folks used to cut small bits to stick onto chips - I tried it in an attempt to make a crap synthesized tuner sound better. I couldn't tell any difference - but it was a really crap tuner!

I also had some Sorbothane damping rings for small signal valves which worked well until I stuck on on a 12BH7 which promptly melted it & caused free flowing black goo to ooze all over a circuit board. Then a hefty repair bill from Absolute Sounds oozed through my letter box.
08-03-2010, 21:19
Themis

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Grand Wazoo

Then a hefty repair bill from Absolute Sounds oozed through my letter box.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
09-03-2010, 00:17
Rare Bird

Love the sorbothane linned counterweight on the Mission '774', infact the '775' turntable used lashings of Sorbothane..
09-03-2010, 12:18
hifi_dave

You mean the gloop that allows the counterweight to droop like it has Peyrone's....:eyebrows:
12-03-2010, 18:56
pwood

Quote:

Originally Posted by webby

I used to wear Sorbothane insoles in my football boots. They were great!

Did they make you sound clearer when you swore at someone for hacking you whilst on a glory run:lol:
14-03-2010, 12:36
monya

I've used sorbothane in the past with varying results. Under a EAR phonostage years ago it seemed to bring out extra depth to the soundstage.
On the other hand it seemed to reduce dynamics and slow tempo and rythmn when placed under amps. It certainly has an effect, no denying that - just depends if you like what it does I guess, depending on the equipment.
14-03-2010, 12:41
monya

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifi_dave

You mean the gloop that allows the counterweight to droop like it has Peyrone's....:eyebrows:

Hi Dave - remember me?
Used to pop in when in St Albans for a looksee at wots new. Remember getting a Bow Wazoo years back and then a EAR 8L6. Then you upped and legged it to the back of beyond :)

cheers

Robin
14-03-2010, 13:13
DSJR

Must have seen you coming......

Apologies, couldn't resist it :lol:

Dave now resides in a quieter country retreat WITH PARKING!!!!! and a lovely little dem room in which to savour his delights - or summat.......;)
14-03-2010, 13:26
monya

Looks like I'll have to sharpen up around here :)
14-03-2010, 13:34
Rare Bird

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifi_dave

You mean the gloop that allows the counterweight to droop like it has Peyrone's....:eyebrows:

Well being a dealer you'll know that arm & you'll know that was eradicated by mission
14-03-2010, 13:46
DSJR

Yeah, they coupled the counterweight directly IIRC and added a possibly superior stiff exit cable which prevented its correct use on the springy belt drives we sold....

Mind you, the Mechanic, 774LC etc came soon after and the original 774 was consigned to history..
14-03-2010, 13:58
hifi_dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre

Well being a dealer you'll know that arm & you'll know that was eradicated by mission

Well, being a dealer there's only so much crap you can put up with so we probably stopped dealing with them before that...:eek:
14-03-2010, 14:00
DSJR

;)
14-03-2010, 14:01
hifi_dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by monya

Hi Dave - remember me?
Used to pop in when in St Albans for a looksee at wots new. Remember getting a Bow Wazoo years back and then a EAR 8L6. Then you upped and legged it to the back of beyond :)

cheers

Robin

You're always welcome here. It only takes around 45 minutes from St.Albans and we were finding that customers would sometimes take 45 minutes to find a parking spot.
14-03-2010, 14:25
Rare Bird

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSJR

Yeah, they coupled the counterweight directly IIRC

they put an insert over the top.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSJR

Mind you, the Mechanic, 774LC etc came soon after and the original 774 was consigned to history..

strange was things go cost the vesions after the original sounded pants compared.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifi_dave

Well, being a dealer there's only so much crap you can put up with so we probably stopped dealing with them before that...:eek:

was nothing wrong with early mission, better sounding than a lot of shit back then, leaves most shit today standing aswell
18-03-2010, 09:15
electric beach

Quote:

Originally Posted by monya

I've used sorbothane in the past with varying results. Under a EAR phonostage years ago it seemed to bring out extra depth to the soundstage.
On the other hand it seemed to reduce dynamics and slow tempo and rythmn when placed under amps. It certainly has an effect, no denying that - just depends if you like what it does I guess, depending on the equipment.

Yeah, agree with you about the effect under amps Robin, particularly the power amp. I was surprised, I expected the benefit in regard to the microphony of a tube amp would be the greatest.

One thing about external tweaking of any equipment - it was probably designed and tested to achieve it's balanced performance without any additives, so we should always remember that we're just as likely to upset that balance, probably more so, than to massage an improvement from it.

I tend to view these things more as tuning the system and the balance of the whole. When I've recently changed my DAC, I needed to adjust previously successful arrangements with supports of other components to bring the synergy of the system together again. All part of the fun. :)
22-04-2012, 22:39
The Grand Wazoo

From The Grave
23-04-2012, 11:05
Rare Bird

This is spookey, i was only thinking yesterday morning to try one my old Mission 'Isoplats' under the turntable.. i have some Spectra Foculpods aswell..