The OREA pods are an interesting addition to my audio system. He cut the pipes to equal lengths so they stood proud and even, about two-metres above the floorboards. And this state of affairs goes a long way to explaining why many equipment racks and audio equipment isolation devices improve the sound in some areas but leave it all the worse in other parameters. convoy. Slip some under your gear, and the audible results are both obvious and worthwhile. IsoAcoustics’ carpet shoes worked equally well sonically and were more discrete but the slabs made it easier to swap things around. The best recourse for the rest of us is to heed my apple-cheeked gran’s advice and knuckle down to reality, meaning we should treat these spurious vibrations before we plan a component or system upgrade. Switching to vinyl, the track gained immeasurably more detail, air and transparency. CD players were the new Pioneer PD70 and the newly arrived for review flagship Marantz model called the SA10. An individual puck is reassuringly heavy at 176g and looks and feels very well made.
© Sound Media Group. The IsoAcoustics … All loudspeakers, whether active monitors, or guitar/bass amps, tend to exhibit cabinet vibrations.
It’s incredibly easy to install and use – spacing each puck equidistant to the underside of your monitor and push down slightly from the top to “suction” the pieces together. But in the interest of balance, along with the greater clarity, I also heard slightly brighter high frequencies. Prior to the testing, I have my Yamaha HS5 Active Studio Monitors resting on some Auralex Acoustics styrofoam pads and a pair of speaker stands. In my own experience, the ISO-PUCKS were most effective in the mid-to-low frequencies. In every case an audible improvement in overall clarity and tighter bass dynamics were clearly heard by everyone. Mission accomplished, he put the turntable on the top shelf and his pre-power amps down below. With most music technology, you can only really unbox and install the gear without damaging the goods. A conscious choice because it's a very long track, Dylan's Sad Eyed Lady affords ample time to listen and make notes. I’m a big fan when makers specialize in a key part of the studio experience than being a catch-all of sorts. The OREAs are solid and very nicely made. The sound we both heard before and after the water pipe surgery was, as they say, the difference between hamburger and sirloin steak. Australian Business Number 79 662 719 408, New Horizon Audio Announces 301 Turntable, Austere Debuts in Australia with Audio Active, Audiofly Headphones and Aqipa Distribution Part Ways, Q Acoustics 3030i Standmount Loudspeakers Review, Stealth Acoustics LRX-83 Invisible Loudspeakers Review, Optoma expands premium CinemaX range with P2 UST 4K Projector, Sonus faber Lumina III Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review, Creek Audio Voyage i20 Integrated Amplifier Review, A Tribute to Josef Riediger, Founder of Australian High-End Audio. No comparison. All the energy is managed within the core of the ISO-PUCK’s isolators which are carefully tuned to provide superior isolation and control while remaining on-axis.”. For testing, I used three Iso-Pucks under each of my Neumann KH310A monitors (which sit on the top of a rack upstand on my mastering desk and weigh 13kg each. And on a personal note, the three Iso-Pucks under each of my Neumanns are definitely going to stay there! What needs to be pointed out is the fact these perceived differences are not overwhelmingly large. Of course, Iso-Pucks can also be used wherever vibration isolation would be beneficial (provided the loading weights don’t exceed the capability of an individual Puck). By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. This cunning arrangement gives excellent stability to the complete system; the speaker cannot be accidentally knocked off the Pucks, and neither will the Pucks slide off the mounting surface (assuming both the speaker cabinet and mounting surface are flat and clean). Either way, I usually tend to remain oblivious to the deleterious effects that air and floor-borne resonances can have on the sound of my new gear. Nevertheless, the only reason I could see for not having the logo facing front would be if there was a desire to hide it, in which case rotating the Puck to put the logo at the back would maintain the front-back axis anyway. The Reviewer. DJ and Production Gear.
Both OREAs and the Norstones were revealing a tendency to treble brightness residing somewhere in my gear or my room. With the OREA the Dylan SACD track was audibly more focused, and the long sustained organ melodies had a more defined organic richness. Get Magnetic Ad-Free for 30 Days. In other words, they're a valuable addition whose importance grows after you've addressed your equipment rack and room acoustics. In terms of construction, the rubber isolation mechanism is enclosed within the top disc or “suction cup” and center aluminum ring that’s attached to the bottom disc. For just under $100 the IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R155 speaker stands are certainly a cost effective and flexible desktop set-up solution. Preamps were the Elektra Audio Pnyx and Audio Research’s giant-killing LS17SE. It’s GAIA speaker isolators have won plenty of praise from reviewers I usually read and respect. Pro-audio heads rejoice – the ISO-PUCKS Series from acoustic isolation experts IsoAcoustics are a versatile solution to improve the quality & character of any sound system. I removed the pods to confirm what I was hearing. Join Today. This is due to the concept of forced vibration. A horde of audio accessory brands is on offer with solutions that can work, or not.
Sometimes those vibrations are intentional and sometimes not but, either way, if allowed to pass into the structure on which the speaker is resting that structure can start to vibrate in sympathy, adding unwanted colorations to the sound. You can knock yourself out trying to research the technology used by IsoAcoustics. Many don’t. The arrival of IsoAcoustic’s OREA Series equipment isolators is a timely reminder of my gran’s sage advice to me as a boy. These pucks are cleverly designed isolation tools to eliminate the transfer of energy from your speakers to the surface of your workstation or desktop. The key differences between the three versions are mainly for weight distribution and the amount of pucks per package. The user manual supplied in the packet consists of a small piece of folded paper with some photos of Iso-Pucks in use, and an instruction that the logo should face forwards. If you already have a solid speaker stand, then these ISO-PUCKS won’t really move the needle. Ingenious, elegant and highly effective are the terms I’d happily use to sum up the Iso-Puck, but I fear I must also add expensive to that list, too. When I mooted the idea to my wife, she gave me the kind of prolonged, blank stare that always translates to “What are you, crazy or just stupid?” I let the water pipe solution to audio resonances slip by to the keeper. The difference they make is more audible used under signal sources than placed under any other component. A box of two costs $59, butnearly £60 in the UK, and the minimum requirement to support a pair of modest speakers will be three boxes, making the Iso-Puck option nearly twice as expensive as a pair of L8R or Aperta stands. The arrival of IsoAcoustic’s OREA Series equipment isolators led reviewer Peter Familari on an investigation into vibrations and resonance, and a journey of discovery.
All rights reserved. This led me to the summation that the OREA pods, notwithstanding the question of a highlighted treble, were bringing plenty of positive sonic attributes to my audio system. Our publication is supported by its audience. Exactly what transpired, with the violins exhibiting a more pronounced emphasis on the highest frequencies. Iso-Pucks are sold in pairs, and the idea is to purchase a sufficient number to accommodate the weight of your loudspeaker (or other equipment). You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address. Though IsoAcoustics does a remarkable job at serving specialized needs, you still need the whole enchilada with a sturdy desktop and acoustic treatment or sound panels to optimize your critical listening space.
It’s GAIA speaker isolators have won plenty of praise from reviewers I usually read and respect. I think they do that, quite nicely. In the Mini, the aluminum is replaced with a red plastic ring, but the main mechanism is a scaled-down version consisting of the same rubber material. isoacoustics
This aspect of managing the vibrations “live” tickled my curiosity a bit. That is until I power things up and the sound I hear induces a sense of unease. Apr 2, 2020. Review: Kanto Audio TUK Speakers. All Rights Reserved. Each of the three versions have similar design components with slight variations in material and build quality. The isoAcoustic isolator pods are easily recommendable. Intrigued, I took out the OREAs and replaced them with Norstone supports.
As described by IsoAcoustics – “the ISO-PUCK’s upper flange “suction cup” design adheres to the underside of the cabinet making the upper isolator live with the speaker, while the lower isolator adheres to the supporting surface. However, I had some fun with these ISO-PUCKS with a fully-comprehensive teardown to see what you’re really getting here. I'll be using my pair for all my future desktop speaker reviews since they've proven to be just the thing to get speakers positioned so they can sound their best. Jerry Ibbotson has worked in pro-audio for more than 20 years, first as a BBC radio journalist and then as a sound designer in the games industry. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. After blowing through your project budget, you opt-in for a less-than-ideal IKEA Desk that’s sturdy enough to make some moves. great resource and experiment conducted by IsoAcoustics. However, with the Iso-Pucks being so portable, I tried them on the monitor systems of a few friends using LS3/5As, PMC TB2s and Focal Twin 6 Bes, all of which were mounted on tabletops or desk shelves. But I also suspect they act like tuning forks as well. Each Iso-Puck can accommodate up to 9kg, and the minimum number that can be used under each speaker is three (for obvious reasons of balance). These evil vibrations are a by-product of speakers exciting plaster walls, windows, floorboards, equipment racks and equipment.
Audiophiles privileged to live in solid brick homes with wooden floorboards have an easier time rerouting or tuning air and floor-borne vibrations than those of us dwelling in weatherboard shacks. After a long arduous process of trial and error, I traced this unwanted artifact to the wall behind my listening chair. Next vinyl track to get the OREA treatment was Dylan’s 'Sad Eyed Lady' From The Lowlands recorded on LP and SACD. Posted in: Hi-Fi I can see these ISO-PUCKS in any kind of space – from a bedroom producer’s haven to a state-of-the-art recording studio. However, there is no ability to tilt the speaker up or down when using Iso-Pucks, unlike with the L8R stands.
Cranborne Audio Camden EC2 Preamp & CAST Expanders, Win! But one of the best solutions I’ve ever experienced was courtesy of an audio buddy of mine called, Scott.