Auralex Monitor Isolation Pads (MoPADs) Review

[gene]

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/AuralexMoPADsp1.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 74px" alt=[mopad] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/mopad_th.jpg" align=left border=0></A>For folks whom have limited installation options for their speakers and have no choice but to install their front LCR speakers at an elevated position on top of an entertainment center, or their center channel near or on the floor, Aur</SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1ersonName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">alex</SPAN></st1ersonName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> has a product that may be right up your alley.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>The Aur</SPAN><st1ersonName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">alex</SPAN></st1ersonName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> MoPADs provide the benefit of decoupling your speakers from a resonant surface while also allowing you to adjust the pitch towards the listening position.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">[Read the Review]</SPAN></SPAN></P>

 

[Sheep]

So would there be a sonic inprovement if I put these under my Energy's? What about one for on top of a TV?

SheepStar

 

[gene]

So would there be a sonic inprovement if I put these under my Energy's? What about one for on top of a TV?

If your speakers are placed on a resonant surface such as a TV, furniture, etc then yes you will likely hear a sonic benefit with these installed.

I mostly used them to properly angle down my speakers to the listening position and wasn't expecting any sonic improvements but was happily surprised.

 

[ned]

I've been using this for my center speaker and my monitor speakers. I didn't realize how bad my furniture was doing to my center speaker until I use this pads. The base are tighter and vocals clearer.

 

[jcPanny]

How many pads

Gene,
How many pads did you need for your system?
2 for each of the fronts and 2-4 for the center channel?

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I have an auralex absorber under my sub. I got it so the bass would not bother my neighbours as much. They still are bothered. Maybe not as much. We don't speak. Only when the cops come. I do find the bass sounds a little different, not sure if it's better ot not. It is supposed to do something, just not sure.

JC

 

[cusky5oh]

a speaker accessory that isnt way overpriced, is practical, AND doesnt make promises it doesnt deliver, i dont much care if my speakers are at ear level all ready, i may just pick up some of these as a thanks to the company.
my question is, in the review it was mentioned that the pads help decouple the speaker from whatever it is you have your speakers set one, in my case, it is a desk on each side of the tv (i live in a military barracks, not a lot of flexibility when it comes to moving/getting-rid-of furniture to better accomodate a ht) as i stated before, the speakers are already ear level, so the angling that is inherent to the MoPADS is unnecessary and possibly detrimental, is there anything else i could do to isolate the speakers from the desks?

 

[gene]

a speaker accessory that isnt way overpriced, is practical, AND doesnt make promises it doesnt deliver, i dont much care if my speakers are at ear level all ready, i may just pick up some of these as a thanks to the company.
my question is, in the review it was mentioned that the pads help decouple the speaker from whatever it is you have your speakers set one, in my case, it is a desk on each side of the tv (i live in a military barracks, not a lot of flexibility when it comes to moving/getting-rid-of furniture to better accomodate a ht) as i stated before, the speakers are already ear level, so the angling that is inherent to the MoPADS is unnecessary and possibly detrimental, is there anything else i could do to isolate the speakers from the desks?

You can configure the MoPAD for zero elevation so there won't be any added pitch to your speakers. Based on your setup it sounds like you can really benefit from them.

Gene,
How many pads did you need for your system?
2 for each of the fronts and 2-4 for the center channel?

2 pads for each speaker, 4 pads for the center channel.

 

[Sheep]

2 pads for each speaker, 4 pads for the center channel.

It looks like only 1 per speaker in your photos. Am I missing something?

SheepStar

 

[gene]

It looks like only 1 per speaker in your photos. Am I missing something?

See the pic at the intro of the review. It shows 2 4" pads.

I placed 2 4" pads together for each Front L & R speaker since my speakers are about 8" wide. For the Center Channel I placed 2 4" pads on the left and 2 4" pads on the right with a gap of about 3" in the middle.

Thus I used 2 pads per speaker and 4 pads for the center channel.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

I have an auralex absorber under my sub. I got it so the bass would not bother my neighbours as much. They still are bothered. Maybe not as much. We don't speak. Only when the cops come. I do find the bass sounds a little different, not sure if it's better ot not. It is supposed to do something, just not sure.

JC

LOL.... Yikes!! Your neighbors dont speak to you?? go figure??

Im glad I dont have neighbors above or below or anywhere near me

If I did............... My name would be mud.

I hate to say it, but if you live in an apartment with neighbors above or below, you shouldnt have a subwoofer. That's just plain rude. Heck, when I was a youngster and lived in an apartment years ago, my neighbors below me used to bang a broomstick into my floow because I walked heavy on my heels......LOL And I wasnt even a heavy guy!! LOL

If I lived in an apartment, I couldn't tolerate hearing thumping coming from a neighbors subwoofer, and that's coming from a guy who owns a SVS PB12-Plus2........LOL Luckily for me, I no longer do the 'multi-family' building thang.

In all seriousness though...........
If you live in a multi-unit building, you need to be more considerate of your neighbors because nobody wants to hear the thumping while you watch "Terminator2" or whatever you're watching.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I do not push the sub near what it can do Buckeye

I live on the ground floor, cement building except on the other side of my bedroom, which is on the other side of my living room, live the neighbours from hell. WE do not have loud music after 11pm. They keep us up all night. Gloves are off now. I don't care anymore. We have almost had physical altercations.

I think when you live amongst others, an acceptable amount of noise at an acceptable time of day must be expected. If you don't want to hear some noise, move to a single family dwelling and don't move into a condo. I was told my place was soundproof. All except one wall it seems. . I really believe this. I am not blasting my stereo. I just want to enjoy my home.

 

[Ethan Winer]

Sheep,

> So would there be a sonic inprovement if I put these under my Energy's? What about one for on top of a TV? <

Loudspeaker mechanical isolation is real, and it can make an improvement in some setups. It's really easy to determine in advance if isolation will help you. Get two friends to come by, and have one lift each speaker an inch or less while you listen carefully. You may or may not hear a change, depending on whether speaker coupling is now a problem.

--Ethan

 

[twisted3]

See the pic at the intro of the review. It shows 2 4" pads.

I placed 2 4" pads together for each Front L & R speaker since my speakers are about 8" wide. For the Center Channel I placed 2 4" pads on the left and 2 4" pads on the right with a gap of about 3" in the middle.

Thus I used 2 pads per speaker and 4 pads for the center channel.

is there a reason why you have a 3" gap?

 

[masak_aer]

I used the absorber pad and my neighbor stop knocking at my door. When i didnt have it, she knocked on my door and invited her to listen the music i put on. She said.."yes, it's not loud..but somehow i can hear the thumping on my ceiling..". But hell, i bought the pad anyway..and she hasn't complained since..that all that matters.

 

[gene]

is there a reason why you have a 3" gap?

Yes b/c my center channel is 3" wider than 4 Auralex PADs.

 

[twisted3]

Yes b/c my center channel is 3" wider than 4 Auralex PADs.

ok, I just thought you did that for acoustic reasons.

 

[Audioholics]

I used the absorber pad and my neighbor stop knocking at my door. When i didnt have it, she knocked on my door ...

No pads... girl knocks on door and gets invited in... With pads... no more girl... Not sure this is a good testimony to put on their website.

 

[surveyor]

After reading the fine review, I isolated my Infinity Beta 360 center channel with insulation strips. The strips I used were originally supposed to be used on hot water lines. They were supplied with my new water heater ( long story). Anyway, I will be ordering the MOPADS . I previously had used small rubber stick on's to isolate the center, but what a huge difference the foam insulation strips made!
Cheers

 

[twisted3]

ok, so I placed some mopads underneath my center channel and they did make a difference in sound, but I was wondering, I am using an omnimount center speaker stand that rest on my tv and was wondering if I could place a pillow cushion behind the center speaker as a sound absorber or would it hurt its performance? The pillow cushion is about 5" or 6" thick.