Vibration Control for Lightweight Tube Components

@geoffkait , what do you mean by mass on spring?

Any any isolation device that employs airsprings, mechanical springs, tennis balls, bungee cords, etc. operates as a low pass mechanical filter for vibrations, where the component represents the mass.  The springs are selected in terms of how springy they need to be according to how much mass is to be isolated. So for very heavy components the springs would have to be very stiff, otherwise they would compress too much under load.

Lowrider, I’d suggest trying Mapleshade Isoblock 1’s, or the lower priced generic equivalent that I think may be findable at Home Depot or elsewhere. Assuming that their 1.75 inch height can be accommodated. I say this even though the description recommends that they be used only in conjunction with isolation platforms.

Also, are you certain that the mechanical pathway by which shelf vibrations are affecting the preamp is not via the interconnect cables that are connected to it, that are probably resting on the shelf behind the preamp?

Best regards,
-- Al

Al wrote,

"Lowrider, I’d suggest trying Mapleshade Isoblock 1’s, or the lower priced generic equivalent that I think may be findable at Home Depot or elsewhere. Assuming that their 1.75 inch height can be accommodated. I say this even though the description recommends that they be used only in conjunction with isolation platforms."

Ah, the age old conundrum, should I isolate or should I couple?

;-)

The cheapest way to get great isolation: two Baltic Birch plywood shelves with a barely inflated bicycle tire between them, with a trio of roller bearings between the pre-amp and the top BB shelf (this design courtesy of Barry Diament). If you have the dough, a Minus K platform ($2500 or so). Alternative: a trio of the Townshend Audio Seismic Pods (about $750, I believe)

"The cheapest way to get great isolation: two Baltic Birch plywood shelves with a barely inflated bicycle tire between them, with a trio of roller bearings between the pre-amp and the top BB shelf (this design courtesy of Barry Diament). If you have the dough, a Minus K platform ($2500 or so). Alternative: a trio of the Townshend Audio Seismic Pods (about $750, I believe)"

i can do it better and cheaper. The issue with the bicycle inner tube approach is that the surface area of the air bladder/spring is too large relative to the volume. To maximize isolation effectiveness the surface area of the air spring or bladder must be minimized. Besides, a barely inflated inner tube doesn’t provide sufficient pressure/spring rate to actually do anything. That’s kind of the whole point of mass on a spring isolation.