B&W 800D & Finite Elemente Cerebase B&W footers

[peter clarke]

Has anyone any advice/experience with this combination?????

[Mark_NZ]

Has anyone any advice/experience with this combination?????

Unfortunately no - but my experiments with isolation under my 803Diamond speakers may be of interest.

Incidentally I previously used a Finite Elemente Master Pagode Reference rack with Cerabase feet for my hifi gear. While not a dramatic difference, it did lower the 'noise floor'. Most notable difference going back to a typical wood rack is some 'resonance' at specific frequencies - proving that the Pagode was more neutral and didn't emphasise any frequencies.

For the 803Diamond I have experimented with solid plywood base platform, spikes, StillPoints and Townshend Seismic Pods. As context the room is an upper floor level with carpet covered chipwood suspended floor which results in a bit of bass boominess (which is not a reflection of the 803 which I think has a remarkably well judged bass balance).

For many years I used a solid plywood base platform with 3 spikes spread further out than the default 803 spikes. The spikes went through the carpet into the chipwood floor. This was consistently superior with dramatic improvement in sound-staging and more precise bass.

I then tried StillPoints Ultra Fives under the 803 without the platform. Besides dangerously unstable on carpet, it was inferior to the platform. I then used the StillPoints between the platform and 803. Now we cooking - obvious improvement in microdynamics, improved clarity through most of frequencies, but no change to bass boominess.

I then installed Townshend Seismic Pods under the platform i.e. removing the spikes. This did reduce the bass boominess and resulted in more articulate bass. I think it may also improved clarity further up in frequency, but I haven't conclusively tested.
The combination of Seismic Pods and Ultra Fives have made a significant improvement in overall clarity, and more importantly engagement - music is simply more compelling.

The Cerabases are similar to StillPoints - both use ceramic balls in milled steel bodies - the StillPoints the more sophisticated implementation (and more expensive), and hence may provide similar type of improvements. The Seismic Pods is a very different approach with isolation from very low frequencies which the StillPoints don't provide. Seismic Pods are also diametrically opposite to spiking where the intent is to ground the speaker to the floor to minimise movement of the speaker. And surprisingly the sound-staging is not worse, and if anything a bit more independent of the speakers.

Disclaimer: Speaker positioning has much greater impact on overall sound quality than any isolation!

[peter clarke]

Mark, Thank you for your detailed response. That's a lot of experimenting you have done. At present the 8OOD's are sitting on 3 black diamond roller blocks on thick carpet/concrete floor. Hey, they sound great, certainly better than on the castors. All in the cause of tweaking for better sound!!!!!!