[ghunter]

After being a long-time Excellent Turntable Mat fan, I am now interested in trying some other Herbie's products for equipment support.

I have pretty much all solid state gear and am wondering if the Iso-Cup also has positive sonic effects on equipment without tubes.  I'm really curious to try the Iso-Cup with high end base on my Nagra PMA monoblocks, but also on my Tom Evans Vibe preamp.  Should I order a bunch of the Iso-Cups or just stay with the standard Tenderfeet?

[Herbie]

Hi, ghunter. Iso-Cups work very well with most audio and video components. We have lots of customers using them with ss amps (including monos), CD players, preamps, conditioners.

With most components, Tenderfoot isolation feet and Iso-Cups will both deliver very appreciable sonic benefit, with neither being particularly "better" than the other, though personal taste might deliver a preference.

Tenderfeet will usually have an advantage over Iso-Cups with very lightweight components, though their use certainly isn't confined to light components.
 
Because tube amps have been used as the reference component for Iso-Cup formulation and development, Iso-Cups work particularly well with tube amps, but that does not preclude their use with other components.
 
Tenderfeet and Iso-Cups have been featured together with our product lineup for several years. Both have gone through several incremental formula improvements and have periodically teeter-tottered as to which is "better." All the while, neither has been able to "knock off" the other from the product lineup. They have both achieved quite a state of perfection.

I suggest giving Iso-Cups a try with your monos and try Tenderfeet for your other components. You can swap the footers around to audition amongst your components and use the combination that gives the most preferable result.
 
Steve
Herbie's Audio Lab

[ghunter]

Thanks!  I've just ordered eight Tenderfeet and eight Iso-Cups.  I'll post my findings back here in a month or two.

[solentgreen]

Hi ghunter,

As a user of Herbie's products, I can confirm in my experience that Iso-cup & ball supports definitely extract significantly more performance from SS equipment.  Yes, tube equipment benefits from Iso-cups most but so does SS, especially quality Hi-end components like what you have.  My experience is that only when you are dealing with lower-end components like say my home cinema system would the difference between Iso-cups & Tenderfeet diminishes.

Hope this helps.   

[ghunter]

I received the package from Steve last night and did a little bit of listening this morning with the Iso-Cups in place under the Nagra PMA's.

The difference is not subtle.  Just using my Pioneer DVD player to quickly run through some digital formats, it takes the last bit of harshness from CD, makes SACD nearly pleasing, and makes me cry that DVD Audio has effectively died.  Overall, the soundstage has expanded and the high end become more smoothed out and still detailed.

I am shocked that such an inexpensive component ($250) has had a huge effect on a pair of expensive amplifiers.  I'll write more later, but the Iso-Cup effect on Solid State amps is amazing.

[solentgreen]

Glad the Iso-cups are working well for you; your findings tally with mine.  I ended up using Iso-cup & Balls on every single one of my components, tube or SS, and including my Hydra 8 & 2 mains conditioning units, with all unit benefiting from their use.

One other suggestion, I got an even greater improvement when I fitted Herbie's Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders between the spikes of my Von Schweikert VR4jr speakers and my hard wooden floor.  Depending on what speakers you use and how they are supported, you might want to looking into this interface.

 

[ghunter]

A few weeks in, I have to say that this was a monumental upgrade.  The Iso-Cups have brought a crystal-clear high end to everything.  I'm going to try a fifth Iso-Cup for the center of each amp with my next order from Steve.

[ghunter]

I'm checking in again here to say that the Iso-Cups under my Nagra PMA's has been one of the largest upgrades I've ever done.  The high-frequency extension has improved dramatically without being harsh.  This is the best my system has ever sounded, period.

How large an effect is this?  Let me try to quantify in relative terms...

- Much more improvement in clarity than adding a Symposium Svelte shelf or Rollerblocks, or any of the other expensive isolation add-ons I've tried before.
- As much an improvement in clarity as when I upgraded my Audio Research VS110 power amp to the Nagras (+$8000)
- More improvement in clarity than moving from Cardas Golden Reference to Crystal Cable Standard (+$2000)
- As much i provement in overall sonics moving from Audio Research LS26 to Tom Evans Vibe/Pulse.
My total order from Steve this time was only $350, including some Tenderfeet and a Component Top Weight.  The improvements easily match any of the above, at an order of magnitude difference in the price.

I honestly can't imagine a system that these isolation components wouldn't work wonders in.

[DTB300]

The difference is not subtle.  Just using my Pioneer DVD player to quickly run through some digital formats, it takes the last bit of harshness from CD, makes SACD nearly pleasing, and makes me cry that DVD Audio has effectively died.

Since we are talking about tweaks or changes to a setup, If you really want to hear what your player is capable of for music playback, try adding a VSE Terra Firma Clock to your player.  It has to be one of the BEST upgrades in terms of sonic playback of Redbook, SACD, or DVD-A I have heard to date.

Now back to Steve (Herbie's) products:

Most audiophiles or music listeners, do not realize the benefits of component isolation in their setups.   They travel the infamous component purchase path for awhile, seeing improvements in their rigs for some serious amounts of cash.  High dollar changes for "sometimes" small improvements.

Then people start to experiment with two of the best tweaks in audio, IMO,  component isolation and room treatments.   Component isolation is where Steve and his product excel.  Steve has great products at reasonable prices, and also offers a return policy too - hard to beat. 

If you like the Cups, Balls, Tenderfeet, etc. make sure to try out the Black Hole for your CD/SACD/DVD-A playback.  Another great product!!!!  I will not play back a disc without a Black Hole on it!!!

Dan

[ghunter]

Quick update - I tried putting a fifth Iso-Cup underneath my power amps and it had no discernable effects.