Isolation feet/cones for PS Audio NuWave DSD DAC


Hey all,

I am debating between Large DH Cones and Herbies Tenderfeet.
Anyone have experience specifically with this DAC?

Thanks!
itsikhefez

Yup ghosthouse, Geoff already stated the case---it’s a matter of friction. The plastic of the caster cups isn’t smooth (on the microscopic level of the vibrations we are talking about) or hard enough to provide a friction-free surface for the ball bearing to be free to move across.

But I agree with you, Diament’s wooden Easter egg cup suggestion is worse than your plastic caster cup one, wood being way too soft and textured to work well as a bearing cup. Barry proposed it to anyone wanting to try the roller bearing idea on the cheap, before spending any money on real ones. A poster on his site is the one who suggested concave drawer handles/pulls, the best idea for ultra-cheap bowls. The good news is that Ingress offers a set of three top/bottom cups for so cheap that the even cheaper alternatives aren’t necessary.

IMO, what Geoff has long suggested for isolation---the combination of roller bearings for lateral/rotational, and springs for vertical, provides a whole lot of isolation for not that much dough. To get more, one has to move up to the Townshend Seismic products (around $350 and up), and then up to the microscope isolation platforms by MinusK, Newport, and others. That’s some serious money, over $2k!

Hello bdp - I appreciate the discussion.  As a sometime microscopist in the past (optical and SEM) I certainly appreciate how surfaces appear under magnification.  Given the apparent quality of the Ingress roller block products (it IS pretty looking stuff)  C$85 for a Level 1 set does not seem unreasonable.  

One thing that does have me wondering about the practical value of a more highly polished surface (not to mention added cost) is realizing this evening how cabling hanging off the back of a component likely interferes with free movement in both horizontal and vertical planes.  I wonder if this sort of cable "inertia" overrides the benefit of a surface that is smoother at a microscopic level.    

In the short term, I'll experiment with the plastic housings and stainless bearings.  Thinking the addition of a bit of silicone (or even lightweight spindle oil) will help "smooth out" some of the bumps.  We'll keep the Ingress products in mind, however - as well as the DH Cones.   



I wasn’t referring to smoothness but to hardness. Smooth is obviously good, too. The surfaces shouldn't be all knarly. 😀

 it’s the next hardest material to diamond. DH Cones. Accept no substitutes.

So funny... (if you've seen the website).
lowrider57
Geoffkait: it’s the next hardest material to diamond. DH Cones. Accept no substitutes.

So funny... (if you've seen the website).

>>>> Huh? What? How so, Stringbean?