If you pay extra to buy "speed stabilised drive mechanics" then you have been suckered ; the drive speed could drop to zero for up to a quarter of a second (in modern audio players) without affecting the playback in the least, since the data stream from the disk drive is recognised as being unstable; as a result, it is buffered in a FIFO which feeds the data out at an accurate clock rate to the DACs. As long as the FIFO is fed, then there is no need to mute. You should be paying more for accurate, synchronised output stage clocks (aka Linn) and large FIFOs, coupled to accurate, linear, high bitcount DACs.

So how come that when I add an isolation pad to my CD player (and amp) the music sounds significantly better then?

I recently came into some money and bought a new home system (Arcam FMJ series, as it happens) and a 70ukp isolation pad gave the music a significantly better sound stage (in the pure sense) and a much greater range.

I don't see why, apart from the noise from travelling at 60mph, this sort of extra isolation couldn't be added to a car stereo.

As far as I can see:

Better laser precision = better reproduction of the audio stream.

?

Cheers,

Paul

Paul Haigh, 6GB, Blue
Reg: 4120 - Serial 00254