NoVibes or Zalman ZM-2HC1 Heatpipe
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NoVibes or Zalman ZM-2HC1 Heatpipe
I'm going to build a new PC in a month or so and making it as quiet as possible is definately a high priority but I don't really want to sacrifice too much performance (or pay far too much) in doing so.
The new PC will probably have the new Western Digital 10K SATA Raptor drive. Not sure whether to get the 36GB or 74GB version (depending on price) but both have FDB motors so this will reduce the high-pitch whine.
It'll also have an WD800JB or WD1200JB. If I can get my hands on the new FDB "PB" drives instead that'll be even better!
The problem lies with mounting them. I can get the Zalman HDD cooler/NR and NoVibes for around the same price. If both drive have FDB motors, does anyone know which product is better at dampening the coupling noises? Has anyone tried both solutions out?
I was leaning towards the Zalman because it runs cooler (man be an issue for the 74GB Raptor) but if the NoVibes is a lot quieter I might get that instead.
The new PC will probably have the new Western Digital 10K SATA Raptor drive. Not sure whether to get the 36GB or 74GB version (depending on price) but both have FDB motors so this will reduce the high-pitch whine.
It'll also have an WD800JB or WD1200JB. If I can get my hands on the new FDB "PB" drives instead that'll be even better!
The problem lies with mounting them. I can get the Zalman HDD cooler/NR and NoVibes for around the same price. If both drive have FDB motors, does anyone know which product is better at dampening the coupling noises? Has anyone tried both solutions out?
I was leaning towards the Zalman because it runs cooler (man be an issue for the 74GB Raptor) but if the NoVibes is a lot quieter I might get that instead.
I think the v80 5400rpm drive will be way too slow for me as my current PC is fitted with the WD800JB drive (7200rpm, 8MB).
The Samsung P80 (7200rpm, 8MB) looks interesting and could be a good alternative for the WD800JB. I don't think it'll be as fast though. Take a look at these benchmarks
Edit: Sorry. Fixed long link
The Samsung P80 (7200rpm, 8MB) looks interesting and could be a good alternative for the WD800JB. I don't think it'll be as fast though. Take a look at these benchmarks
Edit: Sorry. Fixed long link
The 74GB Raptor isn't the problem as I'd definately be getting that!Mario wrote:What am I missing here? Following your link the Raptor is quieter than the Samsung Vsomething at idle?
But I'll need more space so I''m getting a normal 7200rpm 8MB drive as well. My WD800JB has served me well but the high pitched whine gets annoying. I'm hoping to get the FDB version (maybe 120GB) but I'll still need a dampening device like the NoVibes or Zalman Heatpipe device for both drives to reduce seek noise.
I just finished reviewing the ZM-2HC1 (still have to write the article). Zalman's HD cooler requires that you mount the drive in a 5"1/4 bay, where temperature can be an issue as there will be very little airflow.
In order to test the cooling efficiency of the ZM-2HC1, I suspended a 60gb Barracuda ATA V in a 5"1/4 bay, much like you would do with the NoVibes, measured the temps, and then mounted the same drive in the same place with the ZM-2HC1.
With the ZM-2HC1, the drive was perfectly decoupled, no vibration was transmited to the case, seeks were much quieter. The drive was used for a full 24h, average temp was ~48°c.
With the drive just suspended, temp reached 58°c within a few hours, and the test was aborted.
By the way, I also got interesting results by taking the ZM-2HC1 appart, and mounting it upside down (heatpipes below the drive), and then suspending the drive below the HD cage. ~36°c instead of ~42°c without the ZM-2HC1. I decided to test that because in my case the air vents are below the drive.
In order to test the cooling efficiency of the ZM-2HC1, I suspended a 60gb Barracuda ATA V in a 5"1/4 bay, much like you would do with the NoVibes, measured the temps, and then mounted the same drive in the same place with the ZM-2HC1.
With the ZM-2HC1, the drive was perfectly decoupled, no vibration was transmited to the case, seeks were much quieter. The drive was used for a full 24h, average temp was ~48°c.
With the drive just suspended, temp reached 58°c within a few hours, and the test was aborted.
By the way, I also got interesting results by taking the ZM-2HC1 appart, and mounting it upside down (heatpipes below the drive), and then suspending the drive below the HD cage. ~36°c instead of ~42°c without the ZM-2HC1. I decided to test that because in my case the air vents are below the drive.
That is EXACTLY what I wanted to find out! Thanks!
I've seen reports that drives run cooler with the ZM-2HC1 (compared to a standard mount in a 3.5" bay) but was worried it wouldn't have the acoustic dampening abilities of the NoVibes. I'm happy to see this is not the case.
Time to go out and get myself a few Zalman HD coolers!
I've seen reports that drives run cooler with the ZM-2HC1 (compared to a standard mount in a 3.5" bay) but was worried it wouldn't have the acoustic dampening abilities of the NoVibes. I'm happy to see this is not the case.
Time to go out and get myself a few Zalman HD coolers!
Interesting. The other two reviews I've seen (OcPrices and myWorld) showed small decreases in temperature. Oh well... as long as its within the drive's operating tolerence, its OK with me.
Also could you hear (or measure) any differences between mounting the drive with the Zalman cooler and the suspender? I'm curious as to whether the harddrive would rattle against the Zalman cooler.
BTW what suspender setup are you using? Is it the NoVibes?
Also could you hear (or measure) any differences between mounting the drive with the Zalman cooler and the suspender? I'm curious as to whether the harddrive would rattle against the Zalman cooler.
BTW what suspender setup are you using? Is it the NoVibes?
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Well, that's the problem with putting hard drives in the 5 1/4" bays: no real airflow in a typical case design.. can't blame Zalman for that.
I still think suspension is kind of a waste of time for noise reduction-- only because noisy drives tend to be ultra-noisy at idle. Suspension does nothing to alleviate idle noise. I have yet to meet a noisy drive that is noisly ONLY during seeks. Usually the idle noise is the worst part, and the additional seek noise is barely noticeable over that..
On drives that are already quiet (no idle whine), you may get some benefit, but it's kind of academic at that point IMO.
I still think suspension is kind of a waste of time for noise reduction-- only because noisy drives tend to be ultra-noisy at idle. Suspension does nothing to alleviate idle noise. I have yet to meet a noisy drive that is noisly ONLY during seeks. Usually the idle noise is the worst part, and the additional seek noise is barely noticeable over that..
On drives that are already quiet (no idle whine), you may get some benefit, but it's kind of academic at that point IMO.
FWIW...from a post from before you joined....wumpus wrote:Suspension does nothing to alleviate idle noise.
MikeC wrote:Decoupling the HDD actually reduces the whine directly -- it seems to get accentuated by the case.karmasalad wrote:Well, I'm no expert, but I believe the foam serves the purpose of muffling the idle whine, as well as preventing any vibration noise from being amplified by the case.
someguy-
If all you are concerned about is seek noise, why not just use a hard disk utility to enable acoustic management on the new hard drives? (Perhaps the WD drives do not permit it to be enabled-- I don't know either way.)
Also, the SR link you gave indicates that the Samsung P80 drive outperforms the WD JB drive in almost every category, except for server performance.
I wouldn't put too much stock in Storage Review's acoustic measurements. While it's great that they are included, they're taken so ridiculously close to the hard drive that they aren't particularly informative as to the actual user experience.
Finally, even with a Zalman or No-Vibes, mounting HDs in your 5 1/4" bays moves the drives closer to your ears and away from your intake fan(s). You might consider mounting the 5 1/4" drive cage from an old case in place of your new case's 3 1/2" drive cage (or below it), and placing the drives in that cage.
If all you are concerned about is seek noise, why not just use a hard disk utility to enable acoustic management on the new hard drives? (Perhaps the WD drives do not permit it to be enabled-- I don't know either way.)
Also, the SR link you gave indicates that the Samsung P80 drive outperforms the WD JB drive in almost every category, except for server performance.
I wouldn't put too much stock in Storage Review's acoustic measurements. While it's great that they are included, they're taken so ridiculously close to the hard drive that they aren't particularly informative as to the actual user experience.
Finally, even with a Zalman or No-Vibes, mounting HDs in your 5 1/4" bays moves the drives closer to your ears and away from your intake fan(s). You might consider mounting the 5 1/4" drive cage from an old case in place of your new case's 3 1/2" drive cage (or below it), and placing the drives in that cage.
The SR comparison was between an 80GB WD JB and a 160GB P80. A larger drive (of similar spec) will always be faster than a smaller one. HD prices rise quickly after the 120GB mark. I also don't really need a huge HD either.
I'm concerned about both seek and idle noise. AFAIK FDB motors will help reduce the whine and the Zalman will help reduce seek noise. I'll check out whether the WD has acoustic management. I have a Deathstar 75GXP which could REALLY do with some help in the noise department.
BTW, I have a noisy drive that is especially noisy at seek... the Deathstar! I'll be installing the Zalman on one of these. The WD800JB (2 platter version) is also reasonably noisy when seeking as well but nowhere near as bad.
I think I'll be revising my HD requirements. The 74GB Raptor seems to be 3x more expensive than the 36GB Raptor!!! Hopefully the rumoured 36GB FDB Raptor will replace the current 36GB RR Raptor and keep the same price tag!
And if the WD PB drives don't appear by about Christmas, I might get the Seagate 80GB 8MB SATA drive. I don't like the thought however of spending more on a drive and having lower performance. You can't have everything!
I'm concerned about both seek and idle noise. AFAIK FDB motors will help reduce the whine and the Zalman will help reduce seek noise. I'll check out whether the WD has acoustic management. I have a Deathstar 75GXP which could REALLY do with some help in the noise department.
BTW, I have a noisy drive that is especially noisy at seek... the Deathstar! I'll be installing the Zalman on one of these. The WD800JB (2 platter version) is also reasonably noisy when seeking as well but nowhere near as bad.
I think I'll be revising my HD requirements. The 74GB Raptor seems to be 3x more expensive than the 36GB Raptor!!! Hopefully the rumoured 36GB FDB Raptor will replace the current 36GB RR Raptor and keep the same price tag!
And if the WD PB drives don't appear by about Christmas, I might get the Seagate 80GB 8MB SATA drive. I don't like the thought however of spending more on a drive and having lower performance. You can't have everything!
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Sure, but reduce is a relative term. I can have my HORRIBLE 100gb WD "special edition" sitting on the material of your choice inside the case, and it's no less deafening. There may be a very minor improvement when decoupling a truly noisy (idle) drive, but at the point where you can hear the drive's idle whine three rooms over, does it really make a significant difference?Decoupling the HDD actually reduces the whine directly -- it seems to get accentuated by the case.
Point being, if you buy the wrong hard drive.. you're pretty much screwed. IMO. I have a number of drives I'm selling on eBay as fast as I can...
I have a Seagate V in a No Vibes and a fan blowing on it. If I turned the fan to exhaust from the HDD, this would prob. be better than blowing on it, correct?
The fan is a good 3/4 inch away from HDD, blowing on the IDE connection.
Also, I was thinking that a drive suspended loosely would have better airflow, with a fan, than one suspended tightly but w/o touching anything else. If I took the bands from NoVibes and placed them on a bar inside the case, suspending the HDD just above the flow of air, this would be better, right?
The fan is a good 3/4 inch away from HDD, blowing on the IDE connection.
Also, I was thinking that a drive suspended loosely would have better airflow, with a fan, than one suspended tightly but w/o touching anything else. If I took the bands from NoVibes and placed them on a bar inside the case, suspending the HDD just above the flow of air, this would be better, right?
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Yes, in most instances it does. I took two hard-mounted WD drives (40gb and 80gb, 7200rpm) in a friend's computer and placed them on the bottom of the case on some folded-up socks. The reduction in idle noise was remarkable. In my quiet system, placing a Spinpoint 1614N on a sock does a great job attenuating the noise, both low-frequency and high-frequency.wumpus wrote:Sure, but reduce is a relative term. I can have my HORRIBLE 100gb WD "special edition" sitting on the material of your choice inside the case, and it's no less deafening. There may be a very minor improvement when decoupling a truly noisy (idle) drive, but at the point where you can hear the drive's idle whine three rooms over, does it really make a significant difference?Decoupling the HDD actually reduces the whine directly -- it seems to get accentuated by the case.
I also had a Maxtor D740x whose high-pitched whine was not significantly attenuated when I suspended it, although the low-frequency noise/buzz all but disappeared. So suspension doesn't always make a big difference, but it often does help a lot.
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If near-silence is a high priority, you'll want to get the quietest hard drive on the market. In my dual XP1600+ machine, the suspended Samsung 1614N (160GB P80, IDE) is still the loudest thing in the computer, although its complete lack of whine makes the noise unintrusive. If I had a Raptor, I'd go nuts from the noise.SomeGuy15 wrote:I'm going to build a new PC in a month or so and making it as quiet as possible is definately a high priority but I don't really want to sacrifice too much performance (or pay far too much) in doing so.
Think about your need for a fast hard drive. How often in normal system operation is your hard drive the bottleneck? How important is a 30% speed improvement in those situations?
Now look at your need for silence. If you live in a fairly quiet dwelling, you will probably be able to hear your Raptor at all hours of the day (unless it's masked by fan noise or music). Will that bother you?
The Spinpoint 1213N is cheaper than the Raptor, it gives you enough storage space to eliminate the need for a second hard drive, it runs cool enough to work in almost any suspension setup (if you even find such a setup necessary), and it's darn quiet. Unfortunately, it's also slower.
Many people here hit a wall when trying to silence their computers--their hard drives are too noisy, so they have to enclose it or upgrade it. Building a hard drive enclosuse can be tricky, especially for hot hard drives, and buying one can be costly, plus you still need to cool it somehow. Upgrading a hard drive is more expensive, time-consuming, and fraught with potential problems than any other noise-eliminating upgrade you can make to your PC, aside from water cooling.
Choose your hard drive carefully!
Thanks for the advise Basically I don't need a 100% silent PC but I want it to be as quiet as possible... Hmmm this is the same thing isn't it?SometimesWarrior wrote:If near-silence is a high priority, you'll want to get the quietest hard drive on the market. In my dual XP1600+ machine, the suspended Samsung 1614N (160GB P80, IDE) is still the loudest thing in the computer, although its complete lack of whine makes the noise unintrusive. If I had a Raptor, I'd go nuts from the noise.
Think about your need for a fast hard drive. How often in normal system operation is your hard drive the bottleneck? How important is a 30% speed improvement in those situations?
Now look at your need for silence. If you live in a fairly quiet dwelling, you will probably be able to hear your Raptor at all hours of the day (unless it's masked by fan noise or music). Will that bother you?
The Spinpoint 1213N is cheaper than the Raptor, it gives you enough storage space to eliminate the need for a second hard drive, it runs cool enough to work in almost any suspension setup (if you even find such a setup necessary), and it's darn quiet. Unfortunately, it's also slower.
Many people here hit a wall when trying to silence their computers--their hard drives are too noisy, so they have to enclose it or upgrade it. Building a hard drive enclosuse can be tricky, especially for hot hard drives, and buying one can be costly, plus you still need to cool it somehow. Upgrading a hard drive is more expensive, time-consuming, and fraught with potential problems than any other noise-eliminating upgrade you can make to your PC, aside from water cooling.
Choose your hard drive carefully!
This new PC needs to be fast. It'll run Linux and also be used for apps such as video and photo editing. Transfering several GB from a DV and manipulating it means a fast HD is important.
The "old" Raptor has ball bearing motors and the whine would probably get very annoying. I'm hoping to get the new 36GB Raptor which apprently uses new FDB motors which "should" reduce the whine.
The new FDB 76GB Raptor is a lot quieter (even quieter than your Samsung according to SR) than the old BB 36GB Raptor. If this new FDB 36GB Raptor does exist, it should be even quieter!
Then there's the Seagate 7200.7 beast. Its not cheap but its reasonably fast (not quite WD JB though) and is supposed to be one of the quietest around.
I have bad news for you on the Seagate 7200.7. I am currently using one.
- the drive has no detectable idle whine
- the drive is clearly audible when seeking (significantly louder than a Hitachi with acoustic management enabled)
- the drive also has a lot of buzzing/clicking at idle - see other posts in the storage forum
- and its not that fast either (but fast enough for me)
As for mouting HDD's in 51/4 bays, I have no experience on this at all. I do, however have a Coolermaster Aerogate II installed into my machine. I have read several reviews about this monitoring tool and none were very kind to it.
Personally I think this could be very useful for you as
- it has 4 temperature sensors that can be located whereever you like (like stuck to HDD's)
- it has a small fan, that is nice and quiet when you turn it down to its lowest setting
- this fan will suck in air directly into the 5 1/4 bays, I have my DVD-RW about the fan intake to help cool it
- its cheap, and personally I like the look of it, although others have said they dont like its appearance
- others have also said that they find the controls to be too insensitive, personally I was really impressed (maybe I got a good example), so be sure to read other ppl's opinions b4 buying. There was a very informative review done buy CustomPC on this and other gadgets, but its not online yet - I have the mag so I can scan something in if you are desperate.
- the drive has no detectable idle whine
- the drive is clearly audible when seeking (significantly louder than a Hitachi with acoustic management enabled)
- the drive also has a lot of buzzing/clicking at idle - see other posts in the storage forum
- and its not that fast either (but fast enough for me)
As for mouting HDD's in 51/4 bays, I have no experience on this at all. I do, however have a Coolermaster Aerogate II installed into my machine. I have read several reviews about this monitoring tool and none were very kind to it.
Personally I think this could be very useful for you as
- it has 4 temperature sensors that can be located whereever you like (like stuck to HDD's)
- it has a small fan, that is nice and quiet when you turn it down to its lowest setting
- this fan will suck in air directly into the 5 1/4 bays, I have my DVD-RW about the fan intake to help cool it
- its cheap, and personally I like the look of it, although others have said they dont like its appearance
- others have also said that they find the controls to be too insensitive, personally I was really impressed (maybe I got a good example), so be sure to read other ppl's opinions b4 buying. There was a very informative review done buy CustomPC on this and other gadgets, but its not online yet - I have the mag so I can scan something in if you are desperate.
This is good news. I was thinking to get this product. When will we be able to see your review? I am most interested.Kostik wrote:I did a DIY suspension, much like the Novibes, should work just the same.
The ZM-2HC1 by itself doesn't rattle, and it provides a good decoupling. There was no vibration transmitted to the case that I could feel.
Also: I have seen that it is also possible to mount it on the bottom of the case that would bring the additional advantage for the disk to be in the proximity of the fans.
Did anybody try also this option? Is the decoupling still working fine with this mounting position?
Thanks
Damn, I found the cooler/mount I needed but now I have to seek out an appropriate drive! How bad is the seek noise compared to the current Western Digital BB/JB range?luminous wrote:I have bad news for you on the Seagate 7200.7. I am currently using one.
- the drive has no detectable idle whine
- the drive is clearly audible when seeking (significantly louder than a Hitachi with acoustic management enabled)
- the drive also has a lot of buzzing/clicking at idle - see other posts in the storage forum
- and its not that fast either (but fast enough for me)
Have you tried mounting the Seagate with some sort of dampening device (NoVibes, Zalman heatpipe, siliceous washers...)? This should reduce the seek noises.
I'm hesitant on getting a Hitachi Deskstar as my current Deathstar 75GXP is clicking away to a slow, painful and *LOUD* death! The Deskstar 7K250 80GB 8MB SATA drive does look good though. How's the Hitachi without AM enabled?
Seagate 7200.7 seek noises are lower than Western Digital. The sounds are slightly higher pitched, but not intrusive (imo)
Hitachi Deskstar 180GXP is louder than the Seagate without AM. It is on a par with the Western Digital (imo)
With AM the Deskstar is very quiet when seeking.
If you know that there is not going to be a reset issue with a Hitachi drive, then it could be a good drive to go for.
You could go for the new Samsung drives, they are meant to be the best performing dirves that are quiet. Personally, I have not heard them, so I can only suggest that you read other ppls opinions on them.
Hitachi Deskstar 180GXP is louder than the Seagate without AM. It is on a par with the Western Digital (imo)
With AM the Deskstar is very quiet when seeking.
If you know that there is not going to be a reset issue with a Hitachi drive, then it could be a good drive to go for.
You could go for the new Samsung drives, they are meant to be the best performing dirves that are quiet. Personally, I have not heard them, so I can only suggest that you read other ppls opinions on them.
Last edited by luminous on Thu Nov 13, 2003 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
When you say there was no vibration transmitted to the case, are you comparing it with a HDD that caused vibration before using the Zalman?Kostik wrote:I did a DIY suspension, much like the Novibes, should work just the same.
The ZM-2HC1 by itself doesn't rattle, and it provides a good decoupling. There was no vibration transmitted to the case that I could feel.
Have you concluded the Zalman effectively reduces vibration and seek noise comparably to NoVibes?
How does the Zalman rubber thingies differ than say the rubber grommets used in cases made by Antec? I mean, if the Zalman doesn't truly suspend the HDD, then isn't it like using rubber grommets without the cooling qualities?
I'd love to read the reviews on your website, but I don't speak or read French. Any translation available to English?
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Kostik's website can be easily translated using http://www.google.com/language_tools -- it does an OK job, maybe because kostic writes clean French.
His review of the ZM-2HC1 is up, btw: http://www.pcsilencieux.com/article-30.html
I've been examining one of these in the last few days, and I am in agreement witi Kostik on all issues except about noise. I don't think it is as effective as a novibesIII or an elastic suspension. The rubber used in the shock absorber is quite hard, and does allow some vibration from an IBM, a Samsung and a 'cuda IV to be transmitted into the case. It's not a HUGE difference, but it's fairly easy to tell with any of these drives when it is seeking. With suspension, you literally cannot hear the seek noise in a decent case.
Having played around with a bit of sorbothane the last few days, I have to wonder why the Zalman boys didn't go with something more like that. The amount of material is so small and the advantage, IMO, is real.
Still it is definitely cooler than just suspending in the 5.25" bay, so if you can't use a good airflow position to suspend your drive, then this might be the next best compromise.
Kostik, did you try it with more than one drive? You really heard NO difference at all between the ZM-2HC1 and a real elastic suspension? I could actually feel the difference in vibration level with my fingers on the top of the case. With the elastic there is none, with the ZM, there is a bit. Maybe I was in a viciously hypersensitive mood that day?
His review of the ZM-2HC1 is up, btw: http://www.pcsilencieux.com/article-30.html
I've been examining one of these in the last few days, and I am in agreement witi Kostik on all issues except about noise. I don't think it is as effective as a novibesIII or an elastic suspension. The rubber used in the shock absorber is quite hard, and does allow some vibration from an IBM, a Samsung and a 'cuda IV to be transmitted into the case. It's not a HUGE difference, but it's fairly easy to tell with any of these drives when it is seeking. With suspension, you literally cannot hear the seek noise in a decent case.
Having played around with a bit of sorbothane the last few days, I have to wonder why the Zalman boys didn't go with something more like that. The amount of material is so small and the advantage, IMO, is real.
Still it is definitely cooler than just suspending in the 5.25" bay, so if you can't use a good airflow position to suspend your drive, then this might be the next best compromise.
Kostik, did you try it with more than one drive? You really heard NO difference at all between the ZM-2HC1 and a real elastic suspension? I could actually feel the difference in vibration level with my fingers on the top of the case. With the elastic there is none, with the ZM, there is a bit. Maybe I was in a viciously hypersensitive mood that day?
Thanks, MikeC, for the link, and for your comments.MikeC wrote:Kostik's website can be easily translated using http://www.google.com/language_tools -- it does an OK job, maybe because kostic writes clean French.
The translation was pretty clean except for all that talk about "food".
The review was very interesting and brought to my attention quite a discrepancy regarding temperature with Zalman versus DIY or NoVibes. A ten degree difference is quite substantial. Considering that you should keep your HDD below 50 C, it would appear mounting in 5.25 inch bay is not practical for many people. As you pointed out, one needs good case air flow to use DIY or NoVibes mounted in a 5.25 inch bay. I assume most cases have the air flow coming in from the lower front. And I would assume cases with large venting holes in front will allow more noise to escape.
I also read his review on the Nexus 3500 PSU. Again, very interesting. I wonder if removing the grille on the Nexus would have helped reduce some of that noise he was hearing.
I tried it with only one drive (60gb cuda V), and couldn't feel any vibrations from the case. But, as I mentionned in the review, seek noise were a bit louder, which I thought was because of the drive being mounted in a 5"1/4 bay, closer to the listeners ears.MikeC wrote:Kostik, did you try it with more than one drive? You really heard NO difference at all between the ZM-2HC1 and a real elastic suspension? I could actually feel the difference in vibration level with my fingers on the top of the case. With the elastic there is none, with the ZM, there is a bit. Maybe I was in a viciously hypersensitive mood that day?
Another possible explanation : maybe the rubber gets softer with time. The ZM-2HC1 that I got for review was far from new. It took me one hour to clean it, the heatpipes were covered with fingerprints. It looks to me like every reviewer from every hardware site on the planet has reviewed this ZM-2HC1 before I got it.
I'll test it again with a louder drive and let you know about the results.