See above.

There's some good sense and some horseplop contained in the preceding reviews. I've been gradually dealing with the problems of vibration over the last few years, having biult a pretty good setup with quality cabling and mains treatments. Distortions caused by vibration are the biggest single enemy of fidelity. Bicycle inner tubes give (at best) maybe 60% of what is available from a seismic sink platform. That may seem like the law of diminishing returns appplying with vigour, but I suspect that those of you who are pursuing genuine fidelity will realise that the closer you get to 'natural' sound, the more small differences are audible, even to spouses who may have started out as skeptics. The sinks work less well with equipment whose mass is unevenly distributed, as the feet carrying most of the mass have to be raised, which compresses the air sac under that corner. With some degree of skepticism, I bought one of the new VSSS racks, and matching speaker stands. The combination, though going against the accepted wisdom that speakers must be rigidly coupled, is staggering. It ought to be, because you are looking at around £2,500 for the pair, but after listening to a system sitting on them, only the cloth-eared would deny that vibrations need to be tackled. The soundstage is immense, and the bass is totally integrated into it, rather than from the 'room' in which you listen; fine detail is improved, as is midrange fluidity and sweetness in the treble. Bass acquires the sort of tautness only experienced live, and consequently timing is spot on. Soothing music soothes, exciting music becomes truly invigorating.

Ignore the naysayers; 'Good Vibrations' is an oxymoron...

Customer Service

Rubbish. Obvioulsy the products don't require servicing, but delivery dates where never stuck to. Not good enough, even though the wait is worth it.

Similar Products Used:

Ditto.

The "CD Sink" by Townsend should be rated as budget "Tweak" of the year. This simple isolation platform transformed the sound of my CD player. Immediately notable was the clean solid bass extension, and the removal of some mid-bass bloom. The treble was smoothed and seemed more transparent. It also improved both the imaging and transparency of the sound radiating from my speakers. For approx. $225 Cdn (U$150), this improved the sound of my system more than some very expensive cables I have tried. For another review, see "AUDIO" magazine Feb. '97 for Corey Greenburg's review of the NAD 512 CD Player and 314 Amp, where he raves about the CD sink. Higly recommended.

I endorse the positive comments here so will not repeat them. I use CD Sinks under transport, dac and preamp. I use small bicycle inner tubes under my monoblocks. Do not get suckered into believing Vibapods or Sorbothane feet are in the same league - they most certainly are not. One negative comment - I also have one of the larger heavier seismic sinks and I have never gotten it to sound good anywhere. In particular it robs the upper bass of leading edge and therefore pace and rhythm suffer badly. This is a shame because the improvement on vocals (over the CD sink) is remarkable.

I find the best context for the sinks is; use a rigid welded steel rack that is firmly spiked to the floor. Then use rigid but damped shelves. Glass or perspex is not damped enough and most MDF shelves are usually too compliant or add too much 'mud'. I use 15mm perspex bonded to 6mm MDF, with the MDF on top. Then place the seismic sink on top of the shelf. Then use suitable cones between the component and the sink (BDR, Walker etc). More than one very compliant thing is too much so the cones are needed to bypass the component's rubber feet. Use the sink as the one and only compliant item in the vibration control system and the results are fantastic. I have tried a lot of things but this is the best of its kind for now and so 5 stars. But I would like to be able to get the gorgeous mid and treble textures of the big sink together with the better pace and rhythm of the CD sink, if that was possible.

It is a nice little stand on which to place your player

What is there to review? The concept that vibration isolation is needed and at all an issue in digital reproduction is an audiophile inanity not supported by the simplest empiric test nor educated logic. It is solely supported by people trying to sell you needless things and by magazines like Stereophile that seek to convince the untutored that vibration isolation is a sure fire way to audio nirvana.

I bought the thing for cosmetic reasons, and to shock isolate (via mass loading) my light little DVD player from floor bounces. That it does.

Date July 2 98
Dear Audiophiles,

Thank you for your interest in the CD Seismic Sink. Yes, unfortunately, Townshend Audio Inc, Houston, is out of business. But we, Townshend Audio UK (Head office) are still very much in business, manufacturing the CD Seismic Sink MK II (improved) in two versions:- one for 17" gear and one for 19" gear. We also manufacture the quite outstanding (if I say so myself (modestly)) Seismic Sink Stand. see http://ds.dial.pipex.com/townshend.audio/ We are about to update this site in about two weeks where we will have listed the outlets, in the USA, where Townshend Audio products may be obtained.

The Seismic Sink Stand is the equivallent of 4/5 Vibraton planes (or whatever they call the $2,500 microscope isolation table that is raved about in TAS) AND A RACK for (about) the same price. Each shelf of the Seismic Sink Stand has at least 100 times MORE isolation than a CD Seismic Sink which results in an amazing improvement as ALL source components are isolated to a much higher degree. See IAR (International Audio Review) Hotline! 76-79: Master Guide to the Best of 1998. Class 1 Accessories. Townshend Seismic Sink Stand:- "This is the first shelving unit to do it right, the first one worthy of high end audio. Suddenly, all other shelving units are obsolete. . . ." (concludes) . . . "That's why the Townshend Seismic Sink Stand is a necessary audio component. The only necessary component. Choose whatever power amp, preamp, program source you want. But put them on this stand."

There will be loads more reviews on the updated site. Thanks for your patience.

kind regards,

Max Townshend.

I can't vote for my own product, so I will not!

Good listening

Date:12/27/97 Home built Isolation bases:Why pay for expensive isolation bases, make your own, for the amp, for the CD player, for the turntable, etc., etc.It's easy,either you do it or get some one to builf it.For the Thorens TS-125B Mk.II turnatble, I got a friend to build me a large isolation base:17" x 15" x 5" using medite(cheaper if you use 1/2" plwood). The box was glued (you can use screws) and the inside was sprayed with black asphalt car undercoatingIincluding the bottom of the lid)and than filled with 60lbs.+ of fine sand. Then the lid id glued shut. The base is set on 3 cones,set in a triangle pattern, and the audio product, also set on similar placed cones, is placed atop the base. The base gets rid of distortion, cleans up the bass, improves the treble(because you've gotten rid of distortion),and the background from which the music issues for is dramatically quieter.The sound is free of hash and the volume control is lowered because you just hear more.All for a cheap price.It only cost $25Cdn to build one for a CD player and the sonic improvements were immediately noticeable.This is one of the cheapest sonic upgrades one can apply to one's system.

If you are skeptical about the Seismic Sink, buy a 16" bicycle inner tube andplace it under your component. A brick or stone on top will mass load the
component and reduce chasis vibrations. (Use a cloth to prevent scratching
your component). Positioning the brick will allow you to balance the component.
If you can handle the aesthetic, for $3.50 you may want to forget about the
Seismic Sink. This is probably the most cost effective tweak in audioland,
short of proper speaker positioning.

See my comments of June 9, 1998 regarding Townshend Audio under Townshend AudioSink.

Bill Gaver

I have 3 CD sinks -under Dac,Transport, and Preamp.I am told these products are no longer avaiable in the USA or that the Company
may be out of buisness.
Ken

this worked on my Marantz 67SE and my Rotel CDP-990. it made the bass deeper and tighter, made the sound cleaner and smoother across the board.Highly recomend it! I'm getting a heavy duty one for my amp(back ordered), will keep you posted.