Yin yang theory of turntable isolation

I have come up with this yin yang theory of turntable isolation and how it can affect sound quality.


In this previous post (click http://hi-fi-avenue.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-tweak-gel-isolation-platform.html) I revealed that my Rega turntable, which has no spring suspension, sounded better when placed on my DIY isolation platform made of gel packs and acrylic sheet.


However, when I had a Linn Sondek Majik LP12 for a week or so recently, I found out that a turntable with suspension like the Linn did not sound better with the gel isolation platform. In fact, it sounded worse.

The Linn Sondek Majik LP12 did not sound good on my DIY gel isolation platform.

Linn's advice is to place the LP12 on a light and rigid platform and I think that's pretty good advice.


The Linn sounded good when placed on an Ikea Lack table, but on the gel isolation platform, the treble was diminished and the sparkle in the music was gone. I even switched the acrylic sheet with a piece of plywood which made the sound even worse.


That was when I suddenly had this clarity of thought and came up with the yin yang theory of turntable isolation.


Yin yang is all about balance in nature.


From wikipedia: "In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other.


"Many natural dualities - e.g. dark and light, female and male, low and high, cold and hot - are thought of as manifestations of yin and yang (respectively).


"Yin yang are not opposing forces (dualities), but complementary opposites that interact within a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system. Everything has both yin and yang aspects as light cannot exist without darkness and vice-versa, but either of these aspects may manifest more strongly in particular objects, and may ebb or flow over time."


So my yin yang turntable isolation theory goes like this - it is all about hardness and softness.


The Rega turntable is 'hard' because it has no spring suspension. So placing it on a 'soft' isolation platform which has gel footers will enable it to perform well because the system is in balance.


However, the Linn is 'soft' because it has a spring suspension and placing it on a 'soft' isolation platform will make the system go off balance and the performance of the turntable will be affected and the sound quality will worsen.


Thus the 'soft' Linn has to be placed on a 'hard' platform. 'Hard' and 'soft' will work, but not 'hard' and 'hard' or 'soft' and 'soft'.


It's all about balance.