Hmm.. it can be confusing. Even some manufacturers don't seem to know the difference either.
Hmm.. it can be confusing. Even some manufacturers don't seem to know the difference either.
Ultrafide U500DC power amplifier - Croft Vitale )highly modified) - TRIO L-07D Turntable - Denon DL103C1 - Funk Firm Houdini - Lentek MC head amp - 15" Tannoy Monitor Gold Loudspeakers in Lockwood Major cabinets (From Trident Studios) - Tannoyista SPEC 3 Custom Crossovers - VanDamme Black Speaker Cable
Tannoyista.com - Audio Equipment Reviews
Hit your equipment with a sock covered hammer whilst hooked up to an oscilloscope.
Any changes?
Good info Geoff in your first post.
Last edited by Gazjam; 17-02-2018 at 18:36.
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 166
I'm Alex.
Made some cast iron feet to put under my valve amplifier. There was an audible difference to the overall sound.
Last edited by maxrob200; 22-02-2018 at 02:11. Reason: typo
Microphonics on tubed equipment is a known source of distortion. However small it may be. Back in the 50’s the tubed electronics in the nose of jet planes were going haywire due to the vibrations of the plane. Readouts in the dash were jumping all over the place, so they invented dampened, spring loaded mounts for the electronics to stop this problem. And it worked. Hopefully your stereo isn’t jumping like a jet plane! But it does prove that it is possible for air born vibrations to affect your sensitive gear.
Russell
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 166
I'm Alex.
The great thing is that the DIY feet made more improvements than some expensive isolation cones that I had from a previous system. I read about the dampening properties of high carbon cast iron (which is the cheapest cast iron type). Cast iron plates are used to dampen vibrations in factory machinery and some high end stands and isolation device vendors are now using cast iron in their components.
Being a cheapskate I used some cast iron trolley wheels, removed the bolts and they became feet! The wood discs are furniture castors.
All up Aud$20 for a worthwhile experiment
Source
SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
SW1X USB II
SW1X DAC III Special
Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
Amps
Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
Speakers
Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
Cabling
Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
Headphones
HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones
Location: Deleted
Posts: 6,585
I'm Deleted.
A friend once designed a valve phonostage that was so microphonic you could hear people speaking in the same room! However, as with a lot of valve gear, it was the valves themselves that were microphonic, changing what it was sat on didn’t stop this and they were picking up vibrations directly from the air. Of course, most valve gear is nothing like as microphonic as this.
Account Deleted
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 791
I'm Svend.
The more I get into this hobby the more I think that probably isn't true. I mean we can all tell a poor sounding system from a good one. But once the sound is good it starts being more a matter of personal choice and psychology. A lot of psychology. The one exception to that is imaging. Some good systems image absolutely unbelievably well, and some don't. But I think the reasons for that are verifiable and have nothing to do with whether or not you have isolated your laptop with stillpoints.
I go to the odd show and you see these systems with racks costing several grand, isolation platforms and feet under everything, cable lifters, the works. And the sound is poor. Then you go in another room where they have used none of that, just plonked it all on a table and hooked it up. And it sounds great.
I should have added valve components to my list of things that will benefit from isolation from vibration, bit of an oversight on my part there. When I had a valve phono stage I did use some Audio Technica sprung feet under it. Although I couldn't tell the difference and if I didn't already have the feet (part of a job-lot eBay purchase) I wouldn't have gone out and got any.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
I know what you mean. You can tour a Hi-Fi show and hear lots of set-ups that sound accurate, detailed and revealing with no nasties. But occasionally you visit a stand or room where the music comes to life. The difference is very obvious and few displaying makers seem to achieve this. Amongst others, I recall experiencing this at displays by Avant Garde, Spendor, C R Developments and of course Tannoy (even though the TD series I heard years ago was a bit grim.