Symposium Rollerblocks UPDATE

[killerkowalczyk]

Well I made a post before letting you guys know that I was going to purchase some Rollerblocks form Symposium Acoustics ( <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com">www.symposiumusa.com</A> )and I told you that I would review them and let you know how they performed on my system.

My system is comprised of a pair of DIII's on a pair of DIY stands, Toshiba DVD/CD/MP3 player, AMC 3150a (solid state 150wpc integrated) amp, and a Panamax 5300 power conditioner all on a DIY built audio rack.

I purchased a set of Rollerblock Jr.s ( <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/rbjr.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/rbjr.html</A> ), a set of point pods ( <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/PointPodLarge.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/PointPodLarge.html</A> ), and a set of Rollerblock Series 2+ ( <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/rollerblocks.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/rollerblocks.html</A> )

The Rollerblock series 2+ were placed beneath my cd player and the point pods were placed directly below the Rollerblocks, the Rollerblock jr.s were placed beneath my AMC 3150a. I used to have set of Puresonic spikes underneath these things.

Here are the results:

PROS:

-bass is slightly tighter while maintaining low frequency extension and speakers can be driven a bit harder

-mids remained generally the same, no notable differnces

-highs are slightly crisper and high frequncy was added,

-vibration/jitter form my cd player while cds were playing were reduced and therefore not as loud

-imaging was decent before and my spikes were an improvement from stock feet but these Rollerblocks image like a motherf###er and help the speakers perform a dissappearing act, they vanish during some songs!

-speakers became slightly more dynamic/efficient

-all of these things have helped my system sound more musical and more realistic, ive never heard an acoustic guitar sound so good on my system before

CONS:

-EXPENSIVE but will last forever and are a decent upgrade, possibly equal to getting the next step up to a bette cd player and amp

-very very hard to set up due to there function

This was a review I posted to help people learn about a product they may or may not have, hopefully it was of help. I dont want people calling me crazy because they really did make slight improvements.

KillerKowalczyk

<A HREF="mailto:killerkowalczyk@hotmail.com">killerko walczyk@hotmail.com</A>

[envisionelec]

> Well I made a post before letting you guys
> know that I was going to purchase some
> Rollerblocks form Symposium Acoustics (
> <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com">www.symposiumusa.com</A> )and I told you that I
> would review them and let you know how they
> performed on my system.

> My system is comprised of a pair of DIII's
> on a pair of DIY stands, Toshiba DVD/CD/MP3
> player, AMC 3150a (solid state 150wpc
> integrated) amp, and a Panamax 5300 power
> conditioner all on a DIY built audio rack.

> I purchased a set of Rollerblock Jr.s (
> <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/rbjr.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/rbjr.html</A> ), a
> set of point pods (
> <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/PointPodLarge.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/PointPodLarge.html</A>
> ), and a set of Rollerblock Series 2+ (
> <A HREF="http://www.symposiumusa.com/rollerblocks.html">http://www.symposiumusa.com/rollerblocks.html</A>
> )

> The Rollerblock series 2+ were placed
> beneath my cd player and the point pods were
> placed directly below the Rollerblocks, the
> Rollerblock jr.s were placed beneath my AMC
> 3150a. I used to have set of Puresonic
> spikes underneath these things.

> Here are the results:

> PROS:

> -bass is slightly tighter while maintaining
> low frequency extension and speakers can be
> driven a bit harder

> -mids remained generally the same, no
> notable differnces

> -highs are slightly crisper and high
> frequncy was added,

> -vibration/jitter form my cd player while
> cds were playing were reduced and therefore
> not as loud

> -imaging was decent before and my spikes
> were an improvement from stock feet but
> these Rollerblocks image like a motherf###er
> and help the speakers perform a
> dissappearing act, they vanish during some
> songs!

> -speakers became slightly more
> dynamic/efficient

> -all of these things have helped my system
> sound more musical and more realistic, ive
> never heard an acoustic guitar sound so good
> on my system before

> CONS:

> -EXPENSIVE but will last forever and are a
> decent upgrade, possibly equal to getting
> the next step up to a bette cd player and
> amp

> -very very hard to set up due to there
> function

> This was a review I posted to help people
> learn about a product they may or may not
> have, hopefully it was of help. I dont want
> people calling me crazy because they really
> did make slight improvements.

> KillerKowalczyk

> <A HREF="mailto:killerkowalczyk@hotmail.com">killerko walczyk@hotmail.com</A>

Did your house then smell of warm bread and did the dirty dishes suddenly disappear?

Exactly (or imprecisely) how much time transpired from the time you listened to the system with "stock" feet and when you listened with the Roller Blocks? 5 seconds? 10 minutes? 30 minutes?

This cracks me up, and if I had a sudden regression of ethics, I would be designing and patenting the same (or better!) stuff. But I don't care to rip people off based on an emotional, expected response.

[unknownuser]

> This cracks me up, and if I had a sudden
> regression of ethics, I would be designing
> and patenting the same (or better!) stuff.
> But I don't care to rip people off based on
> an emotional, expected response.

Don't even go there... In any case, I've never seen a subjective impression backed up with cold, hard measurement data. It's always been "just trust us".


(Originally posted by: kyle)

[killerkowalczyk]

First of all did you even read the post? I had spikes (for 8 months) before I bought the rollerblocks.

Secondly they did make slight impovements.

Thirdly, if you have spikes on any of you components your just as much a sucker as I am if not worse because spikes hardly make any improvments compared to the rollerblocks.

4th, they for sure FOR SURE, 100% fact, no mind games, made a difference of how much mechanical noise was eminating from my cd player as opposed to spikes or stock feet. so a proven improvement and worht the cost. Yes they were alot of money but I just so happend to get a good deal on them and I plan on staying in this hobby forever so I know that they last and there worth it.

[killerkowalczyk]

I have also had these on my system for over a week and heard just about every important song in my collection while these have been on it, so i can tell the difference from spikes to rollers when im listening to a song that ive heard about 50 times on spikes and how it sounds now on rollers.

[natediggidy]

They don't take kindly to any "tweakage" around here. If it can't be proven six ways to Sunday, verified & proven scientifically, carved in stone tablets etc, the guys around here tend to think you're nuts. My opinion, you know what you know and don't worry about the rest.

[madrok]

> Thirdly, if you have spikes on any of you
> components your just as much a sucker as I
> am if not worse because spikes hardly make
> any improvements compared to the
> rollerblocks.

I've certainly heard an improvement when subwoofers are stuck with large gobs of bluetack to a solid floor. I actually prefer that to spikes. No skepticism from me, there.

> 4th, they for sure FOR SURE, 100% fact, no mind > games, made a difference of how much mechanical > noise was eminating from my cd player as
> opposed to spikes or stock feet.

Do you mean mechanical noise that actually showed itself at the CD player line outputs and so through the speakers?...or mechanical noise (spinning/whirring) that is only heard if you have the volume down low and your ear right up against the CD player.

(BTW, this is definitely not a forum friendly to tweaks. It is gospel here that all CD players, amps, receivers, cables...feet...everything EXCEPT speakers, in fact, sound the same!)

[robertcottiers]

> They don't take kindly to any
> "tweakage" around here. If it
> can't be proven six ways to Sunday, verified
> & proven scientifically, carved in stone
> tablets etc, the guys around here tend to
> think you're nuts. My opinion, you know what
> you know and don't worry about the rest.

Hello:Without any "Test Data" why should I believe any of their claims?..Who is to say that I could not achieve the same amount of "Vibrational Control"by stuffing a pair of gym socks under my turntable?..

Bob C.

[cjd]

> Hello:Without any "Test Data" why
> should I believe any of their claims?

Who is sayin you should believe?

I saw a review and someone posting that they felt there were improvements.

YOU are likely to be the only one you will believe in such an experiment, except that skepticism will likely keep you from trying. :P

No tweakage in my house FWIW - I'm a pretty solid skeptic, but I won't call BS on someone elses impressions.

C

[thylantyr]

Well all know that 1800's snake oil still exists
in the market today.

Drink my magic healing potion

[killerkowalczyk]

thanks for the support!

[killerkowalczyk]

> Hello:Without any "Test Data" why
> should I believe any of their claims?..Who
> is to say that I could not achieve the same
> amount of "Vibrational Control"by
> stuffing a pair of gym socks under my
> turntable?..

> Bob C.

beacuse ive tried stock feet, spikes, industrial dead (antivibrational) rubber that is used under million dollar machines, and so far the rollerblocks have had the best results. so there has been much experimenting, ill try the gym socks next if you like.

[killerkowalczyk]

I mean mechanical spining noise, mine was actually pretty bad (next upgrade is gonna be a new cd player) with the tunes pretty low i could hear it from almost 3 feet away. it cut this noise down in about half where as anything else i used did not.

[robertcottiers]

> Who is sayin you should believe?

> I saw a review and someone posting that they
> felt there were improvements.

> YOU are likely to be the only one you will
> believe in such an experiment, except that
> skepticism will likely keep you from trying.
> :P

> No tweakage in my house FWIW - I'm a pretty
> solid skeptic, but I won't call BS on
> someone elses impressions.

> C

Hello CJD:I thought it was clear from my post that my comments regarding the effectiveness of these devices were only as it related to"Vibration Control"...I expected that the manufacturer of these devices could have provided some scientific analysis that would back up how effective their product really was at reducing vibration.I will give their marketing department an A+ for Hype!!

I did look at their website and I could not find any test data(Spectral Analysis,graphs etc.) that showed how much of a reduction(perhaps expressed as a percentage of reduction) a potential purchaser of these products could expect.With the absense of such data...Why should I believe them?

In summary:
I do not criticize peoples opinions on subjective things,however I will criticize a manufacturer if I feel they are not providing the consumer with adequate information.(to the best of their ability of course)

BTW..Like any other teenager(more than a few yrs. ago!) I used to play my stereo at very high levels,which coupled back to my turntable...I did find that placing a few pairs of socks under the turntable helped reduce the feedback...

I hope this explains my opinion in a more complete manner.

Regards Bob C.

[cjd]

Ahh... the fact that you were directing your comments at the manufacturer was not clear (whether just to me or no, but obviously not to me).

But, you know, their market isn't the die-hard skeptic. :P Why should they waste the money since many (not all) will *still* not be convinced? Really, just a rhetorical question.

More than anything, I despise the "prove it" "I hear it - what's to prove" water-balloon fights. Both sides end up looking like silly wet buffoons in the end.

ahh well. the world will be what it will be.

C

[dlr]

> BTW..Like any other teenager(more than a few
> yrs. ago!) I used to play my stereo at very
> high levels,which coupled back to my
> turntable...I did find that placing a few
> pairs of socks under the turntable helped
> reduce the feedback...

So what was the sonic difference when using a set of "virgin" socks compared to a "broken in" set (worn out and/or unwashed)? I assume that you tested all possibilities.

Maybe the best ones would be those that could stand on their own?

dlr

[robertcottiers]

> So what was the sonic difference when using
> a set of "virgin" socks compared
> to a "broken in" set (worn out
> and/or unwashed)? I assume that you tested
> all possibilities.

> Maybe the best ones would be those that
> could stand on their own?

> dlr

My "Dr. Shoals Vibration Eaters" were always the nice fluffy ones!!!....Test data not available.

Bob C.

[envisionelec]

> (BTW, this is definitely not a forum
> friendly to tweaks. It is gospel here that
> all CD players, amps, receivers,
> cables...feet...everything EXCEPT speakers,
> in fact, sound the same!)

I disagree. I have heard "different" sounding DACs (onboard vs outboard), CD players (cheap vs DVD vs high end), Receivers (duh) and amps as well as high capacitance/inductance speaker wire, but not differences between RCA cables and power cords or mounting feet. I'm a firm believer in A/B/X tests, if not merely direct A/B blind testing.

Aural memory, blah blah blah....

[natediggidy]

> I mean mechanical spining noise, mine was
> actually pretty bad (next upgrade is gonna
> be a new cd player) with the tunes pretty
> low i could hear it from almost 3 feet away.
> it cut this noise down in about half where
> as anything else i used did not.

If mechanical noise is your bain, Home Depot has some stuff called Mordite that's just the ticket. It's a type of rope caulk that adheres pretty well and doesn't harden. You'll find that most "noisy" components have a fair degree of noise from "sympathetic" vibrations as well as direct motor noise.
Oh yeah, the great thing about putting Mordite in various cavities & on possibly offending panels is it's cheap (about $4) and removeable if you don't like your results.

[killerkowalczyk]

Where would i place this stuff? on the inside of my cd player? TIA for the tip