If you already have a solid speaker stand, then these ISO-PUCKS won’t really move the needle. Published January 2018. For testing, I used three Iso-Pucks under each of my Neumann KH310A monitors (which sit on the top of a rack upstand on my mastering desk and weigh 13kg each.

And, the newly released OREA isolator pods are now also gaining positive review … All the energy is managed within the core of the ISO-PUCK’s isolators which are carefully tuned to provide superior isolation and control while remaining on-axis.”.

Either way, I usually tend to remain oblivious to the deleterious effects that air and floor-borne resonances can have on the sound of my new gear. My Vegh recording can't be regarded as harsh.

That is until I power things up and the sound I hear induces a sense of unease. DJ and Production Gear. After blowing through your project budget, you opt-in for a less-than-ideal IKEA Desk that’s sturdy enough to make some moves. Bass was also more distinct and defined with the pods than without them. IsoAcoustics Inc. has its head office in Ontario (footnote 1) and its manufacturing facilities in China, and is headed by Dave Morrison, who for 20 years has been involved in designing radio and television studios for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In short, the quality of your monitors have been compromised, as the vibrations from your system interacts with the surface of your desktop.

For heavier components, the OREA Bordeaux that can support 14.5 kgs per puck is a no-brainer for big power amps.

Briefly recapping the Spendor review: I heard a full, rich and natural sound from the Classic 1/2 but precision from the D7.2 whose taught bass and better-extended treble connotes more of a live feel. I also envision these ISO-PUCKS coming into play for more novelty purposes with on-the-road DJs or performers to throw 8 or so pucks into a bag or trusty tech toolkit – when live events are back for good (post-rona).

DJ and Production Gear.

The effect, in my experience, is less pronounced but still very worthwhile under pre and power amps.

A conscious choice because it's a very long track, Dylan's Sad Eyed Lady affords ample time to listen and make notes.

Fluid Audio SRI-2 Audio Interface Review: A Great Addition To Any Home Studio. He and I were in total agreement that resonances plague a turntable more than any other component. Switching to vinyl, the track gained immeasurably more detail, air and transparency. Hifi Review - Dan Worth takes a look at the IsoAcoustics Orea Pucks designed to help isolate your equipment from unwanted vibrations. Prior to the testing, I have my Yamaha HS5 Active Studio Monitors resting on some Auralex Acoustics styrofoam pads and a pair of speaker stands. Replacing them with the Iso-Pucks (two at the front corners and one in the middle at the back) not only looks much better, but I found the system sounded a little better — there was a small but definitely repeatable improvement in the low-end clarity. Next vinyl track to get the OREA treatment was Dylan’s 'Sad Eyed Lady' From The Lowlands recorded on LP and SACD. However, there may be a specific bandwidth in which the ISO-PUCKS are truly effecting the sound quality itself. I'll be using my pair for all my future desktop speaker reviews since they've proven to be just the thing to get speakers positioned so they can sound their best. With only two sets of OREA pods on hand, I decided the greatest sonic gains were to be had using a pair under the turntable and the other under each CD player employed at the time. Nevertheless, the only reason I could see for not having the logo facing front would be if there was a desire to hide it, in which case rotating the Puck to put the logo at the back would maintain the front-back axis anyway. The isoAcoustic isolator pods are easily recommendable. By Magnetic. Ujin Kim. StereoNET (Australia) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media Group (Australia). One of the veterans of the Australian HiFi industry, Peter was formerly the Audio-Video Editor of the Herald Sun for over two decades.

No comparison.

I loved the change up in terms of aesthetics, making my workstation area look more sleek and professional.

The difference they make is more audible used under signal sources than placed under any other component.

The arrival of IsoAcoustic’s OREA Series equipment isolators is a timely reminder of my gran’s sage advice to me as a boy. Win! Get Magnetic Ad-Free for 30 Days. These pucks are cleverly designed isolation tools to eliminate the transfer of energy from your speakers to the surface of your workstation or desktop. IsoAcoustics does have history. Our publication is supported by its audience.

Particularly when I’m hankering for a component upgrade which is often, or dreaming of a complete system upgrade, which is less than often.

Loudspeaker Decoupler . Upon disassembling the ISO-PUCKS, I discovered a correlation between the decoupling component within the device and what you may find in standard industrial stud isolators used in construction – mainly for floorboards when building new foundations. Review: Kanto Audio TUK Speakers. The benefits of having them under my signal sources are audible as are the gains in clarity, air and focus.

His fix, in the days before products such as IsoAcoustics OREA footers hit the market, was ingenious but vandalous. However, I was unable to detect any obviously different compliance behaviour when exerting forces on the Puck in either direction. These evil vibrations are a by-product of speakers exciting plaster walls, windows, floorboards, equipment racks and equipment. Approached methodically rather than emotionally, the OREA isolator pods are a hell of an audio bargain and can be warmly recommended. Intrigued, I took out the OREAs and replaced them with Norstone supports. If this reminds you of the methodology, or lack of, running rampant in the audio cable market, you’d be right. Each OREA Indigo puck costs just $99 RRP, while the OREA Bordeaux is $129 RRP. But I reasoned that violins naturally have a sharp resonant edge, and I wanted to hear if the pods boosted the instrument's upper frequencies.

www.isoacoustics.com. Sign up to discover the best news and review from StereoNET in our FREE Newsletter. The result floored me. They are an elegant and simple solution if you’re in need of acoustic isolation, but I don’t think it’s a cure-all solution. Join Today. All Rights Reserved.

The ISO-PUCK series come in three sizes in Mini, Standard, and a *brand-new* jumbo edition (ISO-PUCK 76). I also tried Iso-Pucks under my huge PMC IB1s (which weigh 36kg each), which normally sit on very heavy shot-filled metal stands, secured with Blu-Tack.

He’s now a freelance audio producer and writer. Which is why I’m excited to share my experience checking out the IsoAcoustics ISO-PUCKS Series.

But in the interest of balance, along with the greater clarity, I also heard slightly brighter high frequencies. When I say solid wood I mean Walnut and Maple spanning 455 x 380mm up to 560 x 405mm in size. The two player’s neutrality and transparency, along with an ability to drill deep into SACD and CDs to extract alarming amounts of detail, provided an ideal platform for the pods. This isn’t as facile as some might imagine. Speakers wired to this gear were the Wilson Audio Sasha. The Reviewer. In terms of construction, the top disc is fixed to a black anodised aluminium ring, which sits over a smaller silver aluminium ring to which is attached the bottom disc.

Sure enough, the sound became smoother and the treble less pronounced. Whenever I was getting a little ahead of myself, she’d pull me up and say, “Kiddo, the pot’s boiling but the pig’s still on the mountain.”. Whatever the source, these vibrations arrive at my equipment and will linger there degrading the integrity of the sound unless they’re attended to. Accessory Review Delos Isolation Shelf From IsoAcoustics ... the new models combine both IsoAcoustics’ patented isolation technology with a sort of butcher block presentation of solid wood. This cunning arrangement gives excellent stability to the complete system; the speaker cannot be accidentally knocked off the Pucks, and neither will the Pucks slide off the mounting surface (assuming both the speaker cabinet and mounting surface are flat and clean). The moment you place your monitors on your desktop, you don’t realize that the desk on which the monitors are placed have in-adherently become a part of the speaker cabinet. It’s ideal for studio producers that primarily have their speakers on a desktop or workstation… and if this is you, I don’t miss a beat and check these puckers out.