Vivaldi Case Feet Thread Spec?

I am considering swapping out the standard feet on my Vivaldi boxes for some isolation feet I already own. These are intended to replace the OEM feet, and are threaded to the US ¼-20 standard. Is the spec for the threading of the cases metric like M4/6/8? Thanks much!

As dCS products are designed and made in the UK all dimensions would be metric. However I do not know which, if any, standard M size the foots’ screw mount may be. I think that information may need to be provided by dCS but it will almost certainly not be the US thread pitch that you have.

Right Pete. But the adapters are easy to come by and specifically made for this purpose. I just need to know which ones to get. I just found this chart at US Stillpoints page. It says M4, but I would like to get confirmation from dCS first. [And in case it makes a difference, my Vivaldi stack was delivered in 2020.]

Unfortunately the Stillpoints chart only lists dCS’ second generation products ( Paganini, Puccini, Debussy). Vivaldi boxes are larger and heavier and, if I remember correctly, the feet are different to those used on the earlier series. That doesn’t of course mean that the thread sizes are automatically going to be different but that the Stillpoints list cannot be relied on for the current ranges.

Anyway I hope you get this sorted out as I am looking forward to hearing of the result that you find.

1 Like

Not sure how helpful this is, but here’s the diameter of the threads on mine. Also 2020 delivery :grinning:
image

2 Likes

Thanks Jeff. That sure looks close to M4.

It’s confirmed. My Stillpoints M4:¼-20 adapters arrived over the weekend. Fit is perfect. Vivaldi foot threading is M4.

Greg, looking forward to your judgment as to whether the Stillpoint footers make a change. Or, better, an improvement. Or better still, a significant improvement.

Pete, no doubt it will be night & day! :wink: But seriously, I need to spend some time listening at higher volumes. I’ve had good experience with Stillpoints in the past, particularly with replacing the OEM feet on the Legacy Aeris with Ultra 5 feet. The cabinet that holds the components is made of cherry, and is sturdy. But with swiveling doors with glass inserts, I suspect there are opportunistic vibrations that reach the components. However, it’s also my impression that the dCS boxes are not merely heavy and largely inert, but they are also well-dampened. Still, I might hope to hear continued improvement in that sense of realism and three-dimensionality that comes from removing any elements of haze or veil in the system. We’ll see.

Greg, I am waiting for you to report that your wife yells from another room " Hey Honey, what have you done to the stereo ?" :wink:

1 Like

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: !

Just stick mine on Townshend Audio Siesmic pods, very handy space for the DCS remote…:grin::grin::grin:

I looked at the Townshend Seismic Pods. I already have the integral ones on my Reference Pre, and I like them a lot. But I wanted something to replace the OEM feet and thread in; I don’t care for the floating feet look. And I already have a place for the remote that I never use. :wink:

1 Like

PS currently using it to find the filter setting I prefer…4 over 5 based on extended listening to Sigur Ros…

1 Like

Removed my feet on the rossini and clock and now use some isoacoustic feet in their place, at first couldn’t tell any difference and so removed them after a week, but soon realised that i did indeed prefer the sound with them on, so changed them back.
I don’t know if its because i stack them, that it makes more of a difference, but i certainly prefer them fitted, just sounds more alive, and cleaner?
Will take a pic later and add it, as it would be good to see other non standard feet, also just to add all my gear is on the naim fraim, and i also have the same isolation feet under my melco.

I think that we may have had an exchange on this point some time ago, but if you can possibly get away from stacking components on top of one another you will enjoy a sound quality improvement. It is not just a situation of a mechanical interaction ( which the Isoacoustic feet seem to assist with ) but an electromagentic one .

The problem with doing that is because the dcs gear is so deep, it doesn’t fit inside the fraim legs, and so it needs a top shelf to fit.
But I did try it separated with my last rack, but couldn’t tell a difference, probably due to the rack? But with the fraim it has certainly made a difference i can pick out, but then the fraim did make a nice difference in sound quality over my last rack.
Anyway it’s all sounding the best it ever has, obviously I will keep chipping away at it and try a make it even better, but the main components are sorted and can’t see any box changes in the near future.


1 Like

dCS do indeed make some big, deep boxes. All my gear is in a nicely done horizontally-oriented altar, er, cherry cabinet, with removable back panels. All the panels have ventilation slots and one or two large circular cutouts that are sufficient for routing cables, even the fairly stiff Iconoclast ICs which need a fair bit of room to accommodate their minimum bend radius. Those back panels create a much cleaner, neater appearance by hiding the wiring from ordinary view while sitting anywhere in the living room, and higher acceptance by SWMBO. But when my Vivaldi stack arrived, I discovered I had to saw some additional holes and slots due to the depth of the boxes. Made all the difference.

I also use matte black finished Stillpoints Ultra SS footers. My Vivaldi stack is silver, and using black footers gives a sort of floating effect to the boxes, and matches the feet of the Merrill amps. Since fitting the Sfillpoints, I’ve not done any comparison evaluation to see if I prefer the sound. I already know how well Stillpoints work from my headphone rack and under my speakers, and in previous system generations, I have done numerous comparisons of isolation feet; nothing ever surpassed Stillpoints, except the combination of Stillpoints and the Sfillpoints ESS rack. I loved that thing. My wife . . . did not. :wink: In fact, there are a number of lovely modern audio racks I like, including the Naim Fraim, but few handle or hide cable management and a home theater system as well as the cabinet we have. Most seem purposed for audio shows and audio-only, and treat cables as something one wants to show off. Now, I like my cables, but in a room that is also used for non-audio entertainment, that’s just a non-starter.

The dCS OEM feet are attractive and seem functional, I like their low-profile, wide, aggressive, but sleek, appearance. But they’re not Stillpoints. Sorry for ranting a bit off topic. I hope that, if and when there is a Vivaldi successor, it is sonically compelling, even more attractively-sculpted, and not too much of a “box expansion” exercise. And that dCS stick with the M4 feet spec.

Yes tried stillpoints before and agree they work well, i found they did a very similar job to the ones i now use, they look quality certainly and cost accordingly as well, but the difference in cost over what i use, i couldn’t really see the value in it, as both did bring a nice improvement, i also liked the fatter lower look.

1 Like