Ikea Chopping Board for Turntable Isolation?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DJtheAudiophile, Oct 24, 2018.

  1. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    A old telephone table sounds like a bad foundation for a turntable, you really need to consider a basic well designed Hi-FI rack.
     
    luckybaer and F1nut like this.
  2. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Ah, I didn't set it up as a triangle. I'll try that.

    Meaning it's a 111 year old house with wood floors. The house itself is uneven, from a century+ of settling. So I would have to rebuild the entire floor to address it. The turntable itself is level due to adjustable feet. This is a less than ideal setup, I know. I'm not worried about footfalls so much, just focusing the sound as much as possible. I generally won't be playing records when people are walking around.
     
  3. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    In the mid 80's I worked part-time for a Linn dealer, my job was to go to the installation and ensure the room was OK.

    Whilst the 'expert' set up the deck I would tackle the floor, most houses were over 100 years old and I'd ensure all floorboard were secure, and due to historical movement the joists had no movement. Floorboards up and a wedge under the joist, where it went in to the wall would solve almost any room. The first test would be jump as high as possible and land as close as possible to the table and there should be no apparent effect on the LP12 and then listen to ensure it sounded like a LP12 fronted system

    On average you'd get 4 hours of our time, if a partner was their I also had to act as a UN negotiator.

    If there are footfall problem playing music will still degrade the sound.
     
    Leviethan likes this.
  4. 808_state

    808_state ヤマハで再生中

    Like Pastafari pizza-pieonye stylee seen' said it should float freely...the rack beneath needs to be stable.
     
    Pastafarian likes this.
  5. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    LOL, Pastafari pizza-pieonye stylee, love it.
     
    808_state likes this.
  6. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Yeah, but it probably won’t make much of a difference if the floor is janky. Should I walk mount it? I doubt my wife would agree to that.
     
  7. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    I presume you mean wall mount and yep that's a good solution when a floor is beyond redemption, for a small fee I'm available as a UN facilitator.

    Even with a wall shelf the type of isolation already mentioned is advisable, normally there's enough energy in the wall to move air in the next room.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2018
    Leviethan likes this.
  8. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    It would reduce the amount of energy going in to your floor and therefore in to your system, which is a good thing.

    However I've used roller blocks under my speakers, this converts mechanical energy in to heat during the movement and improves the sound. Now place a Bamboo shelf on top of the roller blocks and the sound is adversely effected.

    It's a balance between trying to stop energy entering your equipment whilst trying to drain energy from your speaker.

    If you've still got your DIY roller blocks, just try playing around with the 2 options but given they're DIY their ability to support something relatively heavy could be a issue.

    A tip a good lubricant like Silicone will reduce friction and therefore your balls will become more effective (don't tell your wife).
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2018
    HiFi Guy 008 and Leviethan like this.
  9. skads_187

    skads_187 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I've had the Ikea bamboo board sitting around for awhile, just ordered the vibrapods model 3.
    I have an Rega P3, so interested to see what difference it will make. According to some posts in this thread it indeed does since this is a lightweight TT.
    Plus it didn't cost all that much either.
     
  10. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Beware of Vibrapods. They perform adequate isolation, but they also permanently stain most surfaces on which they’re placed.

    The Rega P3 is designed to work best when its stock feet are on a rock-solid table, rack or wall shelf. If the cabinet, rack or shelf on which your P3 is currently sitting is vibrating or resonating in some way, the best course of action is to take steps to stop that vibration first.

    Placing a P3 on a bamboo board that is itself sitting on Vibrapods creates an installation that is less stable. Again, a P3 needs a rock-solid platform, Vibrapods allow a lot of micro movement.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.
  11. skads_187

    skads_187 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Im a bit confused, is it mainly the vibrapods that is the issue? Ive read quite a few here mention using the ikea board with isolation pads (ie some with vibrapods) and suggested they saw an improvement.

    I dont think I have terrible vibrations to rectify, just wanted to get it more sturdy since the plinth is very light (as Ive read suggestions on this as well). Should I be using something else?
     
  12. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    The plinth is supposed to be light - it is fundamental to the Rega turntable design and works admirably well to dissipate and/or avoid resonance. The most expensive and successful Rega turntable designs are even lighter than the P3. Whatever - it’s a very good turntable.

    Yes - the problem is the Vibrapods. They can act as isolators but they’re also flexible. Flexibility implies movement. If your P3 is already sitting on a rack, cabinet or shelf that is rigid and that is not noticeably resonating, you do not have a problem to solve. Adding three or four vibrapods and an Ikea board effectively creates a short stack. A stack of things is inherently less stable, not more sturdy, compared to the P3 on an already solid rack, table or shelf.

    Again, you are far better off taking some time to damp whatever minor vibrations or resonances can be felt in the rack, cabinet or shelf when music is playing.
     
  13. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    Instead of the Ikea Aptitlig chopping board, you can also use a Uturn Special under your turntable:

    [​IMG]

    :biglaugh::biglaugh:
     
    Stone Turntable likes this.
  14. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I tried the same combo on Music Hall 7.3 some time ago and found that board by itself works better. I was stupid to buy them (after reading some hoopla; good thing they are cheap) instead of sorbotane-cork feet I got from "butcher block platform" maker for free. In both cases block itself worked better.
    Now I am using Symposium Acoustics Segue, and IMHO it also works just fine without any feet.
     
    E.Baba likes this.
  15. cjc

    cjc Senior Member

    Anyone used Navcom isolation pads and do they really work better than Vibrapods ? I read somewhere they outperformed Vibrapods and other such materials.
     
  16. E.Baba

    E.Baba Forum Resident

    Thankyou.
    I have a Music Hall 7. and an IKEA board sitting here for setup.
    Thanks for sharing your experience.
     
  17. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    In fact Symposium Acoustic itself does not recommend rubber or sorbotane or similar feet under their platforms. Dunno if their logic applies to wood, and I have a super solid floor with zero footfall issues, so your experience may be different.
     
  18. mbg

    mbg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I’ve just been using a couple drones to keep my tt airborne while spinning. Works great for isolation and I can fly the tt to my listening chair for record flips.
     
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  19. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    You just triggered a memory of a dream I must have had within the past couple of nights.

    I dreamed that I had a red U-Turn Orbit stashed away, and in the dream I remembered owning it and thought "I should set it up and see what it sounds like."

    (IRL I have never owned a U-Turn, and if I did, I would have bought a green one.)
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2020
    hifisoup likes this.
  20. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    hehe nice, that means it's the turntable of your dreams! Literally! :goodie:
     
  21. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    :laugh:
     
  22. E.Baba

    E.Baba Forum Resident

    I was previously running IKEA block with sorbothane under heavy old JVC DD on suspended timber floor.

    Now have a concrete slab floor and the Music Hall so different in all aspects. Slipping a little rubber under there will be an easy test but will keep your comments in mind.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.
  23. sound chaser

    sound chaser Senior Member

    Location:
    North East UK.
    Can't believe it's taken me nearly 2 years to see your post :), but you are absolutely right about Lack. I got the larger version for audio/visual gear then supplemented with 3 tables, one of which I cut down as a tv monitor riser and two for the turntable, using the top only from one with the obligatory 18" 2/3 full inner tube 'sandwiched'.

    [​IMG]
     
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  24. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    Beautiful setup - the lady of the house would be pleased with this design I would think.
    Clean, white, unmessy (just tidy those CDs away) and with fair dash of straight up style. :righton:
     
    sound chaser likes this.
  25. The Curator

    The Curator Forum Resident

    I'm all for the DIY solution like the chopping board. There's no point paying hundreds of pounds for a branded "hi-fi" product.

    My personal preference has been a Bradstone concrete slab, painted in a black silk. With the Townshend Rock's gyproc and steel sitting on top of it, you wouldn't want to drop them on your foot.
     
    candyflip69 likes this.

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