Esseci Design ISOL Coupling 8
[ English Presentation ]
by Thanasis Moraitis
The idea of using special devices to fight unwanted vibrations that interfere with the performance of high fidelity equipment is quite an old one. I have been a big proponent of that idea and have been using and still use all kinds of devices to eliminate the vibrations (self-made or outside sourced) from my equipment because, with them, I have witnessed more natural sound, less congestion and less sense of distortion. These devises include simple metallic cones, cones made out of Corian, cones that consist of two or three different materials, specialized elastic stiff or pliable footers made from sorbothane or other specialized highly absorptive materials, to more complex metal constructions like the Finite Elemente footers, the AKTYNA footers, the Frank Tchang Acoustic System footers, or even shelves like the British Townshend Seismic Sink platform or the USA made Symposium platform with Rollerblocks, plus the specialized audio racks from a bunch of manufacturers like (to mention a couple) the Greek Censo and Audio Design. Even though most of them have still a place in my system, I keep trying to find new, exciting and, most of all, more efficient designs that will enable my system to sound even more lifelike, more natural, with better dynamic contrasts, and if possible, less congested and with better defined 3D stereo image.
In the quest for a more efficient antivibration set-up I got from Mr. Sakis Hatzidimitriou of Sonus Hi-Fi company in Athens, a set of footers that are kind of unusual in the sense that they are adjustable as far as the weight capability per footer but not as far as the height. These are called Isol Coupling and are made in Trento, Italy, by Esseci Design, a company that beside these footers makes some very ingenious and effective platforms (as you will read below at the communication with the designer, and which I am very curious to test in the near future). The man behind the company is Mr. Silcvano Cremonesi, who has been involved in this type of business for quite a long time (more than 30 years!). Here is what the designer had to say about them:
“The idea behind Isol Coupling was to help any audio component — amplifier, turntable or CD player — reach its state of mechanical quietness as quickly as possible. Every object in vibration tends to prolong its motion; our goal was to create a device capable of bringing it back to stability in the shortest possible time.
The operating principle is based on resilience: instead of trying to “eliminate” vibration (which is impossible, as thermodynamics teaches us), Isol Coupling converts it into heat through the so-called Joule effect, expressed by the relation:
E=I2⋅R⋅t E=I2⋅R⋅t
where the residual mechanical energy is transformed into heat over time, helping to dissipate micro-vibrations and restore stillness to the system. Its dynamic behavior can be described, in simplified form, as a mass–spring–damper system
F=−kx−cx ˙F
F=−kx−cx˙
where the elastic force (–kx) and the damping force (–cẋ) work together to bring the component rapidly back to equilibrium.
Of course, this is a simplified synthesis of much more complex phenomena, whose full description would be far too elaborate for this context, but it helps convey the essence of the physical principle behind the system.This mechanism takes place thanks to the special geometry of the inclined cavities, which house our exclusive Memory Cyl® — the small colored capsules visible inside each unit.These are not commercial parts but elements made to our own specification, even carrying the Esseci Design logo. The inclination of the cavities is not random: their angle was determined through extensive testing and measurement to achieve maximum efficiency within the actual range of audio vibrations, which — though perceived as “low, mid and high” — physically spans a much broader frequency spectrum than most listeners realize. When a vibration occurs, the internal motion would normally lift the upper plate slightly; gravity, however, prevents this, forcing the Memory Cyl® elements to return immediately to their rest state, dissipating mechanical energy as heat and restoring stability to the component.If you wish to make a simple test, try pressing gently on the upper plate with your finger — you will feel it tending to rise, as if it were “breathing.” But once a component sits on top — and the system is constrained to remain perfectly parallel — that energy can no longer be released mechanically. It must therefore find another way, transforming itself and bringing the Memory Cyl® back to an organized state of quiet. From a listening perspective, Isol Coupling is not meant to add or subtract anything. It does not change the tonal balance or “color” the sound; it simply allows each component to perform exactly as it was designed — pure, natural, and authentic. Listeners often perceive a calmer, more focused presentation, with enhanced stability, detail and spatial definition. The story of Isol Coupling originates from an intuition many years ago, made possible today by long experimentation with materials.The Memory Cyl®, available in two colours and densities, are the result of this research — you can even feel the difference by touch.In its apparent visual simplicity, Isol Coupling hides a remarkable amount of study, calculation and testing. Behind every line and angle lie measurements, empirical trials and listening evaluations — nothing is left to chance.To achieve the best results, we recommend carefully following the instructions included in the package.They were defined to make full use of the system’s dynamic and dissipative properties, while knowing that every component and every listening environment is unique.
Our suggestions come from extensive testing and listening sessions, yet they remain subject to small variables, depending on the mechanical characteristics of each unit, the type of support, and the acoustic conditions of the room.It is also worth mentioning that Esseci Design has long designed products for other brands, putting its experience at the service of international partners.Recently, we developed and patented the world’s first audio stand achieving perfect stable balance on a SINGLE SPIKE ( AEQUILIBRIUM ), winner of the 1st Prize “Grand Prix” in Japan. A unique result that underlines how our company has always been a place devoted to research and experimentation.Thanks to this philosophy, our catalogue includes only components of genuine technical substance — perhaps discreet in appearance, but always justified by precise physical and functional reasoning.This does not directly concern Isol Coupling, but it helps to understand our approach: every detail has a reason, and every product is born from a coherent process of research. Thank you once again for your attention — and for listening carefully to what happens beneath the silence.” – Silcvano Cremonesi
Setting up and listening!
Setting up the Isol Coupling 8 is very easy. You chose the color (that sets the maximum weight the footer can handle) and the position under the equipment according to the type of footers and the weight of it. The included, in the very nice wooden box that comes with, instructions are very clear about it and the local importer is more than happy to help with advice. In the last year I have used the Isol Coupling 8 footers under quite few different components, like the phono stage DS 003 Equalizer of the superb optical cartridge from DS Audio, the AZOG V33 MC phono stage, two exquisite very low signal level handling pieces, some power supplies of some of my own design, plus lately, the Ideon Sigma USB Isolator, a digital device that includes an extremely low jitter clock and, again from Ideon Audio, under the Absolute E Meta DAC. In all of them I followed the importer’s advice and placed a relatively thin but stiff birch board shelf between the equipment’s feet and the Isol Coupling. The rest of the system consists of (my own design) server with MusiCHI player, my trusty passive preamp and a Purifi Eigentakt based power amplifier. The speakers are again my own design that I have used for the last 12 years. The interconnect cables are mostly silver based wires from AST, the speaker cables are from van den Hul and the power cables are a mix of vdH and Oyaide cables with Oyaide plugs.
The results from the use of Isol Coupling 8 under all the equipment I mentioned were consistent and kind of predictable. What I mean is that whenever I use high quality antivibration devices under my equipment I get the sense of lower noise floor (that results in more apparent detail content), deeper, more controlled and articulated bass with reduced booming and finer 3D image. The music seems to move more freely, with better rhythm and pace and more natural microdynamics. The biggest upgrade with the Isol Coupling 8 occurred in the low and mid low frequency region as the resulting sound was definitely more detailed and distinct with crisper defined wave fronts, something that made the sound quite more natural.
Summary.
The use of the Isol Coupling 8 footers clearly had a positive effect on the sound quality of my system. Based on my observations, the ease of use, the high quality of looks and finish, plus the scientifically documented thought that comes with them, will probably result in getting higher sound quality from your existing hi end equipment. It is definitely a very serious contender in the high-end category as they are successfully designed to get rid of the damaging vibrations without altering the basic sound character of your system. Highly recommended!
Official Web of Esseci Design: www.essecidesign.it
Distribution in Greece & Retail
Sonus Hi-Fi
