Vibration isolation or absorption?

This is a very complex but important subject.

As others have pointed out, whether to absorb or transmit vibration depends on the floor, the equipment and personal preferences. After thirty years of experiments these are my findings:

On speakers. I have gone from spikes to Symposium Svelteshelves first flat on the floor, then on Final Daruma cups and balls to today end up with a cheap set of Chinese springs in cups

On electronic equipment I can’t even remember all the permutations: Sorbothane, then again Darumas, Symposium Svelteshelves, Black Diamond Rcing Cones and today Black Ravioli Big Pads on Gingko Audio platforms

On phono I have used a Townsend Seismic Sink for many years but now prefer spike mounting on a thick, wall mounted acrylic shelf (bearing the scratch marks with philosophic indifference).

In all this journey, two solution stand out: the springs under the speakers resulted in razor sharp soundstaging and lightning fast leading and trailing edges on individual instruments compared to all other solutions.

The Black Ravioli Big Foots are nothing short of sensational: the elimination of power supply as well as air borne vibrations resulted in significant ‘de-sludging’, i.e. an amazing increase of transparency on large orchestral works. It felt that the sound was much less ‘compact’ and closed in.

As always: Enjoy the Music

I'll second the Nobsound springs. I bought after-market springs for their bases. They take less than half the load of the supplied ones (same size). With those, I can fine-tune any component on three pods, using any number of lighter springs required. Now, everything literally gently floats, but no more than 1/8" travel.

With a combination of original and lighter springs all my subs float as well.

My speakers are a pain at 100 lbs (but a joy to my ears). Still, I'm designing a faux-Townshend platform that should utilize much larger 2-7/8" rate-specified springs. Anybody's guess but as prev mentioned, it probably can't hurt (unless the speaker falls over...ouch).

I used 2 set of Springs with damping load for each speakers ( rectangular  wood box type 2-way) ... The damping load must be fine tuned exactly by ears in few listening experiments arount + or - 100 grams or  less than 1/4 of lbs  over the speakers top with around  80 pounds in my case and the load is weighting on 4 springs which are located on top of the speakers on a granite plate (on sorbothane plate)  for better stabilty  and  i also use 4 springs under the speakers too .... The differential compression between the two set of springs, one set is compressed only by the load, the other is compressed by the speakers weight +the load, this differential  help resonance control of the speakers a lot by decreasing it ...

I also used a mix of granite plates between cork plate and sorbothane plate and Bamboo plate, quartz feet, under the  set of springs/ speakers/second set of spring/85 lbs of dense cement block as damping load on top...

Then it is not only about isolating the speakers from the room and other components and external vibrations isolation but also about damping  and decreasing  internal resonance effect ...three tasks instead of one...

The end result is stunning... It makes everybody understand that the mechanical control part of audio system matter at least as the electrical and acoustical embeddings control  parts...

But it is impractical to do it for most people with children in a living room the way i did it... I describe it for those without children in a dedicated audio room with box speakers because the cost is very low....

Anyway NO ONE know the huge negative effect of vibrations without and BEFORE  any experience with the rightful way to limit it... Even after experiencing it it is difficult to believe so much powerful vibrations affect S.Q.  Spikes alone  are no comparison at all....

Welcome back Mahgister! It‘s a great pleasure to have your comments again. I trust you are well.

Thanks...

Now i feel better...

i loose my health for few months , my spirit too because i loose my dedicated acoustic room and my house of 40 years ... I was in the complicated process of selling my big house not by choice...And it isnot possible to go on with speakers in a dedicated room in a smaller house, and speakers in an uncontrolled living room are not for me ...I decided then to try a last time a specfic headphone i owned without having used it really because my speakers/room was better than this headphone and better than all my headphones , this K340 was in his untouched non modified and non dedicated state.. i decided to think and experiment with it... I succeeded in improving all my headphones but never enough to satisfy me especially after my room control long experiment...

I loose my password here also 10 months ago and i was not without any acoustic pleasure nor any audio system able to compete with my room/ Speakers , then i did not see the point to come back here only to be sad in the stressing long process of house closure ...

I am coming back after 10 months because now my completely new audio system after 6 months of experiments around the K340 is able to compete if not surpass on many acoustical factors my lost speakers/room which was very good... I went back to a peculiar miraculous headphone AKG K340 hybrid i bought 100 bucks 5 years ago without ever use it really, it takes me 6 months to figure out how it work, because no other headphone is like it acoustically packed with two new technologies, and optimize it ( vibration control and cutting off of some part etc) ... I succeeded, then i am back, and more than happy ...

By the way if i am so happy by the turn of events, it is because even if i could create an acoustic room as i created one, i will never do it again... I will never take the time ( almost 2 years or one year non stop) for the long process of listening experiments to just put in the right place the various passive treatment material and the long process of fine tuning hundred Helmholtz resonators/diffusers all along the speakers and the listening location and some other devices... Too long to do it again... I did not have this kind of patience for a second try.... My headphone are so good now it is impossible to go back to even a dedicated room...i did not believe that headphone can be immersive and speaker like but it is possible with this headphone...The others are trash compared to them for me... Then i am in ectasy... I am here for discussion with friends but i dont need to experiment no more...

For sure it is always possible to improve and upgrade but the only possibility to do it for me in a non marginal useless way will cost me 15,000 bucks... But no new headphone to replace the K340..  My actual system cost 600 bucks... :) But for sure i already know how much and with what...

But i dont feel the need because when i listen music any music the sound aspect limitation are not bothering me at all... A first in my life...

But my password problem is not solved , i am here for the last two days but if i close the computer i will be in the obligation to ask a new confirmation of my password each time ... I dont know why nor how to cure this connection problem...

Thanks for your kindness and i wish you the very best...I missed everyone even those who were a bit hard on me... :)

Welcome back Mahgister! It‘s a great pleasure to have your comments again. I trust you are well.