Comments
| Audiophilia
Review by Andy Fawcett  |
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Reviews/ Comments |
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Todd Reitz, TR Audio
"These feet are very effective, I'm impressed."
Alan McCartney, Canada
"I recieved the Tenderfeet today, and wow! what a difference. I'm kind of a skeptic, so I wasn't convinced that they'd help, but they did -- and then some. Excellent product -- thanks so much!"
Jay Lowell, Sacramento, California
"Tenderfeet made an amazing improvement with my ModWright Monolithic power supply and P-3a."
Rick Becker, Enjoy the Music.com
"A set of Tenderfeet under the power supply took a sound that was very neutral, focused and transparent, and added a touch of liquidity without sacrificing any focus or transparency."
Frank Englander, Phoenix, Arizona
"The tenderfeet are substantially better than the ceraballs. I guess I will have to try your tube rings now."
Vade Forrester, San Antonio, Texas
"The Tenderfeet are just a few bucks more than Vibrapods, with much better results."
Ingolf Waesche, Burnaby, Canada
"The newest Tenderfeet I ordered recently are working nicely under my CDP. These newer ones seem to be a bit faster and have a bit more bottom end clarity. Very happy with them."
Mike Weingarten, Brooklyn, New York
"I received my dampers today for the rest of my preamp. I love the improvement. The tenderfeet also seem to be doing their job under my CDP. I put everything in at once so its hard to say what's doing what, but there is definite improvement in both noise floor and sheer dynamics. I can now drive the preamp harder and there is much less distortion than before -- almost non existent. I had no idea that it was there before!
"I have the retired the vibrapods that were under my CDP to under the subwoofer platform."
Mike Porter, Little Rock, Arkansas
"I was honored to beta test Herbie's Big Tall Tenderfeet and figured that afterwards I would put the Stillpoints back under my Wadia 781i. No way! I'm keeping the Big Talls there."
Bob Zurcher, Spokane, Washington
"I just tried the new tenderfeet under my Modwright MSB DAC and I'm impressed. I was a skeptic, but with the reasonable price and money-back guarantee I figured what the heck. After performing A/B/A comparisons, I'm convinced they have made an improvement. The highs have more definition and the lows have more depth. And of course, the old cliché, the sound stage has improved (really!)."
Added: "The tenderfooters are in place under my CDP and pre amp. They seem to have multiplied the improvement of the prior tenderfooters that were under the DAC. Another thing I've noticed is I can 'crank it up' and the sound just gets better. I think the cabinet was vibrating before and jittering my equipment. The footers have definitely improved this situation. I can let the bass boom now!"
Don Walizer, Conway, Arkansas
"I love the Tenderfoot component feet. They are far superior to the messy KAB sonic domes. I just wish they were a little less expensive. I also love the Baby Booties. I can't believe the degree of sonic isolation that they provide."
Dean Milite, Medford, Massachusetts
"I received the Tenderfeet today, thanks for the prompt shipping. I immediately placed them under a RAM-modded Toshiba 6915, replacing four #1 Vibrapods. The sound is noticeably improved, especially the bass."
Roger Jones, Hockessin, Delaware
"The tenderfoots work wonderfully under my Vandersteen VCC-1 center-channel speaker, replacing a set of vibrapods. The speaker sits atop my 36" Toshiba television. Wow! -- the dialog is much clearer with better integration with my front speakers (Vandersteen 2CE). I thought you would like to know the tenderfoots provided much better sound than the vibrapods in this application."
Richard Makarewicz, Lennox Head, Australia
"I placed six Tenderfeet under my Rega P25 turntable, previously suspended on four large Audioquest sorbothane feet. One Tenderfoot went to each chassis corner, one next to the motor casing, the other adjacent to the spindle shaft.
"The Audioquest sorbothane had already improved on the three P25 factory feet by very subtly improving retrieval of low level detail. This gain was improved by the Tenderfeet. Transparency was audibly enhanced and the music sounded more coherent. Again, the improvement wrought by the Tenderfeet is subtle, but noticeable. If your system has the appropriate resolving power, using Tenderfeet is highly recommended, particularly under source equipment."
Glenn Cosentino, Elizabeth, New Jersey
"All of the recommended footers for my tube amps, line stage preamp, turntable and phono preamp are in place (Iso-Cup/Lampblack Ball/Hi-End Base for the amps, Tenderfeet for everything else.), and all I can say is WOW!!! Didn't know what I was missing and especially the sound stage is wide open like I have never heard it before."
G. B., Sacramento, California
"Your Tenderfeet isolation footers made an immediate, positive difference when placed under my SACD/CD/DVD player. They provide just enough 'give' and, unlike some well-known 'pods,' they don't leave an oily ring on the shelf underneath. I will definitely buy more Tenderfeet!"
John Johnston, Norwalk, Ohio
"The best sound I've heard from my Music Hall CD-25 comes with the Tenderfeet underneath and some weight on top (a block of maple). I used Vibrapods before, but they didn't seem to do much."
Phillip Hyun, Lake Oswego, Oregon
"After an extensive listening session this evening I've decided that the tenderfeet have definitely improved my system significantly. Especially under my DAC and under my Pre-amp. They are fantastic and I plan on ordering some more."
Sean Royal, Sacramento, California
"The Tenderfeet work nicely -- I didn't do a lot of experimenting with them, but it seems they are a bit better than my Mod Squad Soft Shoes and are a nice value."
Duster, Bellingham, Washington
"The new formulation Tenderfoot seems to have met your goal of 'perfecting' the original Tenderfoot (I think you nailed it). It has an even more transparent and clean sounding sonic signature than the previous version offered, and makes me want to turn up the volume as a result (always a good sign). The noise floor is subjectively lowered and there seems to be a bit of glare reduction involved in such. The presentation is very firm sounding and resolved. The bottom end is even more rock solid and articulate, the top end more precise and open, and the midrange presence seems very neutral in terms of the footers' effect on the soundstage front-to-back imaging (as well as an utter lack of coloration to my ear in this most important frequency range). For use in my particular system, the Tenderfoot is a real winner and a keeper, for sure."
Kenny Kim, Seoul, Republic of Korea
"The four little Tenderfoots were installed under my German-made CD transport. I have a total of eight different types of tubes in my system, so I reasoned that a very accurate and somewhat 'clinical' transport wouldn't hurt (as the first-in-line component to start the chain). The stock feet are some elaborate graphite composite things and I finally dared to unscrew them.
"The Tenderfoots went under the transport and my goodness, the sound was just absolutely supreme (I listen mostly to classical chamber music and some accoustic jazz)...strings were much 'juicier' and woodier and the piano was gorgeously natural. I'm not talking soggy wetness and droopy colorations but an incredible rendition of---as close as I ever got to---a warm concert hall effect. In this regard, I get the impression that not many people realize, and appreciate, how warm and crisp music sounds in a concert hall. The Tenderfoots provided some really nice, warm and beautiful reverberations and ambience. I almost felt guilty reading that review where the reviewer didn't find the square footers all that dramatic compared to the tube dampers---no sir, not for me! The Tenderfoots finally got my transport to just let go of itself and flow naturally from it's previous uptight and somewhat overly clinical demeanor."
Gary Richardson, Rochester, New York
"I have to admit I was skeptical when I ordered the isolation feet, but now I'm thinking that it was the single best $30 I've invested since I became infected with the audiophile disease. The change that the tenderfeet brought to my system (sitting under my Perpetual Technologies P3-A DAC) was more than subtle. High frequency sounds seem to ring far cleaner than they did before, and new life has been brought to subtleties like the raking of a guitar pick across strings. In fact, these things may have just taken an expensive new rack off my list of upcoming purchases."
Randy Krelle, San Francisco
"The Tenderfeet and the tube dampers made a very nice improvement for my phonostage. Deceptively simple in appearance, yet so powerful."
Zorik Shirman, Brooklyn, New York
"I tried Tenderfeet with booster blocks under my ARC LS-15 tube preamp just last night. What are these things doing? Actually a question should be not WHAT but HOW are they doing this? I was playing a Patricia Barber Verse CD and despite a good recording the vocal has some sibilance. With the LS-15 on top of tenderfeet and booster blocks, the sibilance is completely gone! No loss of detail at all. No loss of dynamics! Everything sounds more separated with the cymbals sounding smooth and extended in the back of the stage. Before on some discs the crash cymbals would appear towards the front of the stage, but now everything is placed so well within the soundstage, I am in shock."
Steve Williams, Houston, Texas
"I just bought a modified Jolida 302B Integrated amp. I run a Musical Fidelity CD player through the amp and current speakers are JM Labs Dalines. I noticed that the system sounded good at lower listening levels or with less-complex musical arrangements. However, at higher levels or large orchestra pieces, the sound became 'muddy' and fatiguing. I know too many people that spend a great deal of money on systems and never seem to listen to them. I attribute this to listener fatigue -- the listener has to work too hard to compensate for missing information.
"I bought 4 of Herbie's Tenderfoots and placed under the CD player -- it is easy to remove the feet on the player. The difference was not subtle. When playing loud, the image seemed to snap into focus and I was able to easily discern all of the instruments in complex passages. I played CD after CD and experienced no listener fatigue. Great product, great service!"
David Morris, Modesto, California
"I want to tell you how much I'm blown away by the Tenderfooters; it's just amazing what they've done. They are just so much better than anything I've used, especially with my CD and DAC. Even more of an improvement to my system than the grungebuster, which also just blew me away because of so much improvement. My hat is off to you, Steve."
Sidney Wang, Nesconset, New York
"I use four Tenderfeet to support the motor of my Arias turntable and they work really well, much better than a mouse pad recommended by the manufacturer. Now the hum caused by the motor vibration shooting back to the cartridge has been eliminated almost completely."
Fred Blake, Louisiana
"When I first got the Tenderfooters, I put them under the factory feet of my turntable, CD drive, DAC, and preamp. Big Tenderfeet went under the amp. There was a good overall improvement, and I was happy with the investment. I eventually removed the factory feet and placed the equipment directly on the Tenderfooters, like you recommend. Wow! Kazam! What a difference that made! The focus and clarity increased tremendously. Harsh, digital sounds smoothed out and the instruments had more zip to them. 'Frampton Comes Alive' really comes alive. I had been thinking about trying Symposium roller blocks or Aurios bearings. No way now---it just couldn't get any better than this."
Scott Simms, Pleasanton, California
"The Tenderfooters replaced the cork and rubber isolation pads under my tube amp. They have helped to clean up the bass a bit. Thanks for making such cool and affordable stuff."
Kevin Riley, California
"Wow, those tenderfeet made quite a difference on my turntable (Dual CS 621). It sounds so much better."
Glen Zorn, Seattle, Washington
"The effect that your products have had in my system have been almost scary! For example, when I replaced the stock feet on my B&K PT-3 preamp with Tenderfeet, at the first listen I really just thought that I was hallucinating: certainly feet couldn't make that big of a difference! It was like the sound blossomed: greatly improved detail, holographic soundstage, etc. Luckily, however, my girlfriend walked in just as I was doubting my sanity/marveling at the placebo effect, and she remarked (unprompted) on the big improvement in the sound."
John Squillace, Denville, New Jersey
"I recently ordered tube dampers and feet for my C-J amp; terrific results!"
Bob Lietz, The Analog Shop
"Hey, those little Tenderfoots are really something! They outperform a $199 set of isolation devices that I have."
Warren Gibson, Lahaina, Hawaii
"I love the tube dampers and the isolation feet! They are both terrific. I can't believe more guys don't try the isolation feet."
Paul Bui, Milpitas, California
"I placed Tenderfooters under my DAC and low-powered monoblock amps, adding one more at the center. I also put them under the CD transport in place of the carbon cones installed by the dealer, and under the Shunyata Hydra power conditioner.
"Results? More extended at extreme frequencies, especially bass which is noticeably stronger, weightier, deeper. Gone is the last bit of brightness that I previously associated with the room's echo; vocals are now sounding more tactile, warmer yet detailed, seemingly bigger when the recording calls for it. Listening fatigue is decreased. I could listen to the music (Gladiator, Myths and Memories) with one foot tapping up and down, head turning left and right like a totally nut guy."
Ong Tiong Hun, Georgetown, Malaysia
"The Tenderfeet are wonderful products. I enjoy ever minute using them. Trouble is, I am having too many late nights that may eventually lead to my dismissal from employment."
Richard Weed, Bothell, Washington
"I am still evaluating the performance of the footers, but am having a problem being analytical while listening due to my total enjoyment of the music. My system has never before sounded so real, and I don't mean hi-fi real, but very natural. I can't believe the improvement in depth, dimensionality, imaging and bass. Some of the improvements are, of course, due to the use of the tube and interconnect dampers, but the sound really came together when I installed the footers under the cd player. I used five footers under my Audible Illusions M3a preamp sitting atop a Black Diamond Racing shelf supported by eight Vibrapods. I am not one to rave about tweaks, but these footers replaced $300-a-set Aurios under my CD and preamp. That was my original intent when purchasing the footers, to substitute one set of Aurios for a more stable setup. I use Virtual Dynamics cable throughout my system, which is very stiff cable that basically joined the two components together, a nightmare to float with Aurios.
"I have been experimenting with isolation devices for the last five years and your products have been the greatest improvement I have experienced in my system. You are a lucky man to be able to bring joy to your customers at such a modest cost. I applaud you for your dedication to music lovers."
Bruce Varvonis, Kay's Interiors, Chicago
"I put some tenderfooters under my slide projector---it vibrates alot, having a carousel. The picture quality improved ten to fifteen percent."
Mick, Newcastle, Ireland
"The tenderfeet under the P3a made a big difference."
Cyrus Won, Honolulu, Hawaii
"Compared to the Navcom feet I was using, the Tenderfoot supports gave me a brighter sound with my tube preamp. The difference is not subtle. I'll be experimenting to find which sound I prefer. It's nice to have this tuning option. Placing a tenderfoot on top of the chassis also affects the sound---at least with my electronics."
Joe Pittman, Pacific Northwest Audio Society
From the October, 2006 edition of PNWAS Newsletter:
"Many components especially digital suffer from distortions caused by microphonic vibrations. Sensitive parts such as connectors, processors, capacitors and drives produce distorted signals in the presence of vibrations, adding discomfort, ear pain, and other nasties to the listening experience. If you are experiencing these problems, you could have a foot problem. Herbies Audio Lab is famous for his tube dampers, but he also makes inexpensive and effective isolation/damping footers for equipment. I’ve used several different resonance-absorbing materials in the past, but just like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears and her bed comfort testing, some materials damped too much and some damped too little, but Herbies materials sounds just right.
"Tenderfoot is my favorite all-purpose inexpensive footer. These are very neutral and do their job without robbing dynamics or over damping the sound. "
Bill Kerenyi, Roanoke, Virginia
"I'm very pleased w/the tenderfeet below my Kora tube hybrid integrated amp. Sounds better."
David Schauss, Bellevue, Washington
"I was the one asking about isolation on my Playstation2 to improve graphics a couple weeks back. I bought four Tenderfeet for underneath and added some weight on top like you said. HOLY COW. The improvement isn't even subtle. The graphics all have sharper edges and things seem to stand out more from background to foreground. Your isofeet kick butt! Thanks again for your recommedation and your friendly, prompt service."
Stephen Gardner, Homewood, Alabama
"Just wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know how much I am enjoying the the isolation feet that you sent me. They have dropped the noise floor to a level that I thought was not possible."
Maurice Hrycak Jr., Verdun, Quebec
"I am very satisfied with some square footings that I have and also some tube dampers. Thank you for your great product and very good service."
Jack Cheetham, Astoria, New York
"Your products are top quality. I have used a combination of maple blocks and tenderfoots to isolate my source components. The detail has been multiplied by a large degree. The sound floor is a lot quieter. I also used some mini isolation Dots for my stand-mounted speakers. Again more detail added to the overall sound. And I am very happy the damping devices for my tubes. (VAC 100-100, Audio Research LS3, Musical Fidelity 324 DAC, Rotel RCD 990, Proac Response 2s, Accuphase t101 Tuner, and other assorted pieces.)"
Tim Patchett, Valley Village, California
"The difference is NOT subtle! It's simply amazing what improvements your Tenderfeet have been made to my system. It's like a veil has been lifted. Piano notes end with a shimmer and a natural decay that I've never heard before. I knew that the addition of my new TAD tube integrated and Clearview speaker wire opened a new world to me with the attendant resolution, detail, and tonality that has eluded me for so long. But, your Tenderfeet under my Rotel RCD-971 takes me even further into the recording, unraveling the music and puts a final rest to the smearing of the music. Lately, I've been playing the heck out of Norah Jones' 'Feels Like Home' and immediately heard the difference: The music has never sounded so free and airy; every instrument has its own, distinct voice; the background is noticeably quieter; it's a more natural rendition of the recording. As for my DVD player, there is an appreciably better focus that gives rise to more vivid, yet natural colors to go along with the increase in detail: less video smearing, if there is such a thing."
Pat Mc Michael, Painesville Township, Ohio
"Your products (Tenderfeet, Baby Booties, Iso-Cup) work better than stated!"
John Evanthes, Tiburon, California
"I was suprised to find a little layer of haze was further removed when Tenderfeet were placed under my DAC (most notable) and amp (less so, I felt). Better than stock feet and brass cones that I had previously, to be sure."
Nick Smith, Ballarat, Australia
"I installed the Tenderfeet on both my CD-Player and Amp, and baby booties on my DVD player. Though this was coupled with a simultaneous speaker re-positioning which I had been meaning to get around to, the results spoke for themselves. The bass, which had previously been very boomy due to the unfortunate smaller size & poor acoustics of my listening room became immediately softer and less prominent, while an unnatural sheen or sparkle which had oftentimes been extremely fatiguing when listening for long periods had virtually disappeared.
"The removal of both above factors has allowed me to hear deeper into each piece, particularly with regards to hearing more of the background ambience of each recording. Needless to say I'm very pleased with your Isolation Feet and plan to order more of them shortly."
Adel Gurgis, Sydney, Australia
"Tenderfeet are working well under my ML39 CD player."
Norman Thomas, Seattle, Washington
"I've had your standard Tenderfeet beneath my CD/DVD player for a week now and the transformation has been incredible. With music, the sound is much smoother and more transparent. The soundstage has expanded as well. With so much immediate improvement, I've decided to move these feet to my tube preamp and try the ball/cup combination with my CD/DVD player. Thanks again!"
Bobby Tam, Portland, Oregon
"The Sony NS300 got the treatment by way of four Tenderfeet. These rested on the bottom of the chassis, not on top of the existing feet. Incidentally, there were no removable feet to speak of in this player. The result was startling. The entire soundstage opened up. There was more width and depth. Very impressive."
Robin Wyatt, New York
"I could not get my new Brinkmann Lagrange turntable ($15k) not to feed back in my system! Mounted to the wall on a Symposium custom Svelte shelf on top a Target wall stand, the T/T was very close to my Horning Alkibiedes. These massive ($22K) speakers produce prestigious bass and at moderate levels acoustic feedback was a problem. I tried cones, sand boxes, roller balls, spikes etc. NO help. Then a brain storm, let's try the Herbie Tenderfeet I had under the Fi "X" in my wife's system. Five clear feet under the Svelte, (four at edges one in the middle, as the T/T weighs so much), on top of the target stand. SILENCE!!!!!! No feedback, great detail, tremendous bass again. These are fantastic feet that work under all tube gear. Now they help my turntable."
Douglas Hunter, Scotland
"The standard Tenderfeet arrived this morning, they remove much of the micro vibrations and combined with some coccobolo blanks resting on grungebuster pads atop my mini-dac they produce the best sound I've heard so far."
Kurt Biehl, Danville, California
"I put 4 tenderfeet under my Richard Power Company supply on Monday --- I was shocked to hear the improvement."
Bjorn Borgenhard, Miami Beach, Florida
"I received my Tenderfeet and put them under my subwoofer. Amazing! What was a good sub is now a great sub. Very tight, well defined bass. I can now enjoy much more bass without any distortion. I am ordering more for some of my other components!"
George Stergis, Culpeper, Virginia
"I learned about your stuff through an Audiogon discussion. Tenderfeet under my tube preamp have removed all the remaining glare in my system. Amazing, really. Thanks."
Ted Wallover, Pennsylvania
"The 1-inch tenderfeet I just received last week for my Plinius 9100 integrated have produced noticeable improvement in bass reproduction and the overall impact of the amp. (The 5/8-inch tenderfeet on my CD player have also been a positive addition to the tweeking process.) I was not initially expecting too much, but I quickly came to realize that you can hear a noticeable difference for both vinyl and CD playback. More open space between the notes, deeper tight bass, blacker backgrounds and the individual instruments and voices can be more clearly delineated. The sound stage has grown in height, width and even depth. A hearty thanks for the improvement!"
K. Sims, Oakland, California
"I wanted to write you to thank you for the lightning-fast shipping, and to give you my first impressions of your Tenderfoot products.
"In summary, the Tenderfoot units actually work. I have no understanding of electrical engineering or physics, so despite a lay appreciation of the notion that microphonic vibrations can rob an audio system of efficiency, I don't know why they work. (I first encountered this idea during my many years as a musician. Though now years past, I remember this being critical for tube-based instrument amplifiers.)
"But after using the units all day yesterday, then an A/B/A (with/without/with) test this morning, with my modest solid state receiver, the effect of the 1" Tenderfoot units on the system was clearly pronounced and repeatable. (I uninstalled the stock feet and rested the chassis directly on the Tenderfoot units, dot downward.) The differences I perceived were improvements, as follows:
+ increased 3D spatial presence of instruments or sounds in the sound field
+ increased sonority and dynamics in the low- to upper-midrange
+ the sense that the audio overall is at once both more focused and more relaxed.
"Once upon a time, as a player, sound designer, synthesist and producer, I spent thousands of hours scrutinizing live and recorded music. The sounds originated from wind, string, and percussion instruments, both acoustic and electric, and from synthetic sources and signal processors. I don't know much, but I know sound and music; all kinds of music.
"With this background, I feel confident in saying that your Tenderfoot products are a silver bullet for home stereo systems. They let us reclaim our stereo's wasted potential, delivering significantly the audio quality we sought in the first place. I thank you for the excellence of your work, your fair pricing, and your attentive customer service."
Paul Sanders, Bainbridge Island, Washington
"I put three Tenderfeet under the pre-amp power supply. One in back, and two in the front corners because the PS is heavier in front. The quality of the sound improved. I swapped the 'feet for three BDR #4's and the sound got worse, so back in went the T'feet. Next, I placed 4 feet under the Shanling CDP. Sound was definitely better. Smoother, cleaner, better bass and soundstaging. Just to make sure I was not imagining these things, I put three BDR's under the CDP. One #3 under the transport, and two #4's under the rear corners. Then 4 BDR's, one under each corner. The sound was worse no matter where the BDR's were.
BTW the CD I'm using to test with is George Jones' 'Cold Hard Truth' released in 1999. I'm mostly a classical and jazz listener, but George Jones knocks me out. Always has. I took the Aurios out from under the power supply and put three Tenderfeet in their place. BINGO! Much better. In fact, with the Aurios under the PS, Jone's voice was strangely imaging from the right speaker, when it should have been closer to the center stage. When I replaced the Aurios with the Tenderfeet, Mr. Jones was back in the center, where he belongs! (I'm not being political here) :)"
Chan Lok Hee, Hong Kong
"These isolation feet are the first I have that do not mute the high and simplify the low."
Bernard Hodgetts, Wellington, New Zealand
"Based on listening for the past 6 hours I can honestly say the feet make an enormous improvement to the sound of my system (easily equivalent to a serious component upgrade). I run Plinius equipment which is very good (except for the cheap hard plastic feet that seem to come on all components). The tenderfeet have finally made the sound sound like music!
"The manufacturer would do well to fit these as standard. I really appreciate your honest no-hype marketing and speedy service."
Paul Bubny, Maplewood, New Jersey
"The footers are quite effective under my DAC. I did find that the best results in my case came from putting one footer into each of the rear corners and two down the middle, spaced apart. This produces an airy image that's also clean and firmly focused (none of the muffling effect of Vibrapods)."
Zhou Zhou, Shanghai, China
"Very great products! Your isolation feet, damping instruments do have great effect. They improve my system's performance a lot. There appears more air, sound stage goes extended, the high and the low goes far. The sound goes to be more natural. Thanks for your great product with high value prize index. Thank you."
