Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

whenever you have harmonic distortion (THD) you also have similar amounts of IM distortion (IMD).

This statement is misleading. You can have a fair amount of THD and still have relatively low IMD figures. This is however a very common saw and often it **happens** to be true; its just not true 100% of the time. 

And IM distortion is usually out of tune with the music, and so is much more audible and damaging than most forms of THD including the 7th harmonic.

This statement is true.

Chasing increasing small amounts of high-order THD in the presence of large quantities of IMD is like chasing unicorns.

The meaning here is unclear.

This whole thread has taken a nasty and totally unnecessary turn. In the first place ever since the bullet headed amplifier reviewer from Audio Review opined that all amplifiers that measure about the same sound the same, audiophiles who actually can hear have laughed at anyone who demands proof or measurements. A lot of you young whipper snappers are too young to remember the big solid state amp vs tube amp debate from the 80s. But noone could explain completely why a solid state amp with vanishingly low 0.0005% THD could sound SO %€$@! BAD relative to a reasonably good tube amp with 0.05% THD, which according my calculations is TWO ORDERS of magnitude - or for those technically challenged - 100 TIMES HIGHER than the solid state amp’s THD. Hel-loo!

Crown amps of the early 70s had 60db of negative feedback and no distortion.??vs a Marantz 8b that had over 1 % thd..but you could listen into it all nite long. Tom

Ralph said: " You can have a fair amount of THD and still have relatively low IMD figures."

I doubt it, though I'll be glad to be proven wrong!

ethan_winer
Ralph said: " You can have a fair amount of THD and still have relatively low IMD figures."

I doubt it, though I'll be glad to be proven wrong

Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men: "You can't prove it!"