Best Turntable Isolation Materials

[Trell]

What a coincidence. I've been wondering what material to use under my turntable to stop the needle skipping when I walk around. If I step lightly, it's fine. But, a "normal" step within about a metre is guaranteed to cause a skip.

Perhaps some maglev will work for you.

Levitating Table - Yanko Design

Designed with eyes on the future, this striking table was inspired by the Maglev train's use of magnetic technology and applies the same levitating principles to a functional, futuristic dining table. Using an electromagnetic suspension system, the table levitates above a steel plate while...

www.yankodesign.com

 

[GO-NAD!]

try a wall mounted rack, I know quite a few that have with excellent results

That's an interesting idea. Not sure I have a wall space for it, but worth consideration.

Thanks!

 

[GO-NAD!]

Perhaps some maglev will work for you.

Levitating Table - Yanko Design

Designed with eyes on the future, this striking table was inspired by the Maglev train's use of magnetic technology and applies the same levitating principles to a functional, futuristic dining table. Using an electromagnetic suspension system, the table levitates above a steel plate while...

www.yankodesign.com

View attachment 70392

Well, I'm glad you kept your recommendation within the realm of practicality.

 

[Trell]

Well, I'm glad you kept your recommendation within the realm of practicality.

Vacuum cleaning will be much easier! How is that for practicality?

 

[TLS Guy]

That's why I specified CD4....

a quick overview is provided here:

Compatible Discrete 4 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oh yes! I had forgotten about that. It was another audio dead end. Manufacturers did not include decoders. The system failed to work as advertised in the home. The public wisely never accepted it. It had a very short life in the 1970s, probably less than four years. That was prime example of dead end technology.

 

[ski2xblack]

What a coincidence. I've been wondering what material to use under my turntable to stop the needle skipping when I walk around. If I step lightly, it's fine. But, a "normal" step within about a metre is guaranteed to cause a skip.

We had similar problems. The solution I implemented is similar to what @Mikado463 did, only instead of a butcher block I used a granite slab (leftover from kitchen remodel, it was the sink cutout from the new countertop). The slab was further isolated from the rather heavy credenza it's on with three of those ballistic gel stress balls you find in the checkout lane at the local hardware store. Under all that weight, they pancake out such that they're not visible. Between the slight squish and all the mass, it's now capable of withstanding a clydesdale dance party.

 

[dlaloum]

Oh yes! I had forgotten about that. It was another audio dead end. Manufacturers did not include decoders. The system failed to work as advertised in the home. The public wisely never accepted it. It had a very short life in the 1970s, probably less than four years. That was prime example of dead end technology.

Yes - CD4 died (although some excellent very high quality material was put out - and later re-released using digital surround formats!)
But along the way, it led to order of magnitude improvements in vinyl tech - from needle shapes, through cantilever types/effective mass, to vinyl compound composition... it defined the state of the art.... and led to a level that currently cannot be matched.

 

[Stanton]

The TipToes- mostly used for speakers, right?

Yes--at least for me...but not necessarily "spiked".

 

[highfigh]

Yes--at least for me...but not necessarily "spiked".

IIRC, the brand and name 'Tip Toes' was sold in the 1980s to a couple of brothers in the Milwaukee area- I rarely see them but I can ask next time. They were customers at the stereo store where I got my start in audio and they were speaker builders, eventually starting their own company.

 

[Tankini]

Here is a thought, hang your favorite turntable from the ceiling your choice, rope, chains, plexiglass wood works great never have to worry about the needle skipping ever again or anything affecting the waves from your favorite vinyl. Be it Virgin vinyl 180G R slap a CD R stream you Media.

 

[Mikado463]

a thought, yes and a very dumb one at that !

 

[dlaloum]

a thought, yes and a very dumb one at that !

Not really - some people have done such devices...

It still comes down to what the resonance/vibration problem is, and how it is isolated - hanging from the ceiling assumes there are no vibrations in the ceiling ...

But the hanging method could have damping/springing/absorption built into it - there are plenty of "suspended" design turntables out there!

 

[Tankini]

a thought, yes and a very dumb one at that !

Still mad about them 4 Super Bowl lost?. dollar Bills, so get over it. Still sore about your political thread lost!! go take a cheap shot at somebody else it's not a stupid comment. WTF???

 

[Tankini]

I've had it so long I can't remember ! View attachment 70368
the 4 legs of the rack are filled with sand/lead shot, weight of the entire thing is around 300 lbs, it's carpet over concrete

Well than, show off! Nothing wrong with bragging rights when it comes to real audio.

 

[gene]

A Guide to Turntable Isolation Platforms: Materials and Benefits

This article discusses the crucial role of isolation in achieving high-fidelity turntable playback, offering methods to minimize unwanted noise and resonances for the purest possible sound.

www.audioholics.com

 

[Alex2507]

What a coincidence. I've been wondering what material to use under my turntable to stop the needle skipping when I walk around. If I step lightly, it's fine. But, a "normal" step within about a metre is guaranteed to cause a skip.

Mount the surface the table sits on to the wall. That surface, even if it's a dresser needs to be off the floor. I've done it that way for years.

 

[Speedskater]

At work we built large (several 1000 pound) measurement machines. To check for vibrations (well below 10 Hz) we hung the entire machine from the ceiling and did a very slow FFT.

 

[Mikado463]

Mount the surface the table sits on to the wall. That surface, even if it's a dresser needs to be off the floor. I've done it that way for years.

Again, agreed, a much better option that a glorified 'swing set and a chain' scenario. With my situation my man cave / audio room is down stairs so with concrete I don't have to worry about floor movement.

 

[Mikado463]

FWIW a discussion over @ AudioCircle on wall mounting .........

Wall mounted furniture suggestions welcome here

Wall mounted furniture suggestions welcome here

www.audiocircle.com

 

[dlaloum]

Perhaps some maglev will work for you.

Levitating Table - Yanko Design

Designed with eyes on the future, this striking table was inspired by the Maglev train's use of magnetic technology and applies the same levitating principles to a functional, futuristic dining table. Using an electromagnetic suspension system, the table levitates above a steel plate while...

www.yankodesign.com

View attachment 70392

From experience and actual measurements - mag lev is no different to any other kind of "springing"...

In my case I found that the damping provided by sorbothane, improved things more than the spring only behaviour of MagLev.... you can select different thicknesses and hardnesses of sorbothane to provide "springiness" - but maglev simply passes the energy through albeit refracted/difracted to a different frequency, whereas rubber/sorbothan style materials convert some of the energy into heat - so you dissipate more energy.