Just by putting it under the speakers!? Easy fixes to improve your monitoring environment! I tried the CLASSIC PRO CIP10 Speaker Isolation Pad!

The speaker isolation pad CIP10 has finally been released by CLASSIC PRO!!

These came in stock the other day, so I could not wait to try them out right away.

Personally, I’m a fan of advertising claims such as “Just plug it into the car cigarette lighter to improve fuel efficiency!” for car accessories, “Just attach it onto your bass head to eliminate fading and extend the sustain!” for bass accessories, or anything that says “Just do it to improve something.” One that particularly caught my eye said, “Just place it under your monitor speakers to improve the sound.”

CLASSICPRO CIP10

“The CIP10 isolation pads can be placed underneath monitor speakers to improve the quality of your listening environment. These pads are made of soft, easy-to-use urethane sponge that provides solid vibration control. Combine the upper and the lower cushions to adjust your speaker to the ideal angle.”

■Isolation pads for studio monitor speakers

■For two speakers

■Combine the upper and the lower cushions to adjust the speaker angle.

■Dimensions: approx. 27 cm x 19 cm x 5 cm (upper + lower cushions when speaker angle is set to 0°)

■Depth measured from the stopper of the lower cushion: approx. 24 cm

■Five tilt options (-6°, -3°, 0°, +3°, +6°).

■Weight: 0.2 kg (2x upper cushions, 2x lower cushions)

The speaker I used to test out these pads was the popular studio monitor speaker, the 305P MKII by JBL.

The CIP10 is designed to fit the standard 5-inch studio monitor speakers, so when I placed the 305P MKII on them, the fit was just right. They weren’t too small or too big.

There are two types of pads with different angles and shapes that can be switched to the front and back, or they can be used individually to finely create a slope for the subtle angled tilt of the speaker.

This time, I put the speaker on the K&M monitor stand 26720

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could trust my ears to judge it, so I recorded the speaker sound with a ZOOM H6 portable recorder this way! I was surprised at how my ears heard the clear low frequency range that could also be heard in the recorded audio. It’s not a big difference but you will find it clearly sounds tighter and better with the pads because the low frequency is not muddy.

I have some sound samples here, so please listen for comparison.

I felt the difference particularly in the kick. I think you can hear the attack sound more clearly with the pads.

The sound sample starts without pads at first and then adds the pads. This pattern continues every 15 seconds as the timestamps show below.

00:00～　Without pads

00:15～　With pads

00:30～　Without pads

00:45～　With pads

01:00～　Without pads

Here are some separate samples.。

With pads

Without pads

The beautiful song I used this time is

「DJ KOMORI “TOKYO HOMESICK -I’m right here- feat. aimi」

I have known about aimi’s beautiful voice for a long time since she performs in Narita’s music events “Narita no Okage” and “Good To Be Home”, but when DJ KOMORI’s sound meets aimi’s voice, their interaction just gels well with each other to make some even more awesome music!! The instrumentals and the voice are just so cool and beautiful. It’s the perfect song for when you want to sit back and enjoy music alone on a calm night!!

“When I heard the concept and the beat of “Tokyo Homesick” from DJ KOMORI, I drew the gorgeous but lonely Tokyo in my mind from my point of view. There are some things you can overcome if only you were with your loved ones. This message was written because of this difficult time with COVID-19.” (From aimi’s Facebook page)

aimi’s Official Website

DJ KOMORI’s Official Website

What did you think?

The newly released speaker isolation pad, the CIP10 by CLASSIC PRO can easily improve your monitoring environment for a surprisingly low price. This is an item I recommend to those who mainly listen to music or watch movies on TV or PC as well as musicians who work with computer music.