Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Ginormousthumbs said:
I can’t remember which thread @AnthonyI posted his IKEA cutting board isolation stuff in, but I watched this tonight. Wondering if instead of the ball bearings, you could use @HiFi Guy washing machine isolation pads for the feet and also in between the 2 cutting boards?

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Very interesting. Seems the ball bearings would do a better job of dissipating mechanically produced movement than would isolation pads, but that's based on a sort of ignorant intuition rather than physics, or engineering, or any other source of relevant knowledge. Very clever.
 
Russ I said:
Very interesting. Seems the ball bearings would do a better job of dissipating mechanically produced movement than would isolation pads, but that's based on a sort of ignorant intuition rather than physics, or engineering, or any other source of relevant knowledge. Very clever.
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I’m not opposed to the ball bearings at all. There were a few comments in the video disputing their use so I was just fishing around. I like the entire idea and might replicate this.
 
Ginormousthumbs said:
I can’t remember which thread @AnthonyI posted his IKEA cutting board isolation stuff in, but I watched this tonight. Wondering if instead of the ball bearings, you could use @HiFi Guy washing machine isolation pads for the feet and also in between the 2 cutting boards?

Click to expand...

i think john darko did a video about stuff like this as an alternative to expensive audiophile furniture...

the issue for ME though is the fact that the actual table is easy to move around...

i really need like that etsy hifi furniture
 
Ginormousthumbs said:
I can’t remember which thread @AnthonyI posted his IKEA cutting board isolation stuff in, but I watched this tonight. Wondering if instead of the ball bearings, you could use @HiFi Guy washing machine isolation pads for the feet and also in between the 2 cutting boards?

Click to expand...

I think there's a lot of room for "creativity" there, and it really depends on how much vibration you're talking about reducing and or getting rid of. The single bamboo board with the Vibropods, in my surroundings during playback produce 0 vibration on the plinth when I measure it, so I'm sure the configuration and or materials can change to a certain extent and produce the same kind of result. I actually saw this vid before, but honestly thought it was overkill, but, it does look more "audiophile-ish" :)

I use what's called "Vibration Meter" off the Play Store and while it flickers between 0/1 when testing it's nothing I'm going to be overly concerned about at that point.
 
I gotta be honest, in all the speaker talk as of late with members getting Linton's and or Zu's, among others, does the system budget rule really still apply today? I know a lot of people, even professional reviewers still say to put 1/3 or more of your system budget towards your speakers, and while there was a time I might have been more inclined to go with that, now, you can get quite a few "bargain" priced speakers that are truly amazing, I mean, I can't find a reasonable reason to look past the $1500-2000 range for speakers when there are even sub $1000 options that sound so good, bookcase for the most part at that end, but still.

With having the Zu's and Lintons, and I've been giving the PLX system some love at the end of the night now, I continue to be torn between the two speakers, both brilliant but in different ways, but still, they both cost me about the same. While I'll admit I'm a bit of a gear junky, more so because I want to know for myself, but as of late, I really listen and have no itch to want to "improve" anything.

Of course it's an old adage, but I'll reiterate, don't let the cost of whatever be your guide to it's quality ;)
 
I agree Anthonyl on your statement above. Plus a lot of times people get caught up in what others want/like when it really comes down to your preference sometimes. I have been listening to my old Pioneer and Cerwin Vegas a lot while I work lately. Hip Hop and 70s rock still sound great on that set up but newer digital stuff sounds a little muddy. That said though if that is all I listened to it would be more than enough. Not surprising though that is what I listened to before I jumped down this rabbit hole now I'm listening to almost every genre randomly. I blame VMP and Record Store Day.LOL

I mentioned it awhile back but I put the IsoAcoustics Gaia on my turntable (yes it was over priced) and it does exactly what I needed it to. It is an obvious upgrade over the old Pioneer feet. I also bought the pucks for under my speakers since everything shares a surface. I went that route for looks as much as function to be honest but I don't regret it. I kept my old feet and will throw them back on the table if I ever sell it (we all know I won't). The pucks do a better job than isolation foam but I could of gotten away with the foam in my situation. I didn't like the way it looked though. My theory with the Gaia feet is that is a permanent upgrade that will outlast many tables down the road.

The $50 SVS Sub feet upgrade is one of the best no brainer upgrades I have ever done. It is criminal they don't just raise their prices and put them on everything. It made my system sound WAY better. My girlfriend even noticed on the other side of the house. I pretty much had to buy them once I went from carpet to hard wood because of vibrations. The feet on the PB12NSD are very small so even the small height adjustment helped.


Did HifiGuy ever post findings on that phono preamp he got as a loaner? I missed it if he did, or am I being impatient?
 
AnthonyI said:
I think there's a lot of room for "creativity" there, and it really depends on how much vibration you're talking about reducing and or getting rid of. The single bamboo board with the Vibropods, in my surroundings during playback produce 0 vibration on the plinth when I measure it, so I'm sure the configuration and or materials can change to a certain extent and produce the same kind of result. I actually saw this vid before, but honestly thought it was overkill, but, it does look more "audiophile-ish" :)

I use what's called "Vibration Meter" off the Play Store and while it flickers between 0/1 when testing it's nothing I'm going to be overly concerned about at that point.
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I like what vibrapods do under electronic components along with weights on top of the components but when I experimented with them under tables/platforms I did not care for them. YMMV.

Harry Weisberg (VPI) recommends balls (squash, racquet, Ginko) under a 2-3"maple platform. Sort of a DIY/pseudo Ginko platform without spending 500 bucks. I will be trying this in April. My budget and cards are shot for March now. Having something under the balls so they do not move/roll is something I need to find, any opinions ? (Vibrapods would be perfect but like I mentioned above I did not care for them in a tt rig). Herbies had something in the past but it was discontinued.
 
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Shop - ELAC

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Didnt know where to put this... but here are some deals on Open Box ELACS
 
Memo said:

Shop - ELAC

Looking for our shop page? Click to learn more and checkout our entire product line. Every product we create delivers stunning performance, exquisite craftsmanship and unequalled value.
www.elac.com www.elac.com

Didnt know where to put this... but here are some deals on Open Box ELACS
Click to expand...

Several years in and I’m still very happy with mine. If any of y’all are considering these, I’d go for it.
 
Memo said:

Shop - ELAC

Looking for our shop page? Click to learn more and checkout our entire product line. Every product we create delivers stunning performance, exquisite craftsmanship and unequalled value.
www.elac.com www.elac.com

Didnt know where to put this... but here are some deals on Open Box ELACS
Click to expand...
Seems like a very nice price on those F6.2
 
Ginormousthumbs said:
I can’t remember which thread @AnthonyI posted his IKEA cutting board isolation stuff in, but I watched this tonight. Wondering if instead of the ball bearings, you could use @HiFi Guy washing machine isolation pads for the feet and also in between the 2 cutting boards?

Click to expand...

I’d probably combine the two- add the washing machine isolators under the turntable on the top shelf, but still use the rest as above.
 
Can anyone comment on the Schiit Mani phono preamps that run about $129? I saw one video review that stated the SM preamp outperformed the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono ($299).

Currently I am using the phono stage in an old Yamaha RX-V1600 receiver. The receiver retailed at about $1100 whenever it was released (2005 maybe?). Phono stage seems alright to me, but I am sure the grass is always greener.

Would I expect to see a big difference in sound it I added the Schiit Mani to the setup? Looking to make improvements to my main system.
 
zdkaiser said:
Can anyone comment on the Schiit Mani phono preamps that run about $129? I saw one video review that stated the SM preamp outperformed the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono ($299).

Currently I am using the phono stage in an old Yamaha RX-V1600 receiver. The receiver retailed at about $1100 whenever it was released (2005 maybe?). Phono stage seems alright to me, but I am sure the grass is always greener.

Would I expect to see a big difference in sound it I added the Schiit Mani to the setup? Looking to make improvements to my main system.
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Skip the Schiit Mani. If you saw a You Tube review on the Mani done by an Asian guy named Ian, ignore it. Dude is out to lunch.

You might want to check out the Darlington Labs MM-5. I’ve listened to the MM-6 extensively and found it to be stellar.
 
zdkaiser said:
Can anyone comment on the Schiit Mani phono preamps that run about $129? I saw one video review that stated the SM preamp outperformed the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono ($299).

Currently I am using the phono stage in an old Yamaha RX-V1600 receiver. The receiver retailed at about $1100 whenever it was released (2005 maybe?). Phono stage seems alright to me, but I am sure the grass is always greener.

Would I expect to see a big difference in sound it I added the Schiit Mani to the setup? Looking to make improvements to my main system.
Click to expand...
If you're on a budget, I would still try and get something that can grow a bit with your system while giving you a noticeable bump from the get go. The Mani is a great pre at it's price point, its a budget amp that delivers really well, but if you upgrade the rest of your system over time it's gonna fall short.

Amazon has 1 Pho-8 left for $249.............I would consider that heavily ;)
Amazon product ASIN B003BG9YSY
 
zdkaiser said:
Can anyone comment on the Schiit Mani phono preamps that run about $129? I saw one video review that stated the SM preamp outperformed the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono ($299).

Currently I am using the phono stage in an old Yamaha RX-V1600 receiver. The receiver retailed at about $1100 whenever it was released (2005 maybe?). Phono stage seems alright to me, but I am sure the grass is always greener.

Would I expect to see a big difference in sound it I added the Schiit Mani to the setup? Looking to make improvements to my main system.
Click to expand...
I own both the Mani and the StudioPhono, and after logging plenty of hours with both, I would not say the Mani outperforms the MoFi. It can have a bit more excitement, but absolutely lacks the fluidity of the MoFi. The low end is relatively lean in comparison as well.

It’s a great performer for the price, but if your budget allows you to get closer to the $300 range, there are many great options that will outperform it.

The Mani has garnered a lot of online hype, and I think Schiit makes really solid products, but when I see people saying things like, “it’s the best preamp below a thousand bucks!” It’s not.
 
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HayesWeighsIn said:
I own both the Mani and the StudioPhono, and after logging plenty of hours with both, I would not say the Mani outperforms the MoFi. It can have a bit more excitement, but absolutely lacks the fluidity of the MoFi. The low end is relatively lean in comparison as well.

It’s a great performer for the price, but if your budget allows you to get closer to the $300 range, there are many great options that will outperform it.

The Mani has garnered a lot of online hype, and I think Schiit makes really solid products, but when I see people saying things like, “it’s the best preamp below a thousand bucks!” It’s not.
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Thanks, I was looking at the Studiophono as well. I do like the mono toggle switch feature. I have a bunch of mono jazz albums that that would be fun to experiment with. From immediate research, one of the design features I didn't like about the MoFi preamp is there is no on/off switch. I honestly prefer to not have it on constantly. One of my Roku streaming boxes does that, and it heats up pretty good over time. I suppose I could run the MoFi preamp out of one of the power outlets on the back of my receiver, so they are tied together, but would need to look if the area could accommodate a wall wart.
 
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