Wow, every once in a while you come across a component that genuinely surprises you. That just happened to me after years of experimenting with various isolation accessories such as IsoAcoustics, Stillpoints, and others.
While these products did bring improvements, the effect was always relatively moderate. That changed dramatically when I tried Graphite Audio, which was recommended to me by friends (including Greek Ausio) and also caught my attention at the High End show in Munich.
I decided to go with the IC-35 Premium and was honestly astonished by the immediate and clearly audible improvement. The bass became tighter and more controlled, the background noticeably calmer, and the center image more stable and focused. As well as overall more live like and dynamic experience
So if you get a chance to try them, highly recommended.
Still, seems an outlandish price. āPremium Audioā prepares you for the cost though so no surprises. Pseudo technical mumbo jumbo in the description.
One for the Audiophile that already has everything else? I hope they have a decent return policy but if they work for you who am I to say otherwise.
You think heās using them under a piece of kit? Interesting. Given their appearance and the lack of specificity in the OP, I was thinking he might haveā¦ well, good taste prevents me saying. Not for us to judge.
They certainly look pretty. More than that I cannot say.
You somehow got that wrong. Itās 780 euros for 3 cones plus the base cups. I tried it on several components. Felt on streamer, DAC, amp they made the most difference.
Sure they are not cheap, but what you get in return I feel is well worth it. There are several reviews out there and an interesting description at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yZlhGT_R_I for example with more details.
IC-35 Premium Isolation Cones are manufactured from a sophisticated and revolutionary polymer with unique anti-vibration and damping capabilities.
Plastic.
Under heavy loads the tip of the cone may get slightly reshaped, which does not impact sonic performance of IC-35 Premium
With a very low Modulus of Young, they deform.
I am not convinced.
What is the material a how much does the base material cost?
Maybe something like TECASINT 6062 black?
The basis of this product, modified with graphite and PTFE, is a non-meltable, high-temperature resistant polyimide plastic. TECASINT 6062 black is a further development of the unfilled product TECASINT 6012 natural and can only be processed through the direct forming process. This material is a polyimide specially developed for tribological applications that require very good sliding/friction properties at high temperatures and moderate PV values. Thanks to the graphite/PTFE combination, TECASINT 6062 black polyimide has the lowest static friction compared to the other products in the 6000 series. This prevents the stick-slip effect in low-speed scrolling applications. Like all PI polymers, this product also has good resistance to high-energy radiation and chemicals. This polymer is suitable for applications in mechanical engineering, aerospace technology and the automotive industry.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) price December 2025 and outlook (see chart below)
I wonder what equipment it is that these things are allegedly benefitting. Everything Iāve tried under my Naim boxes over the years has made the sound worse. Iām happy to optimise cables and mains, but for some reason Iām really cynical about introducing funny footers, which invariably spoil the look of nicely designed boxes.
Exactly ā¦ it makes the Naim styling look like the boxes are standing on welly boots.
ā¦ plus Iām more than cynical about the āwords of wondermentā the marketing people dream up about these things. Its directly proportional to the extraction rate of the audiophool bank balance.
Funny, I asked them about that as well. They explained that this is only a caution regarding extreme weights (around 60ā70 kg and above), not normal use.
I have to admit over the long journey in HiFi I have been very sceptical about so many things ranging from the impact of power cables, Ethernet cables/switches etc and isolation accessories were no exception. And there is sometimes even very little R&D and mostly marketing. Just can tell from my own experiences, and from what other far more seasoned people like Greek Audio have said about it.
My issue with this kinda stuff, your cones and other āfeetā, plus the long list of boutique ethernet, go faster power cables and mega buck enhancement boxes etc, is the mnft cost vs retail price.
Its patently obvious these thing are not that expensive to manufacture and I expect the packing, in some cases, might cost more than the content.
But whatās the sound for Ā£$ā¬Ā„ ratio?
I hear you. Though thatās the exciting stuff - without changing components itās amazing to see what potential there is. What optimized power can do to your setup, when using a streaming setup what a Ethernet filter can do etc. So the sound has massively evolved and improved too over the years. So natural and live like that it feels like being part of the music, rather than just listening to some music coming out of speakers. On that journey I dismissed a couple of things that just didnāt provide the value or improvement that made a noticeable difference. But thatās part of the fascination of HiFi what can be achieved in a given setup or with small upgrades.
I work with Plastic structures. I do the static Engineering calculations for large structural plastic storage tanks. The material data sheet shows a reasonable Youngs Modulus. But then over time I must take into account ācreepā and use a much reduced YM.
So over a few years they will deform with much lower loading. a YM of 1700N/mm2 becomes effectively 300N/mm2 over time. So 70kg becomes 12kg
I get cables and connectors made up in a workshop near Rimini. I have seen my exact cables with the same exact connectors, selling pre packed in retail outlets for a price that is several times more that what I paid.
As in Photography, HiFi retailers make more money on accessories, than hardware.
But the material is no standard plastic. I guess the exact composition of materials used is what creates their overall sound improvement. And people using them for years report about their stable performance.
