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Vibration Control for Lightweight Tube Components

I'm looking for suggestions to isolate a lightweight tube preamp from vibration and resonance. Not acoustic vibration, but physical vibration from the stereo rack. When I touch the shelf the preamp sits upon, the sound can be heard thru the speakers.

I am using a heavy furniture grade stereo rack for my components, all using Herbie's Tenderfeet for isolation, including my TT. The preamp only weighs 7 lbs. and has Herbie's tube dampers applied, but needs to be decoupled from the heavy wood shelf. I've tried the Tenderfeet and Vibrapods under the preamp, but neither provided isolation from vibration.

So, what are owners of lightweight tube preamps and amps using for vibration control? (there is a limited amount of space between the shelves).
128x128lowrider57
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Gee, funny no one mentioned Herbies tube dampers for all tubes, rectifiers, 6SN7s, 12AX7s, you name it. Would you believe two dampers per output tube and rectifier often sounds better than one? One on the glass, the other on the base. Yeah, I know, that's more than the cost of your tubes just for the dampers.  And of course the transformer needs to be wrapped with mu metal (and physically damped).  The tubes are sitting right in from of that big honking magnetic field.  Hel-looo! And now sis the time for the cork, isolating the circuit boards. 
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57 OP
5,411 posts
 
@geoffkait, I’m using Herbies tube dampers. In the past, I found that 2 dampers would deaden the sound. But I never tried a damper on the base.

@mesch , great minds think alike. I used 2 1/2 lb. barbell weights with cork on some components as well.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Lowrider57 wrote,

@geoffkait, I’m using Herbies tube dampers. In the past, I found that 2 dampers would deaden the sound. But I never tried a damper on the base."

obviously one can over-damp the tube or anything for that matter. As I’m sure you know the sound is quite sensitive to exactly where on the glass the damper is placed. The ideal location appears to be wherever the getter is located. So on a bottom getter tube the damper would be placed around the glass down near the base of the tube, assuming it has a base. The Sylvania Badboys have bases and so does the Tung Sol rectifier, for example.
mesch
3,463 posts
 
Lowrider, yes so many tweeks can be DIY at little cost. Make my own cable risers, not sure of the affect, but they look cool. Also, thanks, seldom am I accused of having a ‘great mind’. 


Geoffkait, My preamp has those metal cylinders over the tubes. Can tube dampers be used in this case? Also, I have some of the red and what I will call “o-ring’ dampers. What do you think of those? 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Mesch wrote,

Geoffkait, My preamp has those metal cylinders over the tubes. Can tube dampers be used in this case? Also, I have some of the red and what I will call “o-ring’ dampers. What do you think of those?

Don't know if the tube dampers can be used on metal type tubes, but maybe.  Check with Herbies Lab to see what he says.  Might be worth a shot. I don't actually like those elastomer o rings, actually I never found anything other than Herbies dampers to do anything except hurt the sound. 

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