Yes. This one definitely needs the same treatment. The underlying information is useful, but phrases such as “audio nirvana”, “secret weapon”, “breathtaking transparency”, “crank the volume” and some absolute technical claims make it sound more like generic marketing copy than Townshend engineering.
I’d replace the long description with this:
Townshend Seismic Isolation Pods
The Townshend Seismic Isolation Pods are compact, adjustable vibration isolators designed to mechanically isolate hi-fi equipment from its supporting surface.
They can be used beneath turntables, amplifiers, DACs, streamers, CD players, power supplies and other audio components where structural vibration can interfere with performance.
Each Pod incorporates a Townshend Seismic Load Cell™, creating a highly compliant mechanical connection between the equipment and the surface beneath it.
The principle is simple: allow the equipment to operate with substantially less mechanical interference from its surroundings.
Why Isolate Hi-Fi Equipment?
Everything vibrates.
Floors, equipment racks, loudspeakers and even apparently rigid structures are continually exposed to mechanical energy.
Some vibration originates within the equipment itself. Other vibration reaches it through the floor, rack or surrounding environment. Loudspeakers can also introduce acoustic and structural energy back into the system.
Sensitive audio components can therefore become mechanically coupled to a constantly moving environment.
Townshend Seismic Isolation is designed to greatly reduce that connection.
How Do Seismic Isolation Pods Work?
Each Seismic Isolation Pod contains a Captive Seismic Load Cell™ selected according to the weight it supports.
When correctly loaded, the Seismic system has a very low natural resonance of approximately 3 Hz.
Above this resonance region, transmission of mechanical vibration between the equipment and its supporting structure is progressively reduced.
This is fundamentally different from simply placing equipment on a soft rubber foot or rigid cone.
The very low resonance of the Seismic system allows effective isolation to begin at frequencies where conventional equipment supports may still transmit substantial mechanical energy.
A small amount of movement when the equipment is gently pushed is normal. That compliance is an essential part of the isolation system.
Relative Isolation Performance
INSERT OUR RELATIVE ISOLATION PERFORMANCE CHART HERE
Independent research into vibration isolation for audio equipment has demonstrated the importance of correctly tuned low-frequency spring isolation compared with conventional equipment feet and other isolation approaches.
The referenced independent study did not test Townshend Seismic Isolation itself. It is included as independent evidence relating to the underlying principles of low-frequency mechanical isolation.
What Can Seismic Isolation Pods Be Used Under?
The compact design makes Seismic Pods particularly versatile.
They can be used beneath:
- turntables
- valve and solid-state amplifiers
- preamplifiers
- DACs
- CD and SACD players
- network streamers
- phono stages
- power supplies
- equipment racks and platforms
- other vibration-sensitive audio equipment
For loudspeakers and subwoofers, Townshend also offers dedicated Seismic Isolation Bars and Seismic Podiums.
What Can Effective Equipment Isolation Do?
The audible effect will depend upon the equipment, supporting structure and installation, but reducing unwanted mechanical interaction can help reveal performance that was previously being obscured.
Depending on the system, this may be heard as:
- cleaner bass definition
- improved low-level detail
- greater midrange clarity
- more stable stereo imaging
- improved separation between instruments
- a more open and natural presentation
The objective is not to add anything to the recording.
It is to remove an unwanted mechanical influence from the reproduction system.
Adjustable for Uneven Weight Distribution
Audio equipment rarely distributes its weight perfectly evenly.
A large transformer, power supply or motor can place considerably more weight on one side of a component than another.
Seismic Pods can be individually selected and adjusted to accommodate this.
The threaded upper section provides height adjustment for accurate levelling, while different Load Cell capacities can be used where necessary to accommodate uneven loading.
This makes the system particularly useful beneath equipment such as heavy power amplifiers and turntables.
Choosing the Correct Seismic Isolation Pods
Correct loading is important to Seismic performance.
Different Seismic Load Cell capacities are available to accommodate equipment of different weights.
Selection should therefore be based not simply on the total equipment weight, but on how that weight is distributed between the individual Pods.
For equipment with reasonably even weight distribution, the total weight can provide a useful starting point.
For equipment with substantial transformers, motors or other asymmetrically positioned components, individual Pod loading may need to be considered.
If you are uncertain, contact Townshend Audio with the equipment make, model, weight and dimensions and we can help determine the appropriate configuration.
Pods, Bars or Podiums?
All three products use the same underlying Townshend Seismic Isolation principle but are designed for different applications.
Seismic Isolation Pods are individual isolators ideally suited to audio electronics, turntables and equipment platforms.
Seismic Isolation Bars provide pairs of isolation supports designed primarily for loudspeakers and subwoofers.
Seismic Podiums provide a complete isolation platform and are particularly suitable for larger, heavier or taller loudspeakers and subwoofers.
This allows the same fundamental Seismic Isolation approach to be applied throughout an audio system.
Why Townshend Seismic Isolation?
Townshend did not develop isolation simply as an audio accessory.
Unwanted vibration repeatedly emerged as a limiting factor during decades of designing high-performance audio systems.
That work ultimately led to Townshend Seismic Isolation.
We didn’t become experts in isolation by making isolation. We became experts in isolation by designing better audio systems.
Today the same underlying Seismic principle can be used throughout an audio system, from source components and electronics to loudspeakers and subwoofers.
Everything Vibrates
A turntable platter rotates. Transformers vibrate. Loudspeakers move. Floors flex. Buildings respond to mechanical and acoustic energy.
What appears stationary rarely is.
The purpose of Townshend Seismic Isolation is therefore not to make equipment more rigidly connected to its environment.
It is to reduce that connection.
The floor never stops moving. Your equipment doesn’t have to.
One technical point before publishing
I’ve deliberately removed the old claim “eliminating feedback across the entire frequency spectrum above 3 Hz.” That’s too absolute. A system resonating at approximately 3 Hz does not suddenly provide complete isolation at 3.01 Hz. Isolation increases progressively above resonance.
I’ve also removed the old weight examples for the moment because some of them look potentially inconsistent, particularly “four C Pods = 52.4 kg” versus “50 kg per pod” elsewhere in the same description.
For Google and customer confidence, I’d rather we put the actual current Load Cell A–F weight table on this page. If you give me the current Pod loading chart, I’ll turn it into a clean copy-and-paste table just like the isolation chart.
tony –
customer email sent to us: Adding the platform under my dCS gave depth to the imaging to move me from a lateral presentation to a true 3D presentation, AND the “air” and shimmer came back, but without glare. I sound like a sales rep for the product, but it seems like each device adds something back that was missing in my playback but was in the original from the artist. BUY them all! I physically can’t do the Amps with my current shelf system, but I would if I could! Great stuff. I hope your wires are in this class. Hard to believe that you guys have all this figured out!