Ceramic cones for isolation?

[efhjr]

Is anyone using cones under their tube amps or CD players? I currently have mine on DIY rollerblock thingees (basically, marbles inserted between spoons that are glued to wood). They helped the sound, but make it very difficult to move the components.

So now I'm considering ceramic isolation cones under my CD player and tube amps. Anybody doing this?

What about cones under speakers? I wonder if they'd tighten up the sound of my Klipsch Cornwalls.

[Gary]

I used superballs with steel washers to hold them in place under my components. They are more awkward than the spoon / marbles but they work great!

The cones under my speakers tightened up the bass.

There are a lot of isolation devices out there....

[tomcat]

I use sorbothane dampers under my tube-pre and DAC, ceramic feet under my CD transport and tennis balls under the pwr amp. I strongly suggest spikes under speakers. I like the sound that way.

[Jim Ricketts]

The Sistrum (from the AudioPoints people) work real well under the Wavac amps.

http://www.audiopoints.com/SinglePlatforms.HTML

I've also been trying Ceraballs under the Wavac T1 tube linestage with very good results.

[Nebin]

Black Diamond Racing Cones under Aidible Illusions L-1 and Krell KSL preamps.

[Gary]

Originally posted by Gary
The cones under my speakers tightened up the bass.


Right, Tomcat! I meant to say "spikes", not cones. Sorry. :o

The "superballs" are actually made of sorbothane (but I never remember the real name of 'em....)

[Richard Feirstein]

Now you tell me. I'll now have to pick up some Ben and Jerry's to put my "cones" to good use. The "cones" did seem to help "crunch" the bass.:laugh:

Richard.

[Metralla]

Originally posted by Gary
The "superballs" are actually made of sorbothane (but I never remember the real name of 'em....)
Are you certain?

In the '60s, the chemist Norman Stigley discovered a mixture of polybutadiene (a rubber polymer) and sulfur which had remarkable elastic properties. He called this Zectron, and sold the rights to Wham-O, who turned out the original Wham-O Super Ball, and Wham-O had incredible success with this toy, selling more than 20 million before other companies moved in with cheap copies. The original Whamo-O Super Ball is now back in production.

Gary, I'm positive that the "superballs" you are using are made of Zectron, and not sorbothane.

Sorbothane is a proprietary urethane material used as a vibration isolater or damper - turning mechanical energy into heat. Sorbothane has totally different elastic properties to Zectron, as can be seen in the old Platter Matter, which I have somewhere.

Regards,
Geoff

[Gary]

No, I am not certain and you must be correct! Thanks, Geoff!

I used to have a Platter Matter, too! I wonder what happened to it...