With so many options available for equipment supports, ranging from cheap 'squash balls' to very expensive machined alloy models, why should you choose Russ Andrews Cone Feet?
The importance of coupling
One reason why your system can sound artificial and flat is because of its support. Acoustic feedback, in the form of mechanical vibrational energy, is generated when your system is playing. It's caused by things such as CD transports moving, transformers in equipment working, and even the sound from your loudspeakers. This energy can feedback into your system's electronic components; these components are microphonic and and produce small electrical signals in response. They mix with the audio signal and pollute it, creating a change in tone and - most destructively - time delay or 'smear'.
This delay completely destroys the rhythm and timing of music, making it sound flat, dull and uninteresting. And here's the killer: using traditional isolation methods makes the situation worse because this acoustic energy gets trapped - it can't escape because it's isolated. Yes, this method helps to stop vibration travelling into components via the rack or shelves it is sitting on, but it doesn't prevent acoustic feedback entering the system via the room. What isolation does do, however, is to prevent any of this energy escaping.
To help stop this energy affecting your system's sound, the easiest thing you can do is to fit wooden cone feet to your equipment.
At the same time, the angle of the cone has been designed so that vibrational energy struggles to travel up from the tip - that's why we advise fitting the cones facing down towards the floor.
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Why wood?
Hard materials work the best at channelling energy out of your equipment: steel, aluminium, titanium, stainless steel, brass, ceramics and wood have all been used. These materials all sound different and Russ has tested all of them - wood clearly came out on top. It distorted the sound the least and its sonic character was the most natural.
Where can I use Cone Feet?
All equipment that needs supporting will benefit if you use Cone Feet. Use them under your CD or DVD player, your amplifiers and TV screens... even your loudspeakers. The bigger the cone, the more effective it is at channelling energy away from your equipment and the larger the improvement.
How do I fit them?
Cone Feet can simply be placed point down under your equipment. The weight of the equipment will hold them in place; just make sure the cones lift your equipment clear of their existing feet. For best results, glue them securely in place or bolt them to your casework. There are a number of different fixing options available, depending on the size of Cones you opt for: see them all here. If you're limited for space around the existing feet, use them point up - you won't get the full effect but it's still better than isolation.
Which size do I go for?
We have four sizes of Cone Feet: Jumbo, Big, Small and Mini. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the cone feet the better the performance. We recommend that you Use Big or Jumbo Cone Feet on equipment. Some people find that the Small Cone Feet look best on bookshelf speakers or for smaller Hi-Fi systems.
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Use three feet!
Why use three feet? Stability is very important and when equipment is supported on three points, no rocking will occur, even if one point is higher or lower than the others. That's precisely why camera tripods have three legs! Compare it with equipment with four feet - your CD player, amp or turntable can, and will, rock from one corner to the other. Even if this rocking is very small, the impact on reproduced sound is large.
Squash balls are for playing squash with!
Don't use rubber balls under your equipment! Don't be tempted to cut squash balls in half and use them underneath your equipment. Rubber isn't very good at channelling energy; it simply stores it. The destructive effect on sound quality is enormous and it increases 'time smear' and changes the balance of the sound to a slow, boomy bass heaviness.
Don't just take our word for it...
Mr Steele of Middlesex said:
"I bought the cones and suddenly the sound quality improved dramatically. In ten years of CD development the biggest increase in sound quality has been made by changing the feet..."
And here's Mr S Dixon of Cheshire:
"...instantly the whole sound had more sparkle to it, toe tappingly good... the voices in particular soared clear of murk, full of life and vitality. There was greater attack with guitars, drums had more power and body to them yet were detailed and intimate."
Mr Gill dropped us an email:
"I have just put large Oak Cone feet under my CD player - the difference is really a bit scary. I am going to have to reassess every CD I own."
And, finally, Neville Roberts of Hi-Fi Choice gave our Jumbo Cone Feet a Five Star review:
"I found the sound became cleaner, more dynamic and musical", he says, and concludes that "they represent a great value upgrade".
So what are you waiting for?
Order a set of Cone Feet to fit under your CD or DVD player and immediately start to enjoy the improvements. Or, better still order two sets - one for your CD player and one for your amplifier!
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