Does anyone put this (link included) on top of CD player?

michaelv · « **on:** 18 Jan 2006, 12:46 am »

http://audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=BSLR2BG&product_name=Little%20Rock%202%20in%20Black

I was wondering why this thing is expensive. Can you just put a piece of maple wood on top of cd player instead.

warnerwh · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 01:03 am »

A cd player must be shielded to not let anything out and I suspect that same shielding won't let the RFI/EMI in either. Keep your cd player away from amps or anything with a large transformer and save yourself time and money. You'll be fine.

A piece of wood won't block emi/rfi. It's a waste of money imo. You'll get much more improved sound spending your money about anywhere else in your system.

_scotty_ · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:57 am »

My DVD player weighs 3.6lbs. and I put a small ziplock bag with 3.25lbs. of fine lead shot on top to damp chassis vibrations and enhance the coupling
between the player and the ball bearing isolation devices between it and the shelf it sits on. $299 is a lot to pay for a tweak that may make no improvement in your system. I would try small bags of sand or lead shot
2 to 3 lbs each and see if you hear any difference at all. The best way to do this is with the assistance of a friend. You set in the sweet spot and with music playing and your eyes closed have your friend repeatedly lift and set down the small bag of sand or lead shot on top of the player and see if you can hear any change in the sound as a result of his or her actions. If you can't hear a difference you don't need to worry about adding mass to the top of the player. The same experiment can be done with ERS paper or a earth grounded piece of aluminum foil.
Scotty

rbrb · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:47 pm »

I have not heard that particular version but have heard something simular from another company. They do work at eliminating vibrations and can really improve the sound of certain components such as digital source components. The only problem is they sell for what I perceive as a stupid amount of money.

The very same effect can be had by lining the interior of a components chassis with DynaMat Extreme and ERS cloth for a fraction of the price. Works even better IMO.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 04:55 pm »

Here's another cheap tweak that you can try out on your player....

And here as well.... http://www.soundstage.com/weaver03.htm[/list:u]

Tweaker · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 05:39 pm »

Audio Advisor does have a 30-day money back policy so it couln't hurt to try. I've personally discovered that the more weight you get on a piece of equipment the more it screws up the sound, especially high frequencies (like cymbals). I used to use Mapleshade heavyhats which are heavy brass weights and I found that they did more harm than good, except on speakers where I use only one per speaker. This may be hard to believe and your results might vary but I've found the best tweak for my gear has been a copper penny or two on top of the chassis. Nothing else I've tried has made as much of an improvement. I really think that it is a mistaken belief that it takes a lot of weight to improve the sound of a componant. Speakers included. I've found that less is better in every case.
Ultimately, though, I suppose it's a matter of personal taste. I've achieved a sound I prefer that might not be everyones cup of tea.

Jon L · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 05:59 pm »

I love my Brightstar Little Rock (original version), which is taller and smaller width/length. It works well on top of digital components, but where I REALLY like them is on bottom of digital components.

I like the little rock much better than Brightstar's Big Rocks (which I also have) under components. The Big Rock's top panel is in direct contact with sand inside, but Little Rock has some air between top plate and sand, and you can hear sand swishing around when you tilt the little rock. The direct sand contact IME can lead to some components sounding overdamped (dark and slow), which the Little Rock avoids better.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 07:30 pm »

I have used sand bags, and granite blocks on top of digital gear in the past, and liked the change. I also liked that it cost me between $2 and $5 per tweak.... then again, my system is admittedly a "form follows function" delight! (this is to say that it is nearly the ultimate benchmark for bad WAF... thus it is relegated to the unfinished basement!

michaelv · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 08:10 pm »

I have tried to put a couple of maple cutting boards on top of CD player. The sound is clearer but dull. I guess it kills the high freq. I'll try bean bag or sand bag later this weekend to see if it makes any difference. This tweak task is fun...

, i admit.

_scotty_ · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Jan 2006, 02:29 am »

I use a BOO's Block Maple butcher block under my preamp and custom
Black Walnut framed maple blocks under my power amp and DVD player.
As far as I can see there is no good reason putting these blocks under components should make a difference or an improvement but they do and they are cheap.
Scotty