Townshend Piano Isolators

[astrotoy]

I saw on a piano forum I belong to, that Townshend is also selling a piano isolator system that sits below the three feet of a grand piano. They have some very positive testimonials from some top flight classical pianists about the improvement in the sound of their pianos.

This is a video of British pianist Stephen Hough trying out the isolators. He is very well known and we have heard him perform in London several times. In addition he is a MacArthur "Genius" award winner.

Haven't seen any big concert halls using them yet. They were around 1000 British pounds in the comments, and supposedly around $2000 in the the US. However, I didn't see any prices posted in the Townshend pricelists that are online. Interesting that the piano forum was generally very concerned (leaning toward outrage) about the sky high price for the three isolators which each have to comfortably hold several hundred pounds. I didn't comment on the prices of their Audiophile isolators that hold much less weight. One of the forum members posted an ad for a Mason Vibration Isolation Pad which can hold 800 pounds and cost $14.66 (you do need three for a grand piano, four for an upright.)

Larry

 

[pjwd]

I saw on a piano forum I belong to, that Townshend is also selling a piano isolator system that sits below the three feet of a grand piano. They have some very positive testimonials from some top flight classical pianists about the improvement in the sound of their pianos.

This is a video of British pianist Stephen Hough trying out the isolators. He is very well known and we have heard him perform in London several times. In addition he is a MacArthur "Genius" award winner.

Haven't seen any big concert halls using them yet. They were around 1000 British pounds in the comments, and supposedly around $2000 in the the US. However, I didn't see any prices posted in the Townshend pricelists that are online. Interesting that the piano forum was generally very concerned (leaning toward outrage) about the sky high price for the three isolators which each have to comfortably hold several hundred pounds. I didn't comment on the prices of their Audiophile isolators that hold much less weight. One of the forum members posted an ad for a Mason Vibration Isolation Pad which can hold 800 pounds and cost $14.66 (you do need three for a grand piano, four for an upright.)

Larry

That is an almost laughingly obvious thing to try... I wonder if anything like that has been done before ... very cool !
Look out for the whole orchestra balancing thier kit on ball bearings, air bladders etc. ... plus all the ensuing arguments
Thanks for posting
Phil

 

[Audiophile Bill]

I saw Stillpoints had promoted themselves for the same application previously. Clearly will sound very different.

 

[ACHiPo]

AV Room Service EVPs have endorsements from musicians and are used in studios. Makes sense to manage the spurious vibrations when playing/recording as well as when reproducing music.

EVP Equipment Vibration Protectors | A/V RoomService, Ltd.

EVPs – the most effective, easiest and least expensive means of controlling unwanted vibrations.

avroomservice.com

 

[bonzo75]

I used Townsend isolators for my Martin Logans. Sonically at that time I remember being impressed but that could also have been due to increased height of the down firing woofer from the floor. To be specific, his solutions are decoupling from the floor