Isolation Speaker Stands. Worth the Money?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
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I go over the sonic benefits of speaker isolation stands. If that's your thing, you've found your place. Welcome to the Vinyl Attack!
0:00 - Intro
2:14 - What Speaker Isolation Does
3:56 - An A / B Comparison
6:13 - Sound Performance
7:27 - Covering the Bases
8:47 - Caveats
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Is your Instagram address in the description incorrect or have you gone dark on that platform?
@@srhatfield I'm still posting there when I have something worth sharing.
@@thevinylattack Instagram must’ve been having a moment last night because when I clicked on the link it said that there was no account by that name… but this morning it worked. Weirdgram 😂
@@srhatfield Who knows with that kind of stuff?
Yes, the Isoacoustics improved the sound quality with my GoldenEar BRX.
I have 2 boxes of mini pucks (9 for the LCR speakers, 3 for Denafrips Iris 12th, 4 for projector) and 6 Isopucks (for the 2 subwoofers).
The Arpeta pucks are too stiff, I prefer the mini and 20 lb IsoPucks.
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source=Apple Music lossless
Wow. Your descriptions on these as well as the explanation of how adding two subs to your HT system was refreshing and incredibly educational! 🎉
Yes, the Isoacoustics improved the sound quality with my GoldenEar BRX.
I have 2 boxes of mini pucks (9 for the LCR speakers, 3 for Denafrips Iris 12th, 4 for projector) and 6 Isopucks (for the 2 subwoofers).
The Arpeta pucks are too stiff, I prefer the mini and 20 lb IsoPucks.
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source=Apple Music lossless
Informative as always. I've been weighing stands versus isolation feet, this helps with my decision making.
I think you'll quite enjoy them.
These stands gave my MA Bronze 2 Speakers a new life. Excellent product.
I wouldn't be without them anymore.
As I am on a tight budget I have made my own using heavy duty furniture movers topped off with acoustic foam. These allow me to move my floor standing speakers easily which is important to me and have raised them to match my listening chair height. These certainly have greatly improved the quality of the sound of my Celestion speakers in a way that you described yours did but for a small financial outlay.
I am glad there has been some thought applied to an often common need. Having enjoyed the benefits of crude DIY stands in the past was one of the reasons I selected tower speakers, and use the spikes provided of the two included choices.
I'm glad they don't cost an arm and a leg.
I just made a few modifications to my budget??? system; most because of your great insight and recommendations. This weekend I placed the IsoAcoustic Aperta 200's under my Klipsch RP8000F's and the 200SUB under my Klipsch SPL150 Sub. I also replaced my cork mat with the Hudson Acrylic mat. The acrylic mat almost totally solved my dust and static problems but the combination of the two produced the most amazing sound reproduction improvements. My speakers came alive and the first thing I noticed was the cymbals and bass...the detail that I was missing before...Wow! Other improvements I made per your recommendation... the iFi Zen pre-amp is wonderful and I use both the Hana SL and SL Mono cartridges. I am not paid for these endorsements and I am an ordinary Joe just like everyone else. Thanks Chris, you have helped me greatly!
I'm glad to hear everything is working out so well for you.
Great video I’ve been looking T theses for a while. I think after your ringing endorsement I’ll dive in!
Let us know what you think.
Very informative and agree that speaker stands can make a difference. Like many other comments, at the time I was on a thin budget so I purchased two, circa 2000, computer stands and placed a thin rubber rubber sheet between the speakers and stands and greatly improved the sound of my 90’s era Cerwin Vegas. In the 70’s and 80’s speaker stands were options when purchasing components.
I selected stacked red brick as my first economical speaker stand, the assembled mass was stacked to create a slight tilt, and was hopefully good for energy control. they were unquestionably stable and did improve the sound. However that particular speaker really gained performance when one was laid on its side, so one horn dispersed differently than its mate. of course, I was single at the time. I effected this result intuitively , after seeing a chromed patio chair that no longer had cushions, just the somewhat "S" shape of fifties outdoor furniture, where the bend provided some suspension. I think the relative sonic invisibility of the tubes also helped, plus the room was large.
Chris, thanks for a good review! Interesting my pair of ISO 200 stands just arrived today which I bought more for the adjustable height than for the sound improvement. From your description it sounds like it’s a win win investment in my system!
Let us know how they work out for you.
Nice review, always reassuring to know I added a good component to my set-up.
I have these in black for my old Technics SB4 speakers and IMHO sound is excellent but equally important the overall appearance is very good.
I think I need to switch to a black pair at some point.
I think they look fantastic! It’s just a bonus that they do what the manufacturer claims!
I'm used to them now, but I still might get the black.
I started with the original plastic ISO series and found them very effective. I’ve since also tried the Modular series as well as a used set of Gaia III for my larger speakers and again found them all to make an improvement.
These were my first foray into the Isoacoustics line, but it certainly won't be my last.
I love your great content!
Happy to hear that!
Informative video 👍
Thanks.
Thanks.
I had a pair of the iso stands for a few years, I used them under some Usher Diamond Mini X's at LSAF and someone who came into my room didnt like them but I did. I don't use them much with my newer bookies "Rosso Fiorentino" as I have to move my system after my listening session and just forget to even put them back in. I will have to spend some times with them and reevaluate them . Thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching.
I bought the exact model in your video, the Aperta in silver, for my white KEF LS50 wireless II.
I did it only for the looks, I did not care about any sonic improvement 😀
They look terrific under the KEF LS50.
Sounds like a win / win.
Sound emitted by the speakers reacts with everything it contacts, delayed by the speed of sound. The floor is reacting to.the airborne sound as well as everything sitting in contact. All slightly out of phase, Even deadened speakers will release and react to air and solid bound noise. Like the effect of inaudible power supply noise lightening the black background. I find decoupling the speakers deadens this unnoticed background noise letting me hear deeper into the music. I confess there’s no documentation for this, but it makes sense to me. Turn up the dark!
Glad to see a new video! I know the new work situation has been taking up most of the time. Glad to have your input.
I'm doing my best to get back on track. I have some good stuff here that needs reviewing.
Interesting 👍
Of all the gimmick items in audio out there (and there are far too many), this item proved it has the receipts. It was at a show in 2016 where I walked into a room (on my beat) to find more "valued gear", such as speakers, etc. and realized it was these stands (the Aeprtas to be exact) that were being featured. As I was not interested in little gimmicks, I quickly turned to walk out when one of the two reps there stopped me and had me stay for an unscheduled demo. Wanting to be nice as usual and having a little bit of time, I agreed. What followed shocked me. The guys were as transparent as could be. They went even further, insisting that I can freely check everything (like a magician giving away his secrets). They even handed me a tape measure and everything. They were demonstrating the difference with the same bookshelf speakers on the same stands, in the same place, etc. with and without the Aeprtas. They told me I would hear a difference of improved sound with no effort, which of course I did not believe (it is an old psychology trick to tell an audience what to expect before doing a demo or whatever). To have me verify, own my own every aspect of the demo from stand height to exacting speaker position on the stands by having me measure and inspect everything, including the source material is unheard of! For some reason, these guys really wanted to convince me. So we spent the better part of 30 minutes doing the demo with everything exactly the same and verified. When they put the Aeprtas under the speakers the first time, I was shocked that I could hear the difference instantly. So they did it again two more times with me verifying everything at each step and the results were the same each time. The speakers had more clarity and better staging that took no effort to notice. Needless to say they won me over and a large part of that was their open and willing transparency to have me, some random skeptic examine everything down to almost the microscopic level (metaphorically speaking). No tricks, now A/B switch, no using different speakers or different recordings. (They actually would take the speakers off the stands after listening without the Aeprtas and then put the Aeprtas on the stands and the same speakers back on and at the exact same position and all (a lot of labor in this demo). At the prices then for sure, I would have purchased a pair, but I run tower speakers at 100 pounds each and while they have stands for that (be it a bit more pricey, but not bad), for the life of me, I could not figure out how to get my 100 pound speakers onto them, so I did not purchase, but spent the next 5 minutes solid, profusely thanking the reps as I slowly headed out the door to my next stop. They were just delighted that they made me a believer.
This video prompted me to thinking back on that and playing with the thought of getting some of their product for my big heavy speakers, even though I love them just the way they are as really balanced and not tilted any way that is detectable (I'm a detail and tone hound), I wonder again, what this product might do for them.
They certainly surprised me with the change in tone.
@@thevinylattack Yes, I was very impressed with them.
Great review. I am wondering if there is a big difference between their Aperta stands vs GAIA feet. GAIA feet are more expensive, but looks more stable since they are bolted down.
The Gaia feet are intended for larger speakers, but as I understand it, the physics are generally the same.
Will give these a look as soon I have new monitors. Btw any chance on doing a review of your Clearaudio turntable?
It's certainly possible, but I have a lengthy list ahead of it I need to get through first.
you should try the Townsend there was a comparison between the two and they came out better.
I have these on my Klipsch The Fives - oh yeah.. ;)
Nice review Chris. I recently decided to try the Gaia II Isoacoustics isolation feet on my vintage floor standing B&W 803 matrix II speakers. I use these speakers fitted to dedicated Sound Anchor (7kg) bases with 3 spikes sitting on Blue Horizon spike shoes on a wooden floor. I replaced the spikes on the sound anchors with 4 Gaia’s. I was very impressed and agree with your findings. The soundstage has widened and deepened, I hear more inner detail, the sound is less confused/more relaxed. Most noticeably, the speakers themselves are less obvious. I am very pleased with the improvement. I look forward to your next review.
I may end up with a set of the Gaia's at some point for my B&W's as well. Like most things, it's just a matter of time and money.
A little more detail or perhaps a picture of how you used them would have been super helpful. Did you place them on top of existing speakers stands or were they used strictly in a desktop configuration?
Either way would be an excellent improvement.
I have my speakers on a set of those cheap foam slab isolators because my speakers are on a dresser. The only place I have room for them. I wonder how these isolators would compare. I’m sure they are better but by how much ?
I'd imagine a fair bit considering how well they work.
Nice review. I would say that my experience mirrored yours. At Toronto AudioFest last fall they had the same demo. I was intrigued because in room after room there they were, under turntables and multiple speakers. After hearing the difference in the demo I immediately bought a set of the Gaia IIIs for myself.
I think they have cleaned up the sound and improved/widened the soundstage. When you consider the micro movements of the drivers in a speaker it seems very logical that reducing vibration will have a positive effect on a system. I think the Gaia's look great too so even if it's all in my head I'm still happy.
I'll be looking at some turntable solutions before long as well.
@@thevinylattack That would be cool. I would be very interested to hear what difference it makes there.
Recording studio/mastering house room and monitor treatments are intended to make the monitors disappear in the soundstage. Devices like the one reviewed in this video are used by professionals to disappear the monitors.
They work.
They certainly do.
Chris, do the perceived differences (with the stands) seem to increase with volume level?
I really didn't do a wide variety of volume comparisons. I tend to listen at pretty consistent volumes.
I'm ok with the aesthetic, but could see why some may not be as enthused with the look.
I'm a sucker for machined parts, so am more taken by the GAIA feet. I understand how expensive machined parts can be, but for the GAIA prices, I feel like a set of 8 feet for the two speakers would be more appropriate. Basically, if they were half the cost, I wouldn't hesitate to buy multiple pair for my various floorstanders.
But aesthetics aside, these stands really beg the question: what improvement over sorbothane (sp) material isolators that cost a few dollars? Or even over something like the gel drum head dampener/ isolators sold for drummers, sort of like Buchardt includes with their speakers or stands now?
If you're getting about the same performance results, than the IsoAcoustics value proposition is purely an aesthetic one. (I'm not saying this IS the case, just wondering...)
Gel dampeners aren't going to be able to reduce vibrations the way the Isoacoustics products can.
Is the isoacpustics aperta compatible in size with Yamaha HS7?
I would take the measurements of that speaker and look at the Isoacoustics site for the proper sizing. They would know best.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't ANY sort of cavity underneath your speakers absolutely kill the low end???
Apparently not, because these don't. The low end just tightens up and sounds great.
Not surprising, they're widely used in recording studios as well. I've always heard they were producing efficient solutions to prevent vibrations. Great video !
I've heard that, but I haven't been in a recording studio in years so I haven't seen any there.
If this is so magical, i wonder why speaker makers have not thought of that.
Who says they haven't?
@@thevinylattack Several OEMs have included.
Here, in Canada, I would be looking at between $600 and $800 for my 2 towers. I cannot justify that money for 'subtle' changes.
I can understand that.
The colour would of hacked me off simply because I asked for black I think they would definitely look better in black
I'll probably have to spring for the black pair at some point and just sell the silver.
Isolation speaker stands are worth the money to your neighbors, not to yourself.
But it's good to take other people into consideration of course!
I don't think my neighbors care one way or another how good my speakers sound. I do, however.
@@thevinylattack But I do think most of them care about the bass intensity conducted through the floors 😜
Blue tack
That won't do anything near what these can do. I'd actually rather go for gel pads than blue tack.
Yoga blocks work just as well for a lot less money.
Gonna have to disagree.
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Talk to fast not a natural conversation.
Perhaps because it's a review, and not a conversation. That's just how I talk.
Have you concidered not reading your videos from a script? It would probably come across as less creepy and more sincere.....
I'm quite happy with what I'm doing.
You showed the product for approximately 12 seconds total and just out of the box instead of installed. I don't understand why all these audio equipment reviews only show somebodies ugly face instead of the actual product being reviewed. 👎🏼
Because I'm better looking than the speaker stands.