Anyone here use Vibrapods?

jimbones · February 19, 2020, 10:51:38 AM

Can you share your experiences with vibration control products? I was looking into modestly priced products such as Vibrapods. Thanks

BobM · February 19, 2020, 11:46:36 AM

I had them at one point.They worked OK, but are not good at everything. Here's what I suggest.

Go to a sporting goods store (or Amazon.com) and buy some foam tennis balls. Cut them in half and try them under your components. Cheap squishy things.

Then buy some squash balls and try them. Cheap squishy roller things.

Then get some large steel ball bearings and try them. Cheap hard roller things.

Then get some hockey pucks. I think you may know what they are. Cheap hard things.

Find out which components like squishy, which like roller, which like hard and which like soft before spending money on anything more expensive. In my experience, tubes like soft & squishy. Turntables liked the squash balls. Transports, CD players and solid state prefer some version of hard isolation, some roller balls, others something else. And you can do it on the cheap to discover this. It's all trial and error anyway.

jimbones · February 19, 2020, 06:47:21 PM

I like the foam tennis ball idea. Never knew they made them from foam. Hockey pucks? No idea Lol!

Jack · February 19, 2020, 07:42:54 PM

Vibrapods work o.k. but they will stain unless you put something like wax paper between them and wood shelves. You might want to see if Herbies has a product that will work just as well or better.

jimbones · February 20, 2020, 05:19:52 AM

They also have foam golf balls. I bought some to try out

Barry (NJ) · February 20, 2020, 06:58:39 AM

I grabbed a bunch of these to try.
If you sift through the various adds, you can find them for about $1.
Haven't tried them under equipment yet, but they fly well

Barry (NJ) · February 20, 2020, 07:14:36 AM

There are some other threads on this as well...

https://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=3495

https://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=1385

https://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=5155

jimbones · February 20, 2020, 08:05:54 AM

I neglected to say that this is mainly for electronics, in this case a phonostage.

Response Audio · February 20, 2020, 08:17:57 AM

If the phono stage does not have any damping material inside it, you can use either the coupling or decoupling. I have been using Tenderfeet (decoupling) for years under our Purity products.
If your phono stage already has damping material, I would stick with decoupling which I recommend for phono stages. I Would not mix decoupling (damping material) with coupling (cones and bearings).

rollo · February 20, 2020, 09:01:45 AM

Quote from: Response Audio on February 20, 2020, 08:17:57 AM
If the phono stage does not have any damping material inside it, you can use either the coupling or decoupling. I have been using Tenderfeet (decoupling) for years under our Purity products.
If your phono stage already has damping material, I would stick with decoupling which I recommend for phono stages. I Would not mix decoupling (damping material) with coupling (cones and bearings).

Good advice. Jim footers have different results in sonics. For a TT the most affective way of decoulping is a wood sandbox [ which you can make ] filled with Playsand and a wood plinth [ maple] sitting on sand. The sandbox shold be decoulped from shelf. I recommend Mapleshade cork and rubber footers for that. Make it you will be very happy.

charles

jimbones · February 20, 2020, 09:18:22 AM

Quote from: Response Audio on February 20, 2020, 08:17:57 AM
If the phono stage does not have any damping material inside it, you can use either the coupling or decoupling. I have been using Tenderfeet (decoupling) for years under our Purity products.
If your phono stage already has damping material, I would stick with decoupling which I recommend for phono stages. I Would not mix decoupling (damping material) with coupling (cones and bearings).

My phonostage has the cheap rubber feet. Nothing special. I have the damping material can put on the inside of the case. That usually helps. Last night I put bubble wrap under it just to test it and it seemed to help so I will try both coupling and decoupling

mdconnelly · February 20, 2020, 01:31:40 PM

I think I've tried at least a dozen different vibration footers over the last 20-30 years and Vibrapods were certainly among them... likely one of the better bang for the buck options. I also tried a number of things from Herbies Audio Lab and a few home-grown solutions.

My most recent (and hopefully last) solution is from IsoAcoustics which has resulted in the greatest improvment by far. I've got their GAIA II footers under my speakers and their OREA Bronze isolaters under my integrated amps. Definitely pricier than the Vibrapods but I'm certain that the total cost of the IsoAcoustics was less than what I spent on all of the other footers I've tried combined.

jimbones · February 23, 2020, 08:47:12 AM

Quote from: BobM on February 19, 2020, 11:46:36 AM
I had them at one point.They worked OK, but are not good at everything. Here's what I suggest.

Go to a sporting goods store (or Amazon.com) and buy some foam tennis balls. Cut them in half and try them under your components. Cheap squishy things.

Then buy some squash balls and try them. Cheap squishy roller things.

Then get some large steel ball bearings and try them. Cheap hard roller things.

Then get some hockey pucks. I think you may know what they are. Cheap hard things.

Find out which components like squishy, which like roller, which like hard and which like soft before spending money on anything more expensive. In my experience, tubes like soft & squishy. Turntables liked the squash balls. Transports, CD players and solid state prefer some version of hard isolation, some roller balls, others something else. And you can do it on the cheap to discover this. It's all trial and error anyway.

OK SO i bought some foam golf balls cut them in half flat side down and trying them now. Tough to tell but it doesnt sound like it harms the sound so I guess its OK

ejk · January 11, 2023, 04:49:25 PM

Just received 2 sets of these.

Tertullus 4 Pcs Speaker Isolation Feet Anti Vibration Pads with Stainless Steel Ball Speaker Pad Stand 39mm×24mm Aluminum Absorb Shock for Audio Speaker Amplifier HiFi Equipments(Silver) https://a.co/d/gtrBkzU

Putz · January 11, 2023, 08:32:01 PM

Quote from: mdconnelly on February 20, 2020, 01:31:40 PM
I think I've tried at least a dozen different vibration footers over the last 20-30 years and Vibrapods were certainly among them... likely one of the better bang for the buck options. I also tried a number of things from Herbies Audio Lab and a few home-grown solutions.

My most recent (and hopefully last) solution is from IsoAcoustics which has resulted in the greatest improvment by far. I've got their GAIA II footers under my speakers and their OREA Bronze isolaters under my integrated amps. Definitely pricier than the Vibrapods but I'm certain that the total cost of the IsoAcoustics was less than what I spent on all of the other footers I've tried combined.

+1 on the ISOs