MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform

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tmij

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MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« on: 2 Jul 2006, 02:16 am »
Just to help spread the word, this particular isolation platform gets some mention but there's not much information from product owners. During last week's NY Audio Rave, a few guys also asked about it, but I didn't go much further than saying it's made by MinusK.

Last year, I was happily using a wall shelf for my turntable when I decided to organize all analog gear into a single rack. This brought on a problem-- playing through the Dynavector arm at increasingly loud volumes would cause distortion to creep into the sound, and the louder I played, the louder it got. Because this problem didn't affect the other arm (perhaps due to that arm's unipivot design), I temporarily taped the Dynavector's tonearm cable to the wall and looked for a solution.

Although the Yorke is usualy paired with the Vibraplane, I couldn't use that platform because it's too heavy for the rack. Halcyonics was another option but the MOD-1M platform was smaller than the Yorke's overall footprint. Enter MinusK who, this year, released more audiophile-friendly, smaller form-factor products. After a friendly chat with their president, David Platus, I decided to go with the BM-8.

Viewed from its underbelly, this passive isolation system looks, feels, and is built like industrial instrumentation, no audiophile eye-candy here.



The general idea is to make the isolation platform float, keeping the vertical position indicator (which is attached to the platform) zero'd on the center line between High and Low (see picture below). Depending on the weight of the table, this adjustment is made by turning the crank clockwise or counter-clockwise. After turning the crank a few times and not seeing the indicator move, I also had to adjust the stiffness screw using an allen wrench that's supplied with the package.



Minor issue-- as the platform is adjusted with the full weight of the turntable, removing a record weight/clamp, for example, changes overall weight that the platform would rise. Nothing to it, except the vertical position indicator would make a sound when it hits the upper edge of its hole.

Then we get to leveling. In my case I use a set of Finite Elemente Cerabases under the granite shelf where the BM-8 sits and positioned a couple Walker Audio discs (see lower right, below) for "ballast".



Less than an hour after receiving the package, I was checking speed and ready to go.



The MinusK BM-8 (click picture below to visit manufacturer website) is an isolation platform that can achieve a horizontal frequency of 1.5 Hz and a vertical frequency of 0.5 Hz. The gist of the transmissibility curves is that a resonance of 2Hz can be 93% isolated, 5 Hz - 99% isolated, 10 Hz - 99.7% isolated.

In other words, if you shake the table two times a second, either up/down (vertically) or left/right (horizontally), in theory, only 7% of that shaking energy will be transferred to the table, whereas 93% will be "drained". As frequencies go higher, the platform behaves even better, claiming to outperform air-based isolation systems.



MinusK isn't secretive about how this is achieved, explaining "how it works"--



Problem solved, thanks MinusK!

« Last Edit: 8 Oct 2008, 06:41 pm by tmij »

lonewolfny42

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #1 on: 2 Jul 2006, 03:48 am »
Tito...thanks for posting the info ! Vibration Isolation ...it worked. The lp's sounded great...at whatever volume we played. A good find.... 8)
Chris

SET Man

Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #2 on: 3 Jul 2006, 12:47 am »
Tito,

  Thanks for sharing you exprience. :D

   Fascinating.... from the video clip the system seems to work very well. Perfect for listening to your vinyls during earthquake! :lol:

   You know... this isolation technology reminded me of the "Anti-shake" on my DSLR and small digi-cam. :D

   Sadly I can't afford it. :cry:

Take care,
Buddy :thumb:

   

zybar

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #3 on: 3 Jul 2006, 12:59 am »
Here is a direct link to the product page:

http://www.minusk.com/content/products/standard/bm-8.html

Looks really cool, but at $2.5k new it is indeed pretty pricey.

Tito, looks like you have assembled a killer system, I would love a chance to hear it.

George

tmij

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #4 on: 3 Jul 2006, 01:04 am »
Anytime, George, we have a common buddy in Jeff C (High Water Sound) and I live just on the next block.

zybar

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #5 on: 3 Jul 2006, 01:07 am »
Anytime, George, we have a common buddy in Jeff C (High Water Sound) and I live just on the next block.

Tito,

I am down in White Plains next Wed-Fri, maybe I can get down to visit. 

Jeff is a great guy and I haven't been by his place in ages.  I usually only get to see him at shows.

Next time you see him, say hi for me.

George

budbrew

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #6 on: 3 Jul 2006, 01:46 am »
I was just looking at these today, but was turned off by the price, at least for now. I have a spring loaded Audio Note turntable that is unusable on our bouncy suspended wood floors. I've been looking for a viable solution. I wonder if the MinusK can take care of the problem?

Leonid

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Re: MinusK BM-8 Isolation Platform
« Reply #7 on: 9 May 2007, 04:22 pm »
Hi, I have just seen the Halcyonics MOD-1 would have been an option in that case, too. Allow me to add that Halcyonics just released a special high-end audio isolation system. The system uses famous Halcyonics active vibration technology which is usually used in Nanotechnology and Semiconductor business. The new system comes in a valuable housing, 17 in. long and 19 in. wide, which looks pretty much like a high end audio component.
 
Minus K do not seem to be bad, but they use an extremely smooth spring mechanism in order to shift the natural low frequency resonance to the lowest possible frequency. Because of this, Minus-k units oscillate for quite a long after being induced by a shock. I recently read an interview at www.designnews.com, where David Platus said that "Minus K's systems, by contrast, take more than 15 seconds to settle". In comparison to Minus K, Halcyonics uses active velocity feed-back technology to counteract vibration and movements. Halcyonics' active components settle any movement within the shortest time. Response time is approx. 10 ms, the settling time remains under 300 ms. That is much quicker and effective, I guess this is a clear advantage!
 
For further information on Halcyonics' new Silencer, please feel free to contact Halcyonics, Inc. in Menlo Park/CA.