I tried the Isonoe feet but really didn't like them, not because they sounded worse but because they changed the feel of the table. I come from a DJ background so I am very used to the solid feel of the stock feet. The Isonoes are very bouncy, which may help with vibration control but if you tend to touch your turntable like I do it made it feel unstable. In the brief time I had them I had more problems with footfall vibrations too, I'm sure I could have worked that out in time but I felt like I was spending money to solve a problem I didn't have, so I returned them.
I had the reverse experience, stock feet were susceptible to vibrations, and the Isonoe's fixed it. But if you're still using your 1200's for DJ purposes then I can see why you would send it back.
I don't DJ anymore, my 1210 is set-up strictly for listening. But old habits are hard to break, so I still use my table like I did as a DJ. For example, I always, always drop the needle by hand, the cue lever is something I never think of. And I go back and forth with having my table oriented "battle style", which means the tonearm is opposite me instead of to my right. Something that I got used to over many years of spinning records and it still feels right.
I must offer acknowledgement and my humble appreciation to @Leonthepro for teaching me a lesson about confirmation bias. When I made the before-and-after samples, the differences between them were crystal clear to me. Each upgrade sounded definitively better, and I couldn't understand why others were saying that they sounded the same. When Leon "hid" the files' identities and reposted them, I accepted the challenge of blindly ID'ing them. Hmmm, now they did all sound pretty similar. I think I correctly picked out the "unmodded" file, but the other two (stock wires vs. re-wired) were very similar, and it was really hard to determine which one was which. I even went back and listened to my original labeled files, but that didn't help much. This has been a very illuminating experience. Now I know that confirmation bias is a very real thing and that I am susceptible to it. The table still sounds good to me though.
I just purchased the Achromat 5mm mat and it's a massive improvement. I also highly recommend KABs dampener.
I agree but, as @deconsmack said above, the damper absolutely does something that has to have a positive impact on the sound. It may not just be as audible on the track you chose. I am still considering getting it because I have my big speakers very close to my table and it's in a cabinet that cannot be isolated with additional wood boards, Vibrapods, etc.
Based on my recent experience, I've concluded that the damper is a positive addition. Like I said, of the three samples presented in the blind test, I'm pretty sure I correctly picked out which one is the stock arm. One of the three sounded different from the others, not in a good way.
Anyone experiencing static build up with there Achromat? Mines building massive amounts. My previous mat was the opposite.
I've confirmed the benefits of the damper via being able to play two albums of mine which have a serious skip - I even added damping to my VPI Classic at one point and that allowed both records to play - no longer skipping. I've confirmed the Isonoes via a smartphone seismic app - seeing major difference in vibration with music playing at a certain volume on the plinth vs the shelf that the deck was sitting on. Vibrations entering the plinth were minimized. That is enough for me to accept that these two "upgrades" are improvements over what I had before.
Some very interesting and very different responses here regarding the Isonoe feet, of which I've been using on my GR since new. I recently added a pair of subs to my system and was having a heck of a time nailing down a nasty feedback loop through the TT at high volumes. Nothing was helping much including moving the subs, adding better iso feet to them, moving the TT, mounting the TT on a wall shelf, playing with different headshells, even adding a dreaded subsonic filter. Well, one day I looked at the Isonoe feet and thought - no way things would improve if I swapped them out for the stock Technics feet, they've just got to be doing more good than harm. But since it was basically the only variable I had left to try, I reluctantly swapped for the stock feet and holy moly the feedback was finally gone. I could retire the subsonic filter and enjoy the deep bass again!
Battle style! What mixer were you using with your 1210 back in the day? It seems like you aren't alone with unsatisfactory results with the Isonoe feet. This is strange. In theory, the Isonoe should provide better isolation, do you have an extra layer of butcher block underneath your GR?
I’m not exactly sure. The best way I can describe it is a rubberized felt. It’s also rigid, unlike the regular A23 mat.
Maybe it's a wool/rubber blend. I've written in the past, concerning static from mats,about a mat I have that eliminates static. I've called it felt but I think I'm in error. It might be a wool blend of some sort. I got it in an estate sale on a Pioneer PL-560 so I have no idea what it is composed of. Anytime I want to tame down a static charged record I'll use that mat or at least clean it with a brush on that mat before playing on a rubber or other mat on a different TT. It's the only thing that's worked for me in the never ending static battle. I wish somebody could reverse engineer it for me so I could find more of those mats.
I’ve gone back and forth on whether to consider the Isonoe feet, and, yeah, this thread hasn’t clarified it for me at all! May end up being one of those “try it yourself and see” upgrades...
My current setup. I have an OG SL1200. I added a Zupreme headshell (highly recommend). I use a 'corkstone' mat that I really like. I rewired the tonearm and upgraded the RCAs myself which was another huge improvement in quality. I added heatshrink tubing to the tonearm and placed cotton in it to dampen it (the cotton came with the KAB 'kit' when I bought it). For my feet, I bought Nobsound spring feet which I love. I can stomp my feet immediately adjacent to the stand I keep my turntable on and I can't hear a thing. Keeps tracking like a champ. Very highly recommend them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K9ZYP84/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Next upgrades are going to be the fluid dampener and I may eventually put a new Jelco tonearm on if I can figure out how to install it myself. Would love to hear input on how much a $600-$800 tonearm actually improves performance.
^^ Those Nobsound sprung footers remind me of those crazy-ass west coast low riders (not a bad thing!).
Spoiler I don't know which is which 'cause i didn't listen the original sample but there is a difference between Z and X. Z sounds better IMO and the difference is not small is big ( to my ears) 1)Z Fuller 2)Y 3)X Thin&Harsh
