Silestone, Ceasarstone, or Zodiac countertop material as turntable plinth?

sanlanman · « **on:** 6 Jun 2008, 02:24 am »

Guys, I have read about others using various dense materials such as oak butcher block or other materials for anti vibration plinths, (along with various support feet, a whole other topic). It dawned on me that I have a connection to a counter top maker right now who works with these quartz aglomerate counter top materials in 20mm and 30 mm thicknesses. He sometimes has sink cutouts as waste from his countertop fab. You get what I'm thinking? Yea, turntable plinth. Anybody have any experience or educated opinions on how that would work and the type feet to use with it?
Here is a website or two:

http://www.silestoneusa.com/index/index.cfm
http://www.caesarstoneus.com/catalog/

I will be upgrading my mediocre stereo system this fall and plan to recartridge and tweak my phono system then, But right now, I just want to get this plinth material while I have access to it. My turntable is a good old Pioneer Series 20, PLC590 direct drive with the PA 1000 carbon fiber tone arm, and an audio technica cartridge, fed into a Yamaha RX-V757 receiver. The turntable & arm are keepers. Everything else will eventually be replaced/upgraded. All suggestions and experienced advice is appreciated.

Mariusz · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 05:15 am »

Quote

Guys, I have read about others using various dense materials such as oak butcher block or other materials for anti vibration plinths, (along with various support feet, a whole other topic). It dawned on me that I have a connection to a counter top maker right now who works with these quartz aglomerate counter top materials in 20mm and 30 mm thicknesses. He sometimes has sink cutouts as waste from his countertop fab. You get what I'm thinking? Yea, turntable plinth. Anybody have any experience or educated opinions on how that would work and the type feet to use with it?
Here is a website or two:

http://www.silestoneusa.com/index/index.cfm
http://www.caesarstoneus.com/catalog/

Well, you might also add Soapstone and Slate to your list. I personaly prefere Baltic ply over MDF sandwiched together or plain old butcher block. I might try Soapstone one day but it seems like a far future. Good luck on your project.

Mariusz · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 05:16 am »

Wayner · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 11:04 am »

Granite.

Wayner

toobluvr · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 02:18 pm »

THAT'S not granite!
This is granite!

150 lbs and 3 inches thick!!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 02:22 pm »

I had a 1" marble slab under mine for a time and thought it was well isolated because of it.....but it damn well blew my mind what a 3.5" thick maple butcher block slab did for the presentation

I'm sure other materials work well...but I'm sold on maple.

Ikea has a couple 1.5" thick birch blocks cheap...2 to 4 of these stacked on top of one another is probably very effective, too.

John

BobM · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 02:29 pm »

1" Corian Plinth
1" butcher block
bubble wrap (now replaced with cork)
1" butcher block on a sand box (seismic sink)

Photon46 · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 02:39 pm »

John. I'm in your corner on this one. I've tried other supports as well, and maple is the best I tried so far to my ears. With both an Empire 598III and my current VPI Scout, maple gave huge improvements over other materials I tried (granite, DIY sandbox.) With the Empire, I installed threaded brass inserts and then installed BDR carbon fiber cones for feet to couple the table to the maple. With BDR feet and maple, the Empire was within shouting distance of the VPI's performance. Actually, maybe it didn't have to shout, come to think about it. I tried both 1 3/4" and 3 1/2" thick maple, the thicker was better, but not by a large margin. If I were using something thinner like cutting boards, I'd try laminating the thinner boards together with epoxy to make at least a 1 1/2" thick mass.

strider · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 03:58 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 6 Jun 2008, 02:29 pm

1" Corian Plinth
1" butcher block
bubble wrap (now replaced with cork)
1" butcher block on a sand box (seismic sink)

I remember reading somewhere that Corian made an ideal material for a plinth, but for the life of me can't remember why nor can I find where I read it.

I like the feet attached to the plinth. Did you buy the spiked portion like that, or did you have it turned?

BobM · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 04:05 pm »

I actually had this made by Larry at Hollywood Sound in Florida, probably 10 years ago now. It uses a VPI MK III platter and bearing and a VPI stand alone motor. I replaced the original Audioquest arm with a Moerch DP-6 and Dynavector 20X-H cartridge. He had a contractor friend who had extra sink cutouts from Corian countertops bond 2 pieces together, cutout the holes and polish it up. The legs are 1" threaded rod that looks too uniform to say it was hand done, so I assume a lathe was used. The nuts are chromed.

Corian is very dead and has almost no ring to it at all. It's heavy and dense, and pretty. All in all I am very satisfied with this little table. It has a lot of life, tons of detail and is very quiet.

Good luck,
Bob

sanlanman · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 10:43 pm »

The Silestone, Etc is pretty heavy and dense too. Since I may be able to pick up a piece cheap, I guess I should just get one and hold on to it for the time being. Silestone etc, should be even more dense than Corian. Corian will scratch, Silestone is much more scratch resistant than Corian. I have seen side by side demos.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 12:39 am »

Not the plinth here but the platform.

I just this week changed from 50lb granite to 2" maple butcher block.
On chromed adjustable spikes, Carbon Graphite cones, or Herbies Iso Cups with ebony, I haven't decided yet. The stand alone motor is on it's own 4" platform in the rear to further isolate it.
It does sound better. Lately I have never heard bass and dynamics from my vinyl as it has been.
On good vinyl CD has nothing over it.

D

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #12 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 11:42 am »

Very nice, bacobits!

Yeah, switching to maple was a knockout experience for me, too. You might find a second 2" block under the first to eek out a little more performance boost.....about 4" is what I've read as optimum isolation with maple.

I have 3.5" thick, butcher block style, which I've been told is inferior to straight grained....but it has performed so well I don't care to experiment too much further

John

The Computer Audiophile · « **Reply #13 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 03:01 pm »

I've been looking for something like this off & on for a while now. Does anyone know where I can order a piece of granite or marble cut to my own specs as an amp stand?

bacobits1 · « **Reply #14 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 05:02 pm »

John thanks.
I was thinking of using a second piece (I have 4) to make like a constrained layer sandwich affair.
I could use what I have here, cork, leather, felt, or some of this other thin foam my wife has.
Possibilities are endless. This can be mounted in a sand box too.

Chris, I have a piece of granite countertop here 1" X 19" X 21" 50 lbs. What size are you after? I paid $130
Would sell for $100.

They can be purchased at countertop places too.
Probably can be made from sink cutouts. Of course cutting to size and any machining will be separate $$.

Den

andyr · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Jun 2008, 11:15 am »

Quote from: Wayner on 6 Jun 2008, 11:04 am

Granite.

Wayner

With respect, Wayner, the title of this thread is "Silestone, Ceasarstone, or Zodiac countertop material as turntable plinth?"

Yours doesn't count.

Regards,

Andy

Wayner · « **Reply #16 on:** 9 Jun 2008, 01:34 pm »

Then tell John his maple block dosen't count and bacobits1 his doesn't count either. Also BobM and trubluvr doesn't count.

Wayner

sanlanman · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Jun 2008, 08:38 pm »

Sorry guys, I meant to say "isolation base" in my thread title, but there was not enough room in the title block. My bad. My PLC590 does not have a seperate plinth in the true sense of the word. Wayner and company read through my use of bad nomeclature.

Wayner · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Jun 2008, 12:10 am »

Hey,

No offense taken. We use granite at work for our visual measurements as an isolation platform. We are down to the 100,000 of an inch and the surface of measurement must be stable. Marble does not work! It has an incorrect grain structure that actually transmits vibrations. Wood is OK, but mass with the proper grain is the king of stopping vibration.

Wayner

bacobits1 · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Jun 2008, 01:13 am »

NO problem here either. All this depends on what the platform/ table is located on. Type of turntable.
What the flooring is made of, upstairs or down in cellar. Relative humidity. Mental state. Ya all get the idea.
And most of all taste. I'm hearing positive results from the butcher block base.

Den