Vibrapods Rule!

[stantheman2]

I've been toying with some means of vibration suppression under my Denon DVD-2200 for a while. Last week I broke down and popped for a set of Vibrapods - what was there to lose except a measly $24? I installed the 'pods four days ago and have been doing some critical listening (CDs exclusively) since.

Vibrapods made a NOTICEABLE improvement in the CD sound in my setup. There are two main improvements: tighter bass, and all the instruments and vocals seem more separate and distinct - there is more of a sense of the sound of each individual vocal/instrument rising up from a quiet background, rather than everything smearing together.

I would rate the improvement as about the same as others report from better interconnects, but this a whole lot cheaper. Try it - I bet you'll like it.

[David Meek]

Stan, I've been using vibrapods under my CD transport(s) for years. I have my transport resting on a sheet of glass, which is in turn supported by the 'Pods. Improvements were as you describe. I'm a true believer in the little guys! :amen:

[Nick Danger]

I recently added Vibrapods to my system. I have to say that they do make for a quieter background, and for the money, are probably one of the most cost-effective tweeks out there!

Another tweek that I did was a 'mock' HRS plate: I found some silicon rubber coaster/placemats (5"wx7"lx1/8"thick) at a local kitchen store, and placed a steel plate (4"wx6"l)from Home Depot on top. I placed one of these arrangements on my amp, DVD player, processor and cd recorder/player. HRS plates are supposed to reduce or eliminate vibrations - my version doesn't look as good as the official variety, but they do work! My system is very quiet - stable-sounding is another description I use, although I don't know if that is correct.

Nick Danger

[SpOoNmAn]

I have the pods under their cones, then a sheet of glass, and on top of each component are pieces of brass I got from mapleshade. I firmly believe this setup made a difference.

Heres some pics I took when I set it all up. At first I had just the cones, then read a few reviews about the pods making everything tighter. Sure maybe my mind is telling me Im hearing a difference, but for $48.00 for both kinds, what can it hurt. :T I had to brighten them quite a bit so you could see the setup.

[Bob]

Vibrapods are a very good product but, why the glass? I'd lose that if I was you.

[David Meek]

Bob, way back when I purchased my 'Pods, that was the recommended way to use them. For one, it helps to more evenly distribute the load forces on the 'Pods.

[SpOoNmAn]

Bob, way back when I purchased my 'Pods, that was the recommended way to use them. For one, it helps to more evenly distribute the load forces on the 'Pods.

Exactly David. See, we do our research :T

[stantheman2]

I've seen it suggested to use a thick acrylic plastic plate between Vibrapods and equipment. The assumption is that the acrylic is more acoustically dead. Look at turntables-they were using glass platters for a while, but now most of the high-end tables tout their acrylic platters.

[SpOoNmAn]

hmm, something to think about. I might give that a try, thanks.

Glass is still better than nothing. Plus it gives the components feet something sturdy. I have the cones ontop of the pods and it was not working out at all.

[stantheman2]

Also, as a follow up to my post that initiated this thread, I put on several DVDs last night - Norah Jones 2004 and The Fifth Element, both of which i know very well from repeated playings. I swear the Vibrapods improved the clarity of both the audio and video on DVD's. Am I crazy, or have others experienced the same?

[SpOoNmAn]

Also, as a follow up to my post that initiated this thread, I put on several DVDs last night - Norah Jones 2004 and The Fifth Element, both of which i know very well from repeated playings. I swear the Vibrapods improved the clarity of both the audio and video on DVD's. Am I crazy, or have others experienced the same?

Oh believe me I have, and I also used Fifth Element along with some Sarah Brightman CD's. Sound is tighter which I believe in turn makes everything more pronounced. Picture also got better from what I remember.

The slightest vibration can harm audio and video.

If you have just the pods, try the cones on top and get some glass. Even a bigger step up. I lost some bass when I had just the cones. I got the pods to put underneath and like I said b4, I dont know if Im imagining things, but my system took a step foward, and for the tiny amount of $$ spent to attain peace of mind, Im happy :T

[Cowanrg]

ive been using vibrapods and other devices (currently the audioquest sorbothene feet) for ahwhile. mine started as a need to stop the dvd player from skipping (dual 15" subs within 5 feet of the player is not a good thing).

its pretty amazing. they really do get rid of all vibration in the equipment. eventually, i will put a set of feet on all the components. good stuff.

[will1066]

Yeah, I've had Vibrapods under my CD player for a long long time. The player uses a chassis dampening laminate called Accousteel, which is also used by Lexus for their cars, but I thought sticking some Vibrapods under there couldn't hurt, and they look cool.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/100053251/216379188amxSYf

http://community.webshots.com/photo/179379580/179379580BVLHto

http://community.webshots.com/photo/220361052/220361052RQnciv

http://community.webshots.com/photo/179380102/179380102vzbSJR

http://community.webshots.com/photo/216379342/216379342qbPAEq

http://community.webshots.com/photo/220363578/220363578VPRWjV

[SpOoNmAn]

Nice Will :T

[will1066]

Thanks, dude.

[Sithlord]

Hi guys I've just ordered 4 of these based on the reviews here. Will I'm going to put them under the DV-29 dvd player probably see how they go then get some for the AV8. Nice pics by the way. Did you notice any improvements?

[will1066]

Hey, Sith, didn't mean to ignore your question. The main improvements that I got with them were a more solid center image and more solid bass.

[PiDD]

I always look at these things with a raised eyebrow of disbelief. I want to believe but in this digital world I just dont see how stopping vibration will improve sound. What inside of the cd player will benefit from less vibration? After all there are buffers and they designed the cd player around its environment right?

The other side of me wants a cheap improvement!

I know, buy them and see for myself... and I probably will. I would like some explaination as to how they will help.

Has anyone seen any scientific explaination of how the pods improve sound?

[Nick M]

PiDD you took the words out of my mouth.

It would be interesting to see some scientific data on this.

[David Meek]

In my case, they were purchased initially to damp vibrations from very low bass passages output by my sub that were causing my CD player (at the time) to skip. They definitely stopped that problem, and consequently kept on listening to the music for another year. We moved to our new house and I replaced the equipment racks. I left the 'Pods in out of habit for a year, never thinking about it. I eventually decided to shuffle components in the rack, moving the CD to a shorter opening - necessitating the removal of the 'Pods and the glass. No problem (I thought) with skipping any more as this rack was direct coupled to the slab. Well, in a word - YUCK! The sound I was getting wasn't as pleasing. It was "dirty" or "muddy" or just not right. Pick the word of your choice. Now to underscore this, I was not removing the 'Pods with the idea of hearing a difference in the output sound. I was just trying to be efficient in usage of rack space. Having said that, the change in the sound was immediately obvious and I can reproduce the changes.

Doubting the results of "tests" to see whether one can hear a difference in various tweaks is legitimate. Wanting to hear a difference can cause you to do so. Psychoacoustics is/are real, but I can say that in my case I wasn't looking for a change and heard one anyway.

VibraPods are cheap so don't sit on the fence carping about them. : Go buy a set and test for yourself.

[PiDD]

I hear ya David! I will try to pick some up today if the local store has them.

I still want to ask the question tho ..scientifically, what in the workings of the cd player will benefit from less vibration with the result of better sound?

[stantheman2]

I don't have an exact scientific answer at to why Vibrapods improve the sound, but here are two (semi) educated guesses:

1. The "data transfer" mechanism is a very small-diameter laser beam that is directed at the disc, and then the reflection is picked up by a sensor. Vibration can affect the proper reading of the reflection, causing the built-in error correction to come into play more. Any time the microporocessor is trying to "guess" at what the proper signal should be, rather than simply reading the signal, the signal is being altered. Perhaps we hear that as "muddiness", and Vibrapods and other vibration dampeners help.

2. The data transfer also requires a constant, fixed tangential velocity at the reading position. CDs and DVDs are actually variable speed, in that the RPMs change as the laser is moved towards the center. Vibrations can theoretically affect the dynamic relative velocity between the CD/DVD and the laser pickup. This would theoretically result in the same situation described immediately above.

Anyway, for a mere pittance (relative to the cost of different interconnnects, a power conditioner, silver interconnects, etc.) you can find out for yourself!

[David Meek]

Rob, I'd kinda like to know that myself. :scratchhead:

Ooops, Stan got in there ahead of me.

[chrispy35]

Bit errors during data reads from the disc would manifest themselves as much more than a loss of detail...unless there was some way to guarantee that the bit errors were confined to the less significant bits of the PCM word. If the most significant bit of the word was read incorrectly there would be a very large transient on the DAC output that would be audible as higher frequency noise.

It's hard to believe that bit errors would be deterministic instead of random. I thought it was widely accepted that CD transport differences were attributed to jitter (timing) errors and not bit (amplitude) errors?

[PiDD]

OK I picked up some Isonodes

I love the naming of these products!

I will do some listening tonight and see if it makes a diff.

[David Meek]

Hmmmm, those are a different design from the VibraPods. It'll be interesting to "see" if they work....

[Sithlord]

PiDD those are different than the ones discussed here. Those ones you bought look like the corner stops on my home gym. Hope they work out.

PS. Why did you go with another brand after others here recommended the Vibrapods? Just curious

[PiDD]

PiDD those are different than the ones discussed here. Those ones you bought look like the corner stops on my home gym. Hope they work out.

... and they feel like $0.50 gell shoe insoles!

I went to where I bought my equipment and this is what they sold. There is only one Vibrapod dealer here and I dont dare step foot in that store out of fear that I will walk out with something worth in the area a new house! Kidding .. kinda!

I just happened to be a store that sold these guys. I did some quick searches on the net and you get the same verbage as the rest of the dampening equipment. They are cheap enough so what the @$!%.

First thoughts .... its not night and day but playing some 2ch dvda this afternoon and some high hats in Diana Krall made me take notice!

I'm still a sceptic tho! I need more listening time.

[H.Donald]

All right I'll bite...I going to put some under my cd player....where else?
SpOoNmAn...are those under your processor?

[David Meek]

First thoughts .... its not night and day but playing some 2ch dvda this afternoon and some high hats in Diana Krall made me take notice!

I'm still a sceptic tho! I need more listening time.

"I need more time" - that's what they all say. Hehe, another soul lost. . . . :twisted:

[Patt]

Hi Stan,
When I recieved my new #2900 I put 1" gelled squares underneath each leg and does it ever float ! I pulled the cover off the wifes gel wrist rest and used heavy scissors to cut the squares, it is somewhat a sticky substance but it does not break apart or come off on your hands. The player legs hover just about 1/8" above the reciever.

Of course I probably have more time on my hands than the average working man. :roll: