Silencer Support Pods
The Vertere Iso-shelf sits under a record player supported by low profile Iso-balls or the superior Silencers.
Description
A debate has raged for many years about the principles of ‘isolation’ feet, spikes, and equipment tables. The question is, do they isolate or couple? Or a combination of both? We know that hi-fi products, especially turntables, are sensitive to external vibrations / energy sources. We also know that power supplies and significant current-carrying circuits vibrate in sympathy with the signal (usually music) that they are carrying.
Therefore, there is a reason for supports that sink unwanted vibrations to ground. But at the same time, we know that ground isn’t free of vibrations, but in general, they are of very low frequency and very low amplitude. So, it’s a complicated minefield filled with far more BS than fact.
Given the vast variation in the design of hi-fi products, it would be unrealistically confident (that is to say stupid) to expect anyone’s ‘isolation’ product to improve the performance of everything. So, no promises on anything other than a Vertere product but a suggestion that the benefits are more widespread from our experimentation. Silencer combines a hard felt resistive coupling foot, direct coupling ball and an isolating layer of Sorbothane. From listening tests carried out with all Vertere record players, the Silencer addition, especially with an Iso-Shelf, brought about an improvement in stereo focus, a reduction in background noise and greater LF resolution.
The sort of improvement that a significant upgrade in MC cartridge might bring.
Silencers can also assist with levelling as there is approximately 5mm of height adjustability in its design. The range of possible weight that Silencer can support is quite extensive. We have heard sonic benefits supporting the Phono-1 phono stage, which is relatively light, through to the RG-1 record player, which is heavy.