Jay Garrett from Stereonet UK reviewed zaZen, a stable isolation platform designed for turntables, and wrote a full article about his experience of using zaZen:
“Given that it’s effectively an ultra-sensitive analogue vibration measuring instrument, it should come as no surprise that a turntable is the most vulnerable part of any hi-fi system to mechanical noise. Whether it’s from the output of your loudspeakers, footfall or vibrations coming from other components sharing the surface it’s mounted upon, record players pick-up unwanted resonances. IsoAcoustics’ zaZen platforms are specially designed to isolate them from bad
vibes…”
“Nine Inch Nails’ The Hand That Feeds played awkwardly at high volumes without the zaZen. Indeed it antagonised the Pro-Ject deck, and the lower frequencies could actually be felt in the turntable’s plinth. However, by merely slipping the IsoAcoustics platform betwixt record player and non-isolated table, the noise floor dropped. It was as if someone twisted the viewfinder and put everything back into focus, the result being that the distorted bass and guitar line no longer muddied the rest of the instrumentation. Instead, there was greater contrast between the overdriven bass and the clarity of the hi-hat cymbals. Additionally, the synths in the middle eight benefitted from the tightening up of the midband. It was a clear win with this isolation platform in situ.”
“The zaZen brought clarity to the Pro-Ject’s soundstage compared to when the vinyl spinner was sat directly on the Swedish side table. Instruments gained a fuller presentation, whereas vocals and percussion had greater realism. Separation was also notably better with the zaZen in place. “
“…a good hi-fi rack will improve the performance of a decent system and so can a platform such as the zaZen, albeit on a smaller scale. IsoAcoustics has made its name by protecting hi-fi from unwanted vibrations, and the zaZen achieves that at a pocket-friendly price point.”
Thank you Jay Garrett for reviewing zaZen!
To read the full review click here.
