Turntable Isolation Platform

Rocket · « **on:** 1 Jul 2021, 12:14 pm »

Hi Guys,

I have a problem with an interaction between my Bryston Turntable, wooden entertainment unit and my wooden suspended floorboards. I am having quite a bit of rumble which is just noticeable in my listening position.

I am thinking that I need to isolate the turntable from the entertainment and my wooden floors. I've been looking at this product and I am wondering if anyone has had experience with turntable isolation platforms and whether they work or not. This is a cheaper option as most seem to start at about $600 australian dollars.

https://auralex.com/iso-tone-turntable/

Thanks for your help. Cheers Rod

nlitworld · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 01:17 pm »

I went a little DIY route and made a platform. I used a sheet of mdf that I stuck some automotive sound deadening pads to dampen the ringing of the mdf and had painted it all black, then stuck some sorbothane bumpers to the bottom to isolate it. Works well, but not the prettiest. Really anything to absorb the resonance from your speakers will help with the sound. Just a matter of how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.

ric · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 01:38 pm »

I highly recommend anything made by IsoAcoustics and I use their "orea" products under my turntable and motor. BUT, looking at your picture it looks like you would benefit either from getting rid of the cabinet, or using something like the orea's under the cabinet feet as well as the turntable. I have tried the DIY route and then moved to Herbies products which were an improvement, but at some point I think it's better to just spend the money and try some Orea's--you should be able to get them with a return option if not satisfied. Good luck!

dpatters · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 01:59 pm »

I have a wood rack on suspended hardwood floors. The rack sits on large Herbies Gliders. I use maple platforms under my components. The platforms sit on IsoAcoustics Isopucks.

Don P

orthobiz · « **Reply #4 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 02:40 pm »

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/turnbuckle-time-saves-your-stylus

I’m probably way off base here but maybe isolating vibrations found the floorboards could help with a simple solution. Easy enough to try!

Paul

rollo · « **Reply #5 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 05:19 pm »

Still a big fan of sandbox and Maple plinth sitting inside it. Sandbox decoulped fro surface below as well.

charles

/mp · « **Reply #6 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 05:36 pm »

William Firebaugh of Well Tempered Lab uses squash balls. Try that or a couple mouse pads under each turntable foot. Standard fix between mic stand bases & desk/tabletops during productions. Never personally needed under my turntables but worth trying first given material cost is or asymptotically approaches free. YMMV. Share your solution when you settle on one.

jschwenker · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 Jul 2021, 06:44 pm »

Hi Rocket, et al,

Here's a rig that I built to solve this sort of LF feedback problem. Basically is a compact variation on the old "suspend the TT from the ceiling" line of thought. Excellent isolation from dancing around on the floor is another side benefit! Also, others chime in there with their favorite types of solutions. Good luck!

One Hz isolating wall mount:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82514.msg1306519#msg1306519

Cheers, John

Rocket · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Jul 2021, 05:05 am »

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for the comments. I'll check of these out and if they work or not.

Cheers Rod

pconley2 · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Jul 2021, 07:15 pm »

I just got a new turntable which needed more isolation than I had for the previous one. I too went the DIY mode, I contacted my local Marble and Granite dealer who sold me two pieces of leftovers for around $80, I had to trim one piece for another $30 and got an 18"X18" Isolation pad for $38 (I put a couple under my amps as well) and for $150 or so, I had a 3 tier isolation system made of Granite, Isolation pad and a lovely piece of marble, which has solved my TT vibration problem

https://www.supplyhouse.com/DiversiTech-MP-18E-E-V-A-Anti-Vibration-Pad-18-x-18-x-7-8

Dpatters, nice to see another pair of Vapor Joules, they are very rare and I love mine

Rocket · « **Reply #10 on:** 3 Jul 2021, 11:37 am »

Hi Guys,

Okay, it looks like I've mostly solved the rumble issue as I went diy instead of purchasing a specific hifi turntable isolation platform. These platforms seem to range from $500 to $1000 australian dollars which is pretty expensive as I can buy a new turntable for that price. I bought a kitchen cutting block from ikea and I bought 2 squash balls. I cut the squash balls in half and glued them to the bottom of the wooden cutting block.

I sanded the wooden cutting block and painted it in high gloss paint. Tomorrow I'll buy a black flat finish as it will look better imo.

I would say I have reduced the rumble by at least 70% or more. I am totally satisfied now!

Cheers Rod

Blackmore · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Jul 2021, 12:20 pm »

Looks good, Rod. I may have to try this myself.

Mark

Rocket · « **Reply #12 on:** 3 Jul 2021, 12:50 pm »

Hi Mark,

This really came about by necessity as I didn't want to spend a heap of money on a turntable isolation platform. In australia they range from $500 to $1000 australian dollars. Far too much imo.

I'll sand the platform back tomorrow and use a flat or semi gloss as the high gloss really shows up all the faults in painting it. But it works really well. I think you play racketball in the USA which is a much larger ball but I am sure you would be able to get some squash balls which are about half the size of a racketball.

All I can say is that is has greatly reduced the rumble by about 70% that I was experiencing before. Its a non issue now. Back to listening to music again

.

Cheers Rod

dpatters · « **Reply #13 on:** 3 Jul 2021, 03:16 pm »

Dpatters, nice to see another pair of Vapor Joules, they are very rare and I love mine
[/quote]

Thanks! I love my Vapor Joules. Best audio purchase ever!

lazydays · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Jul 2021, 09:58 pm »

I use a 40lb. turntable, and have been thru the whole circus at one time or another. Being as the foot print is rather big for the table, I bought a sand box, and it helped; yet in the end it was nothing but a big mess. I found a guy unloading a Ginko Cloud on Audiogon years back, and bought it for about three hundred delivered. I just set it up with all the balls in the middle, and never looked back. Difference I picked up on right away was that the high end was much more extended, but the bass was also noticeably tighter. Plus it looks a lot better than that sand box.

I honestly think you could do something similar (if no slightly better ) with two 1.5" thick maple cutting boards and some kind of rubber dampening pads between them. Somebody sells the rubber half round balls, so that would probably get the job done without pulling your hair out.
gary

Dieterle Tool · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Jul 2021, 02:28 pm »

Nice job Rocket. I think the flat black will be more aesthetically pleasing.

There should be some disclaimer attached to the advice of halving racquet or squash balls... come up with a safe way to execute this procedure. Specifically, a way to fixture the ball so you are not using your hand to hold the ball while cutting.
Not they we are not all responsible adults, but it just takes a quick slip to "half" a finger!

-Dieter

Rocket · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Jul 2021, 02:29 pm »

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. This really was just a quick and cheap experiment as I didn't want to spend a lot without being able to trial a turntable isolation platform prior to purchasing one. I might look at buying a marble kitchen block if I can find one for the right price and have someone cut it for me for the right size.

I am just surprised that a fairly expensive turntable can't provide property isolation. It sounds fantastic now after isolating it and it deserves a much better cartridge than what I am using.

Cheers rod

lazydays · « **Reply #17 on:** 5 Jul 2021, 12:01 am »

Quote from: Rocket on 4 Jul 2021, 02:29 pm

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. This really was just a quick and cheap experiment as I didn't want to spend a lot without being able to trial a turntable isolation platform prior to purchasing one. I might look at buying a marble kitchen block if I can find one for the right price and have someone cut it for me for the right size.

I am just surprised that a fairly expensive turntable can't provide property isolation. It sounds fantastic now after isolating it and it deserves a much better cartridge than what I am using.

Cheers rod

not knowing your location; let me say this:

Lowes sells black composite granite tile. About a half inch thick. It's not with the regular bathroom tiles, but usually in a special order place (may have to ask). Anyway, they sell is in various sizes all the way out to a two foot square. You can get it different colors and patterns, but trust me black is the best for vibration resistance. For spacers, it's a million choices. I've even seen a couple guys using bicycle inner tubes! A sheet of "Sorbathene" rubber is probably the best. Just cut the circles out of it and go. I've punched out 2" pads from it with something similar to a tin can. Easier to do with an arbor press, but where there's a will there's a way. The isolation pads some body posted a picture of work well, but they have many different weight ratings. Get the lightest they sell for the average project. There's a small company in Columbus, IN that specializes in them (Machinery Mounts). They made a lot of money off me over the years as I bought their pads by the cases! Another way sounds kinda crude, but all you need is a tin can and a can of Johnsons Pledge. Spray the inside of the can with Pledge, and the fill the can with RTV caulking compound to whatever the thickness is you want. When it sets up solid you can simply push the puck out with your fingers and then make another. I've used this to make isolation discs for precision measuring devices. It's not rocket science! They even make RTV in a liquid form, that sets up over 24 hours. That stuff is not common, but it's there.

Now I know you are going to ask about the black granite composite. Solid rock will vibrate much more than the cheap stuff, and of them; black seems to be the best. That's why many precision surface plates are black composite. The best would probably be Mallory Metal, and also very expensive.
gary

Rocket · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Jul 2021, 01:02 pm »

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I live in Australia and we don't have Lowes here at the moment. We only recently have a new Costco warehouse which is the first in Perth, Western Australia.

I'll take on board your comments though.

Cheers Rod

Elizabeth · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Jul 2021, 03:36 pm »

In the past to help with a bouncy floor I used a large 10cm thick concrete patio square. under, then a regular hardwood cutting 'butcher block' with something in between.
My current setup uses large 8 cm thick hard maple larger butcher blocks with just four tiny 70Duro sorbothane in a trapezoid set, with a 12cm Walnut (a softer wood) on to same four sorbothane bits. them the Kuzma is up on three additional Bolivian Rosewood Exotic very hard wood blanks,
The Rega is sitting directly on the similar Walnut block. IT was a bit expensive to double up on the butcher blocks, but the sound is better that way.
This is tuning rather than avoiding all vibration...
Oddly the one other bit of gear sounding better with doubled up blocks is my amplifier.