Anti Vibration Devices

There seem to be a huge number of different devices on the market claiming to improve a systems sound quality by reducing vibration in electronic components, you know anti vibration pods and alike. At the same time many highly respected active speaker manufacturers are housing their amps within the speaker itself, which surely must be one of the most vibration prone places possible. It seems logical to place anti vibration devices under record decks but If companies like ATC and others don't feel the need to place their amp and crossover in a separate boxes might this suggest vibrations are not that much of an issue with regard to electronic components?

Edit - This is not meant to be a challenge to those who have strong views either way, rather an opportunity to share your experience.

 

And for speakers you can just use the ones for white goods such as washing machines.

 

I don't blindly subscribe to such views derived from the design philosophy of certain speaker manufacturers such as ATC or Harbeth, or anyone on this forum for that matter. I usually form an opinion or judgment based on my own experience which I can share with other forum members later.

To cut to the chase, based on my recent experience with isolation products, I find them to be beneficial when used on both components and loudspeakers. These vibration devices have brought positive changes when placed under the solid-state amplifiers and DAC in my system. I won't elaborate on the differences although I could detail them here since this thread is suggesting on the insignificance of vibration control for components.

The speakers in my main system are fitted with Isoacosutics Gaia 2 whilst the amps and DAC are supported on a combination of Finite Elemente Cerapuc, Cerabase and Nobsound springs. The FE isolators have been used in the system for almost a decade I think, whereas the Nobsound springs were a recent addition about a month ago. I have to say, the Nobsounds are a revelation as it's the first time in 30 years I can actually tune or alter the sound of an amp, not just any tube amp but solid-state amps by just changing the spring configuration. Again, I won't go into detail here. What I can say is suitable isolation devices with proper set up will likely bring positive gains to the sound of the system. With run-of-the-mill products or an improper set up of such isolation devices, you will either hear a negligible difference or worse sound quality.

FWIW I now consider proper isolation to be indispensable in any good system. I have to admit that I did not try some of the best products in the market such as Townshend. Nevertheless, some of the reasonably priced options will still be able to bring a positive change to the system.

I can see that many folks on this forum do not use isolation devices on components as the gear directly sit on a rack or piece of furniture, or the speakers are spiked or placed directly on the floor or carpet. That's perfectly fine as you will still get great sound quality from the system. However, if anyone desires to achieve more from the system whether it's a higher level of refinement or detail, tighter and more defined bass or a more 3-D or holographic sound etc. a proper implementation of appropriate isolation devices will give you that. I actually find the impact to be quite similar to adding room treatments. If anyone can't do room treatments for any particular reason, some of these isolators may come in handy.

 

These ex military mounts were recommended on another forum as cost effective sophisticated anti vibration units. This tray give 4 with a loading of 8lbs each.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19289103...d=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

 

An easier, cheaper and greener option would be to run down and stop your four merlin engines before listening to music.

 

I shelled out big about 12 years ago for a SRA scuttle rack. They have many patents and their head designer worked for the Us govt/NSA to help silence nuclear submarines. His tech seemed legit, and the performance was stellar. I was floored. The Gaia are excellent, just added them to my Vivids.

 

For my money the products sold by Soundeck are hard to beat and at only 2-3mm thick are pretty discreet. I have them below items of equipment and also below the feet of my Quadraspire cabinet and my adjacent stand. The first product I bought of this nature was the Sound Dead Steel, early Soundeck, platter mat for my Technics Sl-1200 Mk2. Worked a treat by killing vibration and adding mass. Double whammy. I also liked ball bearing based isolation but they were trickier to fit and were more visible.

 

A solid state amplifier with active crossover is far less vibration sensitive than a typical bass crossover inductor

 

I use felt pads under the feet of my separates.

Cost < £1

 

At least it won’t mark the furniture.

 

I watched this YouTube video from the Soundeck website demonstrating their mat and it made me wonder how the stock Technics mat would have performed vs the bare platter.

 

No furniture involved as everything has its own individual wall shelf.

(apart from the floorstanders natch )

 

This link is obviously out of date now - can you provide more details so I can identify the items in question?

 

Isolating a TT or using different platter mats on a device that is a vibration measuring device makes perfect sense.

Isolating solid state devices, excluding crystal oscillators makes no sense, unless you have a transformer that's so noisy it makes the casework vibrate as well as whatever it sits on.

Isolating speakers depending on how they are mounted, bouncy wooden floor vs poured concrete slab, might make sense.

The biggest noise source in any piece of kit is usually the transformer. Better to treat it at source, ie between transformer and the chassis, than between chassis and stand. The transformers in my own mono blocks are bolted to a 5mm thick circular perspex plate, which is glued to a 10mm thick soft neoprene doughnut, which is glued to the chassis. No direct connection between traffo and chassis, its floating on a ring of soft neoprene. Better than any footer or fancy table.

 

This,I have never seen any measurable and audible differences ‘isolating’ loudspeakers but if you have them please post.
Keith

 

Isolating transformers certainly makes sense Simon. It’s speaker isolation I’m primarily interested in at this juncture.

Keith; Joseph Crowe has measured the effect of the ISO Acoustic devices and reported it improved things subjectively. See his YouTube vid. He is a reliable witness.

 

How much to speakers actually vibrate? Speaker cone movement is surely very small, it’s not like a washing machine on the spin cycle.

 

Hmm speakers vibrate all the time, it is up to the loudspeakers designer to ensure energy that could lead to resonance is not stored.
I am highly sceptical of Gaia’s claim,
“The reduction in vibrations can be explained by the way that IsoAcoustics isolation manages the energy of the speaker to reduce internal reflections. The vibrations when spikes are used is greater in comparison because the vibrations are hitting the solid surface and conducted back to create internal reflections.”


Keith

 

I recommend Sonic Design pads

 

A good rule of thumb - if you want better sound quality do the opposite of what Kieth says, and you will be blessed with aural delight beyond a level he has experienced.

I use isolation devices under most things, and they are very effective. Ive never used anything too elaborate like Stillpoints as the cost to value seems on the high side, but as I have never heard there effect I cannot judge.

I dont use anything too expensive - Use preowned Audiophile base's under my Amp (£60 off eBay) and then the cheap IsoAcoustic Mini Iso pucks under everything else.

There is a very clear smoothing and increased naturalisation of sound with each application.

My speakers already have a decoupling+insolation system built into them and their stands which is partly what makes them so good, especially for suspended floors (Qacoustic Concept 300's)