I had the opportunity to test the Sorbocein Sound Insulator (SSI-001) while shooting, so I checked the product.
This is a high-performance insulator developed by Sanshin Kosan Co., Ltd., the developer of sorbocein material, for audio.
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https://www.exclusive-audio.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=273
It is a three-layer structure design with a base of a combination of gold-plated brass and ebony supported by the rubber material sorbocein. Sorbocein is a material that is used in various fields for the purpose of vibration isolation, vibration damping, sound muffling, and soundproofing due to its shock absorption and pressure dispersion performance.
The appearance of the insulator "SSI-001" gives a sense of luxury, as the combination of ebony and gold-plated metal parts. The price is 49,800 yen. It feels a little small, but it can be said that it is a size that is easy to use.
It can also be used for amplifiers and players, but it is sold in sets of 3 because it is an audio base that improves sound quality mainly with speakers (there is also an optional set of 4). Therefore, if you want to use speakers, you will need two pairs.
The material is brass, which is a non-magnetic material, and has a moderate weight like metal, a good sound that is used for brass instruments, and a metal that does not have a bad habit of sounding. Ebony is a very hard and very resonant wood, and it is also a high-grade wood used for musical instruments such as oboes and clarinets.
The screw-type height adjustment, which can be fine-tuned, is very effective for players such as turntables. What cannot be overlooked is that the thin screw part that connects to the ebony of the base exerts the effect of a pinpoint base that supports it at a point. The ebony of the receiver moderately prevents the resonant sound peculiar to metal, and the 8 mm thick anti-vibration material sorbocein absorbs and disperses the overall vibration from the equipment on it as much as possible.
This time, I tried to verify the effect obtained by it with a turntable and speakers.
First of all, the turntable. Installed at 3 points in a well-balanced manner on the hard bottom. Since no magnets are used, there is no need to worry about magnetism at the installation site.
It should be said that the blurring effect has disappeared due to the vibration damping effect, and the muddiness of the sound has disappeared and become clear due to the pinpoint effect, or it feels that the outline of the sound has become clearer. The vibration damping effect of Sorbocein seems to create a considerable sense of stability for delicate operations such as cartridge tracing and CD reading. However, in the SONY PS-X70 that I tried this time, the cartridge was a gory MM type, so the change was gentle, and probably a delicate MC type with low impedance or a cartridge without a damper is much more effective.
The effect of the insulator was clearer on the speakers. The focus was firmly established, and there was no slight blurring. The contours of the sound become clearer, and the clear texture extends to the bottom of the low frequencies, resulting in a tone without turbidity. It is transparent and clear, has a soft extension to the high frequencies, is not stingy or cloudy, and the sound is completely different. It's well-organized, the sound is very well connected, and it's very pleasant to listen to.
The Sorbo-Thane Insulator "SSI-001", which eliminates the negative parts of the speaker and maximizes its goodness, is an insulator that demonstrates its true value in speakers, and it can be said that its value is well worth this price.
If you want to bring out the full performance of the speakers, this is an item that you should definitely try.
Click here for the product page
https://www.exclusive-audio.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=273
