Wood blocks underneath components?? snake oil?
Newbee, I agree. I should've been more clear, how about this: pumice stone This is porous like miniature concrete blocks. |
Rotarius, your explanation makes sense. However in the case of a CDP, the CDP itself has vibrations so you're not just trying to isolate from floorborne vibrations, you're also trying to get rid of vibrations in the CDP itself. Will an isolator/damper like an air bladder be effective when both conponents (shelf and CDP) are vibrating? I don't know. For some reason something like porous ceramic which is "infinitely" light, "infinitely" rigid, and has "no" resonant mode has some intuitive logic that makes sense to me when used as an interface between two resonant components. Sorbothane made the bass muddy and slow. Music was less clear. Maybe it's the horizontal motion thing. Using the design calculations from Sorbothane's website, the sorbothane have to be nearly 3/4" thick for optimal isolation/dampening. |
Cdc - ".....you're trying to get rid of vibrations in the CDP itself." Couple of things to think about 1)even if you could couple the CDP AND provide a path for vibrations to pass from the CDP (drain, if you please) wouldn't the vibrations created by the CDP itself already have done its damage? Now, assuming that you would argue that the vibrations would build up at the resonance point involved in CDP, and that to provide a 'drain' you would reduce the damage caused by the resonance, wouldn't you then have to have a materiel which will allow the resonance to pass thru it or allow the resonance to disappate within it by changing the nergy of the vibrations to heat?. Fow example think of the soft rubbery products. It is established that vibrations are reduced/eliminated by materiels that absorb them/i.e changing the energy to heat. If the materiel you use is not resonant at any frequency (and such materiel does not exist BTW, even pumice stone has a resonance point) then how would it ever absorb the energy by changing it to heat. You say that sorbothane made the bass muddy and slow - perhaps, just perhaps, what you are hearing is the absence of the effect of undampened vibrations in the CDP, but you happen to enjoy (without knowing it) the minor ringing effect thay may be creating. Just something to think about......... Oh, for reference, in case you didn't figure it out, I'm in the absorbtion camp and think the 'drain' theories have more commercial benefit than sonic benefit. |
cdc, yes the air borne vibrations is another component that has to be addressed. This is where there are plenty of products being marketed as "mechanical drains". I had never heard of such a thing until I visited audiogon. This concept (or rather misconception) only exists in the audiophile world. If you put brass or some ball bearing under the chassis, it will obviously transmit the vibration. So what? The chassis still vibrates doesn't it? Why not try to minimize the problem by first isolating the chassis from the rack and then dampen the chassis? I have also seen people trust the numerous "white" papers out there. They are marketing tools nothing more. Unlike a technical or scientific research paper, they are not verified by peers in the industry and are not backed up by experimental data. If you actually see vibration analysis data which shows the effectiveness of a product in controlling vibration, buy it! |
