About The IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform
The name zaZen is from Zen Buddhism and refers to sitting in peaceful meditation. The IsoAcoustics zaZen II features an elegant medium gloss black finish over a dense fibre construction to provide the ideal combination of visual and acoustic design to complete the IsoAcoustics platform. The platform is very dense and contains no voids, making it an ideal material for the isolation platform.
A High Degree Of Isolation: The crucial element is the integrated isolators which use IsoAcoustics patented isolation technology. The combination of the mass from the dense platform with the integrated isolators creates a high degree of isolation, allowing turntables and electronic components including valve amplifiers, preamplifiers and disc players to perform at their best, revealing greater acoustic clarity and detail.
Discover What You've Been Missing: Navigating the tiny variations in the vinyl's groove, the turntable stylus is a delicate instrument. Problems occur at higher volumes, footsteps cause the record to skip, but what is often overlooked are the finer details that are missing or distorted as a result of vibrations. The zaZen provides a stable platform with a low noise floor that allows turntables to reach their full potential without interference from structure born vibrations, revealing a new level of detail and clarity.
How Do The Isolators In zaZen Work? The integrated isolators are based on the design of the award-winning GAIA Series. The isolators use IsoAcoustics patented design which consists of a top isolator, bottom isolator, and a connector. The isolation is a result of the way the 3 parts work together, so there is not a single path connecting the live equipment to the supporting surface. It is the shape, durometer, and material characteristics of the isolators that are tuned for a given weight capacity. The isolators are absorbing the vibrations, so they do not resonate through, or reflect off the supporting surface. The isolators are partially recessed into the platform and fastened into place for a strong connection to the platform.
Which Model To Choose: The zaZen model should be selected based on the weight they will be supporting. The zaZen I is recommended for lighter turntables and components and has a weight capacity of 11.3 kg. The zaZen II has a weight capacity of up to 18.1 kg. It is also important to ensure that the component can fit on top of the zaZen platform which measures 432mm wide by 381mm deep.
IsoAcoustics zaZen Reviews
"I've never seen such unanimous praise as I have for products made by IsoAcoustics, many of which are beyond my price range. But as I was formulating this story IsoAcoustics randomly reached out via DM and offered to send review samples of their zaZen I turntable platform ($399). I was stoked but cautious. Turns out I should have just been stoked.
The zaZen platform replaced an elaborate two-tiered isolation setup involving cork pads, bamboo cutting board, and the crazy squash ball thing — all of which worked but looked insane. The zaZen, with its dense platform and IsoPuck feet, is unobtrusive at 1.5 inches tall, looks elegant, and does a better job.
I took a cautious step. I took a normal step. Then I took an aggressive step — let's just call it a drunk step — and nothing happened except music. No skips. I was pleasantly shocked. Maybe $399 sounds like a lot of money, but after struggling for years with skips and occasional feedback, it feels like a screaming bargain and I'm buying the review sample." Discogs
"IsoAcoustics zaZen models help reduce ground-borne vibration; you put the zaZen on a shelf, put a product on the zaZen… and that's it. Aside from some care in selecting the right model for the weight of the product, the job is done. And it works, too. Yes, the most noticeable changes zaZen brings about are when it sits beneath a turntable or something with valves/tubes, but it's surprising just how many other products benefit from that vibration reduction too; streamers, in particular, seem to benefit from the zaZen's sense of chill. Finally, if you are the kind of person that loves a bit of good sound but finds high-performance audio furniture a little too 'overt', a zaZen under each device on your domestic furniture makes a lot of sense." Hi-Fi Plus
"Among the latest offerings to join the IsoAcoustics line, zaZen represents a ground floor solution in a segment where the sky is the limit. On a shelf or sideboard, IsoAcoustics zaZen II integrates almost invisibly in an existing den or living room. Sonically high achieving, it provides an excellent foundation for smaller, budget systems. Particularly impressive was the way it steadied and focused large groups of choral singers while allowing greater individuation of voices. On the key issues like image stability, lower congestion, and resolving power, the zaZen II gave this listener more than a glimpse of the transparency that intelligent isolation can impart." The Absolute Sound Editors' Choice Awards 2023
"Cutting right to the chase, the zaZen II didn't affect system tonality or skew frequency response in one direction or the other. Its effects were more subtle but instantly perceivable. Overall balance per se remained the same, but the zaZen II did clarify and hone the perception of details by adding just a shade more contrast and sharper focus and, to a lesser extent, by firming up bass response.
How does the zaZen II stack up to state-of-art-isolation like my Critical Mass Systems four-tier Sotto Voce equipment rack (AUD$7,350 – AUD$8,990)? Keeping in mind that zaZen II is limited to relatively small, lightweight components, it nonetheless fared remarkably well. In comparison to the CMS, it couldn't quite confer the weight or elicit the deepest background silences that underpin large-scale orchestral recordings or big bands, but on key issues like image stability and low-level resolving power the zaZen II gave this listener more than a glimpse of the transparency that intelligent isolation can impart.
On shelf or sideboard, the IsoAcoustics zaZen II will integrate almost invisibly with the décor of an existing den or living room. Visually low-impact, but sonically high-achieving, it provided an excellent foundation for smaller budget systems. The primary takeaway: zaZen's steadying influence allowed more of the fruits of a musical recording to be revealed and enjoyed.
In conclusion, products like the IsoAcoustics zaZen II are a reminder of just how far you can go in the high end without betting the farm. Unreservedly recommended." The Absolute Sound
Our Take
Hands up how many people want to put their turntable on the same shelf or cabinet as their speakers? Going on how many people we have through the shop that want to do exactly that, it seems to be pretty widespread. The problem of course is that a turntable is very sensitive to vibrations and speakers are all about producing vibrations. So – what to do? You can always get a pair of speaker stands, which is what we normally recommend, but finally we have an alternate solution which many will see as a more attractive option. The IsoAcoustics zaZen will accommodate any turntable we sell and will keep those pesky vibrations at bay so your records are free to sound exactly how nature and the recording artist intended. It's a win-win!
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Isolation Platform designed for heavier turntables, valve amps and other sensitive components
- Finish: Medium Gloss Black
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 432 x 34 x 381mm
- Weight Capacity: 18.1 kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 1 Year
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.