SUMMER |
2002 |
 |
M.I.B
Setting: Quiet room, music playing
in the background.
Galen: Yawn…
Rick: Snore…
-Tweak, twiddle, tinker -
Heard: Sound of two jaws hitting the floor.
Galen: Oh, my God!
Rick: Oh, my God!
The new Aurios Media Isolation Bearings (MIB)
had just arrived and we thought we’d throw a few into a
system that was sounding dull, lifeless and utterly uninspiring.
What a dramatic transformation! Hard to imagine that just
a few supposed tweaks could result in such a night to day
change, but they did indeed.
What kind of improvements, you ask? The changes
were both wide-ranging and dramatic, but especially dramatic
in two categories – clarity and resolution. There was an
instant and striking improvement in system clarity; the
see-through ability that strips away the fog separating
you from the music. Immediately I was struck by how much
more information the sonic picture contained, and how much
less contaminated and more precise was the presentation.
Resolution; the ability of the system to
dig deeply into the music, uncovering subtle nuance, is
another quality beautifully enhanced by Aurios MIB. Discover
things before unheard, tasty tidbits deeply hidden in the
recesses of music, obscured by a cloak you didn’t know existed,
until it was lifted. Lifted it was, and to a sparkling degree
in this system.
No other isolation product I’ve tried
has offered such a significant upgrade
So, what’s the story here? How and why does
Aurios MIB do what they do? The Aurios MIB is a unique device
specifically designed to address an array of vibration and
isolation issues found in audio and video systems. They
are the result of innovative structural design combined
with precision state-of-the-art materials.
The Aurios MIB is an isolator, and is exceptionally
effective at reducing structure-borne vibration and the
subtle distortions they cause. Unlike absorptive vibration
remedies, such as vibration dampers, the MIB uniformly reduces
the broadband intermodulation distortion generated when
an electronic component is shaken, however minutely. The
effect of the Aurios MIB upon a component, such as a loudspeaker,
CD, DVD player or amplifier, is universal -- stripping away
electronic haze that obscures the musical message, uncovering
a wealth of sensory cues and nuances that powerfully enhance
the experience. Furthermore, the effect of the Bearing is
cumulative, and becomes progressively more engaging as additional
components in the chain are isolated. Speaking of isolation,
the MIB decouple down to an amazingly low 1Hz!
For those who’ve never seen the product,
a physical description is in order. Standing about an inch
high, the Media Isolation Bearings are small metal “cookies”
designed to be placed under a component or loudspeaker.
The external components of each of the three models are
precision machined from Stainless steel. Inside you’ll find
a tapered bearing race with three tungsten carbide ball
bearings and a Delrinä positioning ring. The three models
differ in bearing size, raceway geometry and overall mass.
The latest models feature improvements to the bearing race,
and offer increased mass.
To fully appreciate the Aurios Media Isolation
Bearing, and why it’s such an important product, I should
tell you about the company responsible for the design, Vistek.
Since 1994, technologies developed by Vistek and its affiliates
have been successfully utilized in a wide variety of commercial
applications. A brief few paragraphs written by Vistek provide
an excellent synopsis:
VISTEK
What sets us apart from other precision vibration
control manufacturers? We’ve discovered a simple solution
to vibration control that’s easy to use, easy to maintain,
easily adaptable and versatile for virtually every type
of precision manufacturing tool and process.
We don’t waste time on complex, expensive solutions.
Our core technology is both elegant and efficient, because
we follow the natural laws of physics. In a nutshell,
our technology is mechanical, passive, compact and scaleable
– making it conducive to a wide variety of industry applications.
Our technology, known as True Gravity is rooted in
the White Vibration Filtering process – a phenomenon that
results in the cancellation or suppression of a broad
band of vibration frequencies to a constant vibration
amplitude level. The True Gravity value goes beyond performance.
In fact, it’s a better value than other systems in at
least three ways:
1) Its’ durable metal
design does not depend on elastomers that can deteriorate
and contaminate a clean room.
2) As a mechanical device, it does not require pneumatics
and electronic supporting hardware. It is a more reliable
solution with no maintenance and less cost than piezo
electric active systems.
3) Our products are easier to customize and integrate
for OEM applications in wafer processing, metrology and
microscopy tools. The result is built-in process improvements
with less design problems.
TGE (parent company to Vistek Inc., Aurios Inc., Dynamic
Assets Inc.) has developed breakthrough technology in
the field of vibration and motion control. This technology
yields tremendous benefits for industrial engineers designing
and operating high-powered microscopes, metrology tools
and precision manufacturing/process control machinery.
Civil engineering structures such as buildings and bridges
created to comply with the world's most stringent seismic
and wind load standards also incorporate TGE devices.
Recently TGE's innovative vibration isolation bearing
concept, patented in 1997, has found unique expression
in the enhancement of state-of-the-art audio/visual playback
systems.
TGE, through its subsidiaries, designs and manufactures
products for the following applications:
1) Seismic isolation of objects
ranging from network server racks, to million pound vineyard
tanks, to priceless works of art.
2) Tuned mass damping of wind sway affecting towers, buildings,
and long span bridges.
3) Vibration control of precision manufacturing equipment
via tuned mass dampers.
4) Micro vibration isolation and control for precision
equipment including light microscopes, confocal microscopes,
atomic force microscopes, scanning and transmission electron
microscopes, chemical-mechanical polishing tools, photo-lithography
tools, epitaxial reactors, nuclear magnetic resonance
magnets, CNC lathes, lab balances, and metrology instruments
of all sorts.
The Aurios MIB have been around for a while; you’ve likely
read some of the very positive reviews. As good as they
were, many preferred not to use them, feeling they were
too much of a pain in the butt to set-up. And you know,
they were right. Only the most dedicated souls were willing
to deal with the “tweaky” gadgets. The latest versions though,
are a different story, much, much easier to set up. That
said, some tweaking may be required to experience the full
benefit of the MIB, but I am sure you will find the time
very spent as the results more than justify the time.
A significant number of manufacturers use Aurios MIB in
their displays at CES. Each year the percentage of rooms
employing Aurios increases, another confirmation that these
things really work. Reviewers are consistent in their praise
for the MIB, with articles having appeared in myriad publications.
See what the press has to say…
1) “… The sonic improvement was such that I consider
them a must-have accessory.” Robert Deutsch – Stereophile
2) “The improvement in sound can be quite staggering.”
David Price – Hi-Fi World
3) “This may be the most cost effective improvement
I’ve heard. Generally they make more of an improvement than
changing electronics, and at a fraction of the price. I
don’t look at them as how they compete in the accessories
category, but what they do for the sound compared to (much
more costly) electronic components.” Jim Smith – Avantgarde
Acoustic
4) “Mechanical integrity and isolation affect
the actual signal that finally arrives at our ears to an
extent that is unbelievable, until you’ve heard the difference.”
Srajan Ebaen – Soundstage
5) “Best Buy of the Year” Award from Stereo Times
Ok, so now let’s talk about the models available.
The MIB 1.1 is the entry-level model, and stands
.9” high. The MIB 1.2 is 1.2” tall, and offers greater
mass than the 1.1, for a fuller sound. The top-end Pro
model (also 1.2” high) are larger diameter, have greater
mass, larger bearing raceway and ball bearings. The sound
quality improves as you move up in the line. To further
enhance performance of any model, add the Tungsten Carbide
ball bearing kit. Here, a single Tungsten Carbide Ball bearing
rests on top of the MIB, and becomes the interface to the
component. This smaller contact point improves performance
and reduces sensitivity to level. ½” bearings are used on
the 1.1; 5/8” balls work with the 1.2 and Pro models.
MIB 1.1 - $299.00 set of 3
MIB 1.2 - $399.00 set of 3
MIB Pro - $599.00 set of 3
1/2” T.C. Bearings - $50.00 set of 3
5/8” T.C. Bearings - $70.00 set of 3
So, there you have it, folks, audio gadgets that work like
a dream. I highly recommend you contact me for a trial
on these babies. If your results are even remotely close to
mine, you’ll be sending me a fruitcake at Christmas time!
A
VERY Complex topic
Vibration and resonance control in audio video/gear
is an immensely complex topic. Many products have been brought
to market that address the issue in very different ways.
It is my opinion that none of the devices are perfect, nor
can they ever be, since our systems and preferences are
so different. That said, every device available effects
the sound in some way, but which one is the best choice
for a given situation will vary. Further complicating the
picture is the subjectivity of personal inclination; how
we interpret the changes made by the device and whether
those changes fit into the context of what we would define
as improvement. Bottom line: individual experimentation is necessary to find what works
for each of us. But don’t let the complexity become
a barrier that prevents you from plying that road! Control
of vibration and resonance offers profound and fundamental
improvements in resolution. The results are easily worth
the effort. Each any every one of us should resolve to take
that first step. For some of you, that will be to try a
set of the Aurios MIB. If the cost of admission is outside
your comfort range, let me suggest one of our other favorites,
the Daruma 3ii at $85.00 for a set of three, or the Polycrystal
Isolators at just $54.00 for a set of three. As the Nike
ads say, Just do it!
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