The Isolator: the latest rip-off?

Hi SirSloshed,

Please offer my thanks to the Merlot! Hic!

I always wondered what sort of widget Herb supplied to work around your table/arm incompatibility. (And yes, that dealer did behave like an idiot.)

It was easy enough to imagine risers beneath the TP's mounting plate to raise the arm above the plinth, but of course that would totally boggle your VTA. It never occured to me that Herb would go so far as to machine a fat spacer for beneath the headshell.

Now that I know, I confess I'm surprised that he did it. Aside from the unpredictable effects on cartridge/arm resonance transmission and the potential degradation of mounting rigidity, a fat spacer and extra long mounting screws would substantially increase effective mass. No arm set up so would perform like it does normally. Hic!

I guess if you hand a problem to a mechanic you'll get a mechanical solution, but I think Herb should have just acknowledged the fundamental incompatibility. The dealer f%$&#@ up and that's that. I did the same thing when I bought our TP without realizing it was incompatible with our overly large periphery clamp. That was my own fault. Fortunately I was able to sell the clamp for what it cost me. Hic!

Herb might have pressured the dealer into giving you a full refund. Having his arm mis-sold and creating an unhappy owner was not a good outcome for TriPlanar.

Thanks for sharing that,
Doug

P.S. Did you consider enlarging the plinth cutout? Maybe painful on a brand new table, but probably a genuine solution with no sonic downside.

Plinthly speaking,NO!It was not feasable!
As to Herb and the "defunct from my further business dealer",Herb was TOTALLY saddened and upset!Big time!
The "spacer" was actually a work of art.Really well done,and a serious little piece of engineering,yet the added mass always bothered me.One reason there is NO shot I'll ever try this new "schmageggie" tweak,as mentioned here!
Best!

Dear friends: I'm a little confuse here about the Isolator use in favor of better ( I can't say for sure it is better. I'm sure is diferent but this not means BETTER ) quality sound reproduction: I have no doubts of what several people are hearing with the Isolator and I'm asking me:

the cartridge manufacturer makes his design thinking to offer his best about, he selected the best cartridge material parts, he build careful each by one cartridge, he tested each one in one-two or more tonearms, he tailored the suspension to a specific sound, he try that the frequency response stay at least between 1db from 20 to 20K, etc, etc. He do the whole critical job WITHOUT ANY ISOLATOR like device and we destroy that delicate job ( what the designer wants to share with us ) using an Isolator: I really can't understand our attitude about.

Can any one explain it?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, don't be confused. You are in the money-makes-the-world-go-round-section now. This Isolator removes - or reduces - the mechanical vibrations which are sent through the Arm Tube.
Well, I think, it is too cheap. And ugly.
I would prefer this unit in Piano black finish for let's say $380,--. No wait, some japanese signs in gold paint a la Koetsu, yes, that's it, then it's worth $500,--.
But when I am honest, no I will wait for the wood edition, made from Grenadine, or from a Billard Queue Wood, or a Tree, which is 2000 years old and was found beside a grave of old Elephants. Yes, that's it: The 1K Isolator
Or how a about a Signature Version of it? Please, do it and may I have the no. 007/100 please?

Ups, I woke up, I was dreaming...
Or not?

Thomasheisig,

I found an old carrot in the refrigerator. It is serial no. 003 of 1 x 10^58. It's yours for 5,000EUR + shipping and insurance.

You've got 24 hours, otherwise it's going on ebay.

P.S. Almost forgot to mention, it's VG++++!