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Do you love music and movies? Sure - who doesn’t? If you are like so many of us, you’ve occasionally considered an upgrade to your system performance in order to improve your movie and music - maybe a new pair of speakers, or a better music streamer, adding a subwoofer or two, etc.  Yet one of the most cost-effective system upgrades that you can make is one that even seasoned music and movie fans often forget about: more effectively isolating your existing speakers and audio/video components from vibration. 

The better your home theater or two-channel system, the more bass-capable it usually is. One of the main differences between most entry-level bookshelf speakers and a top-of-the-line tower is the better ability of the superior product to produce clean, powerful, rich bass.  

The issue is that those clean, powerful bass notes produce vibrating energy. That bass slam in your music, or explosive movie energy, is a good thing - but it needs to be dissipated somehow. If not, it generates vibrations in your electronics, feeding the music’s energy back into your system. That can blur the impact of the clear and undistorted audio you want.  

It’s no wonder that, for example, a high-end turntable or CD player almost always has a robust chassis construction compared to its entry-level brethren. Isolating the turntable or CD player’s sonic performance from the vibrations from the system as it makes music is key to hearing clear, lifelike music. The same goes for a quality equipment rack. 

The good news is that you don’t have to replace all your speakers and components in order to get better system isolation. Since patenting their first product in 2010, the folks at IsoAcoustics have been making isolation products that help ensure your components are less subject to vibration. As IsoAcoustics says, “…allowing music enthusiasts to experience a higher level of clarity and openness. IsoAcoustics Home Audio products combine extraordinary acoustic performance with elegant visual designs”. 

IsoAcoustics has patented a number of its product designs, and fans of many of our best-selling speakers and component brands have been enjoying IsoAcoustics products for years. Let’s take a look at some popular products from this talented company. 

1) IsoAcoustics Iso-Puck Series Acoustic Isolators (Iso-Puck Mini, 6 lbs max/Unit, 8-Pack) are energy-absorbing feet that can be used to replace the footers commonly found on speakers and audio components such as turntables and amplifiers. They are designed to occupy the space between the product and its supporting surfaces, such as the floor or a shelf in your audio rack.  

An upper suction cup adheres to the product surface. A lower cup adheres to the supporting surface (floor or shelf). Energy can dissipate through the Puck, rather than feeding back into the speaker or component.  

2) ISO-Stands are very popular for speakers and are available in a series of sizes. The IsoAcoustic Aperta series speaker stands as an upgrade from the high-impact ABS construction of the ISO Stands, both in aesthetic appearance and sonic performance.  Aperta’s cast aluminum frame is more rigid to better manage vibrations and features a superior isolator, which is better at diffusing energy. Once you have decided on a speaker and determined the weight and dimensions, it’s easy to find the right stand, as there are different stands for heavier and larger ones.  

3) Also very popular are the zaZen Series of isolation platforms. These are most often used for turntables and other source components. They feature a dense fiber construction, covered by a nice-looking medium gloss black finish. Isolators are integrated into this solid base and are very absorptive of energy that would otherwise disrupt your music.  A tiny stylus in a tiny record groove has little room for error! Using either zaZen I or zaZen II will result in a lower noise floor and increased musical clarity. 

4) Gaia speaker isolators are intended to replace the standard feet that are attached to so many speakers and subwoofers. This spring-damper system decouples energy and results in a tighter, more focused, more accurate bass sound from your speakers. Additionally, the midrange can improve and sound cleaner, as less distortion from the woofers can have an audible effect on the midrange notes just above the bass.

To sum up: what are the benefits of improved system isolation, especially with loudspeakers and subwoofers? The first is simple: tighter, more realistic-sounding bass notes. If you’ve ever been to a concert where the bass and kick drum seemed to mash together into an indistinguishable blur of low-end energy, where you were unable to distinguish the bass from the kick drums and floor toms, you’ll know what we mean. 

A second benefit is a better, more three-dimensional soundstage. We don’t want our systems to sound like box speakers, but rather, we’d like to have the sonic image sound more like the band is playing live in front of you. Improved isolation can help. A complementary benefit is clearer, cleaner midrange notes - again, likely because of reduced distortion in the bass range.  

We hope you have the opportunity to try some IsoAcoustic isolation technology upgrades in the near future. They can be a cost-effective way to more deeply enjoy your music and movie experience.