Vibrapod
I was tempted to try this cheap trick that has every audiophile talking. At S$45 per set (of four), this is not exactly expensive tweak, may just up my system performance into the realms of more audio vocabulary - more this and more that.

So, I purchased a set of model 3 to try out. At first, I had the pre-amp in mind, which I should have chosen model 2, as it’s lighter but I reckoned a model 3 was a safer bet because I could use it under my power amps as well in this experimental stage.

UNDER Power amp
Getting all excited, I placed the four feets underneath my left VTL MB-125 mono-blocks, two on each side. I listened for any changes to the sound. Just like my first experience with DH Cones when I first put it on, the difference was apparent. The most noticeable was in the bass area. The bass was now rounder, fatter and the depth of the soundstage got extended somewhat (due to the better defined bass). That was just on my left power amp. I wonder if I can double that if I have had 2 sets of model 3. I listened for a good hour or so to see if there were other improvement. Nothing else.

Meltdown
Day 2. I took out the feets and wanted to try it on my pre-amp. While removing the vibrapods, I felt a layer of moisture (a tad greasy) on the top of the pods. Had the tubes fried the vinyl? I smell nothing unusual but while cleaning the moisture off the pods, there was a slight hint that some chemical reaction did happen during the process. The Vibrapod manual did state that the pods would leave marks on paint or acrylic surfaces and could stand temperatures up to 50 - 100 degrees ferenhite. I was not sure if my tubes did go beyond the heat but it was clear never place the pods directly under hot power amps.

UNDER pre-amp
So, my VTL TL2.5 got lifted next with the large DH Cones removed. Due to its lighter weight, I placed a half inch MDF board underneath the pre-amp and with the vibrapods supporting the pre-amp and the MDF (as per recommendation from the instruction). The total loading should now be optimized for model 3 (which is 8 - 12 pounds). I listened to a variety of disks from bass heavy ones to light weighted ones. Hmm.. the difference was NOT obvious. Perhaps, a model 2 placed directly underneath the pre-amp could yield better results.

UNDER Transport
A week later... Due to the high built-in spikes of my CEC TL2, I had to use the sandwich method again to support the transport. I tried separately the MDF and then an equal sized acrylic (also half inch thick) supporting the transport and the pod underneath the component shelf. Comparing the effects of using jumbo DH Cones, using the pod with MDF sounds gave me a more neutral sound. It was warmer and perhaps a hint muddle. Using the acrylic with the pod, believe it or not, I felt that the soundstage had shrunk in height. The acrylic worked the opposite of the MDF, it was non-natural sounding and the music became draggy and s-l-o-w. I was not sure why this was so but I gave the acrylic a second chance and a third but it turned out the same. In fact, I love the acrylic look, its stylish and classy (I admire those BASIS turntable) but it just didn't jive with any other components of mine. I have had since tried it on the power amps and the pre-amp. I got the same negative result.

Pods Vs Cones

From my weeks of usage and fiddling, I felt that the pods worked the opposite of cones. Cones sharpen the image; increase the speed; produce ounce of detail and excite the music. Pods slow things down; soften the edges (remove stings) and relax the music. Like the preset image settings of color TV, you have a choice of Dynamic or Standard or Mild. With dynamic , images are high contrasting and colours ever so bright but in the mild mode, the TV images are gentle (although not as sharp) but easy on the eyes. The pods worked best when placed directly under the equipment (I confirm this) and would work better if you replaced the stock feet with it (the manual says this). You'll need to unscrew the stock feet, invert the vibrapod and screw it as the new feet. The pods are also better than cones in securing the equipment to the shelf as the pod grip better to the shelf.

In terms of sonic experiences and balancing, a combination of cones and pods would do better, although, I must admit, I didn't realize the greater effects of the pods that so many audio equipment mags raved about. But at S$45, what the heck!

So, are you porting?