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Compleate reviews of the Isofloat platform taken from Smarthouse magazine and HI-FI News magazine.

Smarthouse Magazine

December 2000

In these enlightened times, it's only old hippies that refer to vibrations as 'good'. But, while there's nothing we can do about the hippies, combating the source of quality audio just became a lot easier. STUART TEMPLAR samples true isolation.

As a society, we've advanced an awfully long way since the days when audio entertainment meant tuning in religiously to BBC news on a crackling crystal set. Our requirements have become far more refined and sound-interference has become less something we're content to put up with and more something that we refuse to stand for.

In direct response to this consumer demand for greater levels of audio excellence, manufacturers of high-performance audio equipment have worked tirelessly to reduce the unwanted side-effects often encountered with hi-fi equipment. However, once all parts are running with the quiet efficiency of a Swiss watch and the irksome sound colouration of the cumbersome wooden speaker cabinets has been eliminated using the latest in aluminium technology, there's still one problem to overcome: the distorting effects of internal and airbourne vibration.

To the uninitiated, this probably means very little, but to connoisseurs of sound, finding a way to reduce or even eradicate these effects can become akin to a personal Grail-quest. Fortunately though, help is at hand in the shape of Crystal Cloud's Isolation Platforms.

The area of isolation platforms, although probably unheard of in many quarters, has more than a handful of competing players. In the majority of cases however, the platforms are hideously overpriced in the hope that the desperate audiophile, convinced that this is the true path to much purer sound, will pay any price. And they often will. Enter Crystal Cloud, whose Isofloat platforms possess all the style and grace necessary for any living-space, combined with superior distortion reduction qualities, at a fraction of the price of the competition.

Made from cast acrylic and sitting on four vibration-absorbing feet, the review models passed the first test with flying colours: the wife / girlfriend factor. "Another box?" followed by a sigh, "What is it now?" The change in attitude once the platfrom had been freed from its wrappings was remarkable, proving that quality design is often the key to domestic bliss.

Aesthetics aside, the platform swiftly made its way under "The Foundation Shaker" and, with the bass cranked up, put to the test. Result? Instantly noticeable. Even the most sceptical of listeners would struggle to deny the difference in sound quality.

To many the first experience of DVD quality over VHS is a complete revolution, and the Isofloat has the same effect on audio perception.

As with all isolation platforms, the more you stack, the greater the reduction of vibration but - and I don't wish to point out any flaws in Crystal Cloud's business plan - one platform seemed to handle the vast majority of the problem for me. Well perhaps I need a more powerful hi-fi. Retailing at £120 each, these really are the cheapest and most efficient route to audio excellence.

STUART TEMPLAR

HI-FI News Magazine

November 2000

The principle of isolating a piece of audio equipment from its surroundings to improve its sonic performance is widely acknowleged, and there are a host of products available to perform this task. These range from sorbothane pads and cones of various materials to dedicated platforms and stands. The Isofloat isolation platform falls into the latter category.

It is made by a company called Crystal Cloud and consists of a platform made of 8mm cast acrylic which stands on four machined black cast acrylic feet. Within these is a floating elastomer suspension system. The external dimensions are 450x350x29mm (wdh) which fits under most standard equipment; other sizes are available to special order. Visually the Isofloat is self-effacing. Once it is installed beneath an ifem of hi-fi, the compact dimensions and the see-through sides of rhe platform make it almost disappear from sight, unlike some isolation platforms whose bulk can seem to dwarf the equipment that it is supporting. It feels very solid and I had no worries about putting quite bulky items, such as the TEAC VRDS10SE CD player on it. The manufacturer suggests that stacking two or three Isofloats increases the sonic performance of the unit resting on the top. With this in mind I tried the Isofloats both singly and in pairs. The changes to the sound coming from the speakers took a few moments to pinpoint. The immediate sensation was that the weight of the bass had altered. The lower regions seemed to extend slightly further, and there was a sensation of more room around each note.

Adding a second platform made these changes more obvious. Turntables are, if anything, more sensitive to external vibratory interference than CD players, so I soon moved the Isofloats underneath my Linn Sondek. The sonic effect was very similar to that experienced with the TEAC, except that some recording tended to display fractionally more surface noise than I was used to. This may be due to the improvements in low-frequency definition extending through the frequency range. However, I did not notice many changes to the higher registers.

The Sondek showed another idiosyncrasy of the Isofloat. When sitting on a Target wall stand the Isofloat performed satisfactorily. However, the same turntable-plus-platform combination was put on a large heavy sideboard, the turntable became hypersensitive to footfalls in the room - too heavy a step resulting in the pickup jumping out of the groove momentarily.

Suprisingly, removing the platforms solved the problem, at the expense of a less fulsome bass sound. In the right environment the Isofloat can bring positive changes to the sound of the system, but it cannot compensate for poorly sited equipment.

TONY BOLTON

Introduction page.

Why bother with vibration control ?

Isofloat isolation platform page.

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