NOS1 on spikes

[Bigear]

Guess most people are using spikes / feet already but I saw no earlier topic on it so I would like to mention it.

In my setup I noticed a clear improvement in sound quality when I did put the NOS1 DAC on 3 spikes.

Sound improvements are:
 - improved space around instruments / voices, they are more seperated
 - better bass definition, uncanny realism & detail in double bass jazz rifs.
 - broader & deeper soundstage

The H shape of the DAC makes it a bit difficult to use only 3 spikes, 4 would be more stable. I used perspex spikes, not the metal ones.
A brand of these kind of spikes I came across is Quadraspire (I have no commercial interest), however I use small cylinders made from perspex. I did never compared these with the original Quadraspires that gave me the idea to use this material...

[hf]

Dear Bigear,

I use (three) Ebony spikes under all my equipment: it gives a fantastic warm sound (and further the same characteristics as you describe). I learned it from someone who builds violins and violincellos. You can buy them at several places (around 60 euros per four; not cheap but definitely worth a try).

Kind regards,

Hein

[Bigear]

I use (three) Ebony spikes under all my equipment: it gives a fantastic warm sound (and further the same characteristics as you describe).

Hi Hein,

thanks for the suggestion. Having listened some longer time with more various material I discovered that the 'spikes' I use give the described improvements but also tend to make the sound somewhat artificial, a bit more digital. So I ordered the 'original'  Quadraspire feet to see if that would improve this. If that's not working I will try the Ebony one's.... Is that the same result as with the Harmonix discs?

Cheers,
  Quint

[PeterSt]

Whatever you choose, three of them should be better.
And indeed, not so easy to apply on this case ...

[BertD]

And indeed, not so easy to apply on this case ...

I use decoupling bearings for some time already which is not a problem using three of them with 2 at the right side (under the transformer and the front) and the one in the middle of the left "leg". Very stable (for resonances) and cleaner sound (less "noise") as result.

Bert

[pedal]

Spikes (usually made of metal) is a double edged sword.
Often you get a cleaner, tighter bas and a more "rythmic" feel to the music. On the flip side of the coin you get a hardness and a coloration in the midrange. (Try piano, vocal music or massed strings to hear the negative effects).
-The explaination is because spikes doesnt remove any vibrations, they only move them up in frequency...

Something soft or springy is theoretically better, providing a 1st order low-pass filter. With the "optimum" softness, the cut of frequency will be very low.

Here is a seller of such rubber feet tailored for Hi-Fi equipment: SONIC DESIGN link: http://www.sonicdesign.se/sdfeet.html

[BertD]

I agree and thus spikes are only good for bass enclosures (loudspeakers).

For overall improvement such rubber feet can be better but to my experience is real decoupling the best compromise.

The bearings I use have a resonance frequency below 2Hz and thus of no negative influence...

SSC is a nice way to do things too... 

Bert

[CoenP]

If you want cheap and have nice results try some turned wooden doorknobs. Quite nice, especially for the money. No mf/hf hardness and a noticible increase in definition and space. You could even experiment with some laquer for full tone. I use it under all my digital sources (even the pc).

The drawback with these "spikes" is that the topsurface is quite small and thus not so super stable. (even less stable than a commercial grade threesome)

I'd say all this decouplingstuff sounds like how you would literally describe it.

Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

A maybe totally superfluous remark from my side :

Doing this well for something like a DAC is not so easy. It can be done, but costs crazy money. Except for one special material (I recall it is listed on the TNT Audio side, but not sure anymore), which ... was specially produced by someone in the US many years ago. But he quit this activity. The site is still there,  but no responses to email - plus it looks dead anyway. But IMO it was the best (for less than 100 euros for 3 or 4).

Anyway, this is the exact reason we don't supply any feet at all. They are no good anyway unless the DAC is 300++ more expensive.

I must really look it up again, because the material itself just exists (and is fairly new for a chemical substance). It is the same as the unbreakable drinking cups are made off (transparent in various colours). It is used by an artist (here in the neighbourhood - could be Swedish) as well.

Nice Friday's quest maybe to guess what the heck I'm talking about.

Peter

[juanpmar]

Hi Peter, have a nice weekend, this is the first attempt to find out about what you´re talking about:

http://www.polycrystal.com/pc-mainframe.htm

And this could be the TNT review (four parts):

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt1_e.html

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt2_e.html

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt3_e.html

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/vibra_iso_pt4_e.html

If it´s not what you are talking about it´s very interesting to read anyway.

Juan

[PeterSt]

Completely "Friday Night Bingo!" on the Polycrystal ...

So, this would have been my choice for the NOS1, but it looks like I must first let produce it myself now ...

I never really tried it of course.

[manisandher]

Nice work Juan. Interesting reading.

It's always puzzled me why people 'couple' their speakers to the foor/room with spikes. I myself use Townshend pneumatic speaker platforms (and actually his hifi stands as well). Max Townshend is utterly mad. When everyone else on the planet was promoting metal spikes for speakers, he went totally against the trend and went for pneumatic platforms with low resonant frequencies - so what if the speakers are not kept totally rigid and are actually allowed to move... as long as it's ~2Hz, who cares?

Crazy guy (whom I've met in person). Kind of reminds me of at least one other person on this forum...

Mani.

[Bigear]

Interesting discussion.. The definition of this material is:

PolyCrystal is a composite made up of multiple inert materials, crushed to the sizes of their crystalline structures and embedded in a matrix. The result is a very high-density substance with extremely irregular boundaries between the interlaced crystals, which dissipates energy into heat. It is very dense and very heavy, and very effective at dissipating energy and resonance.

Sounds like a sort of concrete to me. Once had a speaker made of concrete. It had a very well defined sound... until it dropped once and scattered...

[christoffe]

Hi,

spikes plus Harmonix.

www.combak.net

Joachim

[juanpmar]

Just in case some of you don´t know other points of view, mostly about different materials and even no boxes at all, here they go:

From Altman Mirco Machines:

http://www.mother-of-tone.com/vibration.htm

http://www.mother-of-tone.com/mother.htm

http://www.mother-of-tone.com/lacquer.htm

Talking about lacquer we all know that the good concert pianos are finished with many lacquer layers. My speakers also follow this path and they have several lacquer layers applied.
 

Reading the previous TNT reviews I´ve found this interesting article, "Wood is good":

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/box_clever_e.html

Juan