The Isolator: the latest rip-off?

I have had one on my Well Tempered arm with Grado Sonata for about six months now. I am very satisfied with it's performance, better low bass definition, less surface noise, better soundstaging. The price seems high, but the materials have to be made and assembly isn't easy. I would think the idea is worth something. For me the improvements are well worth $150. Definitely not a rip off, though YMMV.

I did have trouble with my first sample, it separated with the cartridge attached. I believe a different adhesive is now used. The dealer replaced the bad sample promptly.

Two pieces of steel in proximity to your $2000 moving coil cartridge? Added mass at the end of the tonearm? Foam that's similar to Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts**, while still coupling it to the headshell (since the cartridge, steel skin, and the studs which hold the mounting screws still all touch one another.) SHEEEEEESH! Ya gotta be kidding. (Though the table might actually sound better to some users, because it's installation forced them to reset their VTA accurately, or rebalance their arm with the added mass.)

The concept is not insane, but the execution of this product is an insult.

**Really unbelievable is Stereo Times' shameless hype piece - "Sandwiched between the plates is the exotic, purposed-designed, and very expensive isolating material. This material, technically a closed cell, cross-linked ethylene copolymer structure"

Look here for info on this very common material: http://www.professionalplastics.com/cgi-bin/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/85350/sesent/00/Zotefoams--Family-of-Foam-Products

ie. - Evazote® Foam - Evazote® is a closed cell cross-linked ethylene copolymer foam. Evazote® foams are tougher, more resilient and stronger than other foams and are used in a wide range of sports and leisure and footwear applications.

Santana and Rpw - Did you compare the results of your $150 piece of foam to a 25 cent piece of foam bought at a hardware store?

I would be interested in the results of a double blind test here, as "best thing I did for my humble analog" would surely show its effects through whatever theoretical holes of the test methodology.

Agree, the pricing for that little piece is crazy. Ok, opinions about pricing is different, but it is ugly, too. I mean, really ugly.

How about just adding Mass to the arm & seeing how it works. Blue tack or some other & then comparing. quite a lot of people believe added mass in the headshell area will aid the sound. I tried it & worked very well. Especially if you are using a low or medium effective mass tonearm. A high effective mass arm would yeild different results although your results might vary.