Does this float your boat?

[madmax]

These look really cool. Maybe for an SACD player?

http://www.gcaudio.com/cgi-bin/store/showProduct.cgi?id=247

[dorokusai]

They certainly look cool, but in no way would I pay $115 each for them.

Bright Star Audio offers alot of sound deadening plates, and isolation platforms.

Max - What have you heard about the AES AE-3 Tube Pre-Amp? Is it good?

[RuSsMaN]

Speaking of tweaks....

Anyone seen a good, cheap CD mat?

Cheers,
Russ

[madmax]

I'm afraid I've heard nothing. Of course that means nothing. :D
madmax

[organ]

That looks very interesting but the price is too high. Imagine buying a few sets for your componenents?$:o$

Hey doro, I'm looking for a tube DAC also. Something under $500USD.

Maurice

[pjdami]

Russ,

I've been eying this Aurex mat for a while:

http://www.hcmaudio.com/comp.asp?compID=266

Man they make some unbelievable claims. I have never tried one myself but would love to hear a review from someone in this forum.

I don't know... 25 bucks may not be that inexpensive. You would think the damn thing would only cost 10 bucks or so. I don't know.. I guess I'm skeptical on this one.

Paul

[Frank Z]

I think your supposed to dance around in loin cloth and smear chicken blood on your gear inorder for those things to work properly......The Audio Vodoo-Zen Whoopie cushions work just as well!;)

[RuSsMaN]

Thanks for the link Paul, for $25 I'll probably check it out. Lowest price I have found was upwards of $50.

It's all about jitter. I can see how it could improve the sound in some scenarios. Mass-loading is a big player with cd sources. Some will sand bag the top of the player, some go as far to locate the master clock oscillator crystal in their cd player or dac, and place a small sandbag directly on top of it! Make sense, the crystal is piezoelectric, and generate output when vibrated.

Cheers,
Russ

[madmax]

Originally posted by Frank Z
I think your supposed to dance around in loin cloth and smear chicken blood on your gear inorder for those things to work properly......The Audio Vodoo-Zen Whoopie cushions work just as well!;)

Well, I tried it and it didn't work. Do you know how to get chicken blood out of your hair?
madmax

[RuSsMaN]

Originally posted by madmax
Well, I tried it and it didn't work. Do you know how to get chicken blood out of your hair?
madmax

Pubic or regular? What *gear* did you rub it on?

Cheers,
Russ

[Frank Z]

Originally posted by RuSsMaN
Pubic or regular? What *gear* did you rub it on?

Cheers,
Russ
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[dorokusai]

Russ - Since you didnt say, and PJ did, you mean a CD disc mat? I have some of those self adhesive rings that came out ages ago on some discs in my library. It is a 1/2" ring that goes around the whole disc, to "remove" vibration, etc.

I honestly did not notice a sonic difference, but perhaps I wasn't as particular as I am now. I will A/B them if you wish to see if its obvious, but don't expect magic. I have them on a Rush Chronicles CD, and also have that same disc w/o rubber, both Redbook.

Organ - Yep thats the price range for me also, tho' <400 would be even better. I have no knowledge of tube pre's but looks like a thread is needed.

[organ]

Thanks for the link Paul. I'll probably get one. $25 is cheap compared to the money we spend on IC's and speaker wire without knowing if it's a good match for the system.

Maurice

[gidrah]

Those little feet look good. I recently got a couple of fairly large magnets and am gonna try to build a platform for my turntable someday.

[Tour2ma]

Shielding, gidrah, shielding...

[madmax]

Maybe shield them the same way as speakers? Glue together an oposing pole on both the top and bottom one?
madmax

[gidrah]

Help me out here. Why would they need to be shielded?

[Tour2ma]

Read the link again. It's the secret and the reason why they cost so damn much...

You do not want a magnet near a phono cartridge. One way or another (MM vs. MC) your cartridge is generating its own, very weak magnetic field to induce a very low voltage current. Has to far and away be the most sensitive of any source.

max,
I'm not sure if bucking magnets will do it here. Even in "shielded" speakers they do not eliminate the escaping magnetic field. May knock it down 90% or so, but not eliminate it.

Had this conversation with Matt himself during my visit. I just mentioned in passing that my SRS's had dug into a Proton TV pretty badly before I knew it...

[gidrah]

Thanks. That'll save me some time. I know I've seen magnetically elevated TT platforms before. Come to think of it, they looked pretty expensive too.