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WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU? ISOLATION PLATFORMS, FOOTERS, ETC. for a DAC?

What is reasonable to expect in SQ gain with respect to a DAC, since there are no actively moving parts?

Footers only? Platforms only? Or is a combination of both best?

Keeping this open ended (as well as budget wise) to see what Audiogon Members recommend and advise.

However, thoughts on Gains v.s. Spend with the specific products you are recommending are welcome and will be very helpful.

The only footers I have used in the past are those from Herbie's Audio Lab.  I have used two different 'audio' racks (which have been dismantled) and I am using their shelves as isolation platforms for my speakers and other components (but not the DACs).

The DACs in use are a Schiit Yggdrasil and an Exogal Comet Plus. The stock rubber footers with the Yggdrasil are as basic as they come; The Comet has an acrylic plate with rounded metal screws.

THANK YOU!
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david_ten OP
2,509 posts
 
@gbmcleod and @geoffkait

Very informative and relevant posts for me. Thanks to both of you.

I’ve found out first hand, for the first time, what both of you are referring to with the Anvil Turntable Footers under my DAC. Location does matter!

I believe, in the case of the Anvil Turntable Footers, they are operating in multiple directions. Perhaps @13blm (Bruce) can comment?

Any advice from both of you on keeping track of position and results, especially when one has six footers and two surface areas to cover?
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david_ten OP
2,509 posts
 
@bg1968  Thanks for your suggestions. I do not have any experience with Myrtle blocks. However, we do have six mature Crepe Myrtle trees on our property. :)  

I'm using Herbie Audio's Giant Fat Gliders to great affect under my speakers.
13blm's avatar
13blm
47 posts
 
Hi David. Yes, the footers isolate in all directions but more so in the vertical plane. "Floating" a component only isolates.  We also need to wick away vibration for an isolation/damping device to be effective.  Your footers as you know are virtually infinatily adjustable to find a happy medium between isolation, coupling and damping. It's true that position makes a difference, and sometimes quite dramatic. Pushing them out partially beyond the component perimiter is  also worthwhile. 
Regards,
Bruce
Anvil Turntables
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,333 posts
 
The need for isolation is entirely dependent on the design of your DAC. It is possible to design both an excellent power supply and a non-microphonic DAC - in this case any treatment is pointless: it won’t do harm but certainly won’t do any good.

Unfortunately not all DACs are designed in a holistic sense that the power supply and microphonic immunity need to be as outstanding as the digital to audio conversion and analog section - and thus is why so many have to resort to band-aids.

Benchmark have written about these subjects and appear to take a holistic approach in design - all aspects need to be top notch.
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,105 posts
 
Hi David,

You are moving in the right direction IMO.

"Soft" footers "cushion" the component from external vibration from the floor/rack but also trap internal vibrations inside the component (isolators vs conductors).

Symposium Acoustics system of combining Rollerblocks with their Svelte shelves (conduct then isolate) drains the vibrations from both the component (on top) and from external vibrations from the floor/rack (from below) into the vibration-absorbing membrane sandwiched between SS plates. Detail and coherence are improved over soft (and hard) footers, cones, and Rollerblocks without the shelves IME

Adding spring devices underneath the Svelte shelves (I use Solid Tech) can improve the sound further for extremely sensitive gear.  

Dave

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