Equipment Rack

Wow, this is even more fun than interconnects/power cords discussions! As I said before re. Valhalla for Naim Audio boxes, no one of us, mere consumers will ever be able to check all our options! Demo-ing in brick-and-mortar shops is our only choice. 
Personally, I got pArticular rack based on the advise from John Schwartz at Chicago Pro Musica and even now, 20 years later, I do not regret it! The one thing I noticed about marketing of such goodies was  from Mapleshade company. They make such open and clear-sounding CDs (and sell 'em for next to nothing!) that you start to wonder if their ugly racks and cones and cords make a difference!! Nifty marketing strategy for those companies which cannot afford travel accommodations for unbelievers. 
My most noticeable upgrade as I was climbing from the entry-level to the Top of Naim's "olive" series was Mana Acoustics stands for Naim SBL speakers. Have no idea if it was some PhD in seismology who designed them, do not care if my Personal Guru, Art Dudley of Listener (and now with Stereophile) says that it is bull, these things do work! 

Hello Geoff,

You are the only one convinced Star Sound has or are overlooking a problem. Obviously you do not understand our approach to vibration management and/or product functionality or you would realize that our platforms are designed to vibrate and yes, they move because they are coupled to the flooring. The Energy Rooms™ are also direct coupled to the structural foundation so they also move ‘in rhythm’ with the earth.

Star Sound products do “NOT” Isolate.

Isolation prohibits the evacuation of resonance formed from vibration. Said resonance builds up within and on all surface areas of the chassis including circuits and all the small parts, wire, power supplies, etc., including every part and surface area of the chassis. This establishes tremendous component operational inefficiencies as this resonance also propagates on all smooth surfaces clogging all signal pathways (electrical, electromechanical and acoustic) per Coulomb’s Law.

Without a mechanical exit point this energy, caused from vibration, greatly inhibits the functionality of all individual parts of the component or loudspeaker especially when located within a vibrating environment.

Contrary to the majority of audio industry beliefs, theorems and applied concepts, our approach to vibration is to let all the parts and chassis vibrate at will. In a musical environment components and loudspeakers are going to vibrate so we decided to begin experimenting with a reverse approach to historical understanding. Our technology is based on the rapid transfer and exit of interfering energy in continuous motion via a conduit of a specific geometry and material science. Simple and basic mechanical understanding with lots of investments into a lot of steels and brasses, years of prototyping and taking a lot of studies on how various musical instruments are manufactured provided us the methodology that established Live-Vibe Technology™.

A few of us involved with Star Sound grew up in the professional sound and recording sciences industry. We were exposed to acoustic and mechanical devices built on isolation theorems, constrained layer damping, absorption and diffusion techniques so believe me when I say “we get it and we understand it”. Those approaches grew into too many variables in order to support a single geometry. Example: Your isolation approach requires different and various sized springs based on chassis weights whereas our smallest Platforms support a half ton of mass eliminating the weight management category. We continued to search for a more simplified approach to improving sonic performance especially knowing that musical sound quality is such a highly subjective yet highly sought after experience.

Say what you will about any of our products or technology as many people have since our inception however, the most important accomplishment that remains totally undeniable is product functionality. The performance is described by many as stunning audible results in all aspects of sound particularly in the “live” sense.

We placed Live-Vibe Technology inside loudspeakers and electronics chassis, built a highly successful line of equipment racking, built mechanically grounded recording and playback environments and are now marrying it to musical instruments. Each step of the way this technology rewarded us with a more musical presentation and a clientele of audiophiles, listeners and musicians that continues to grow and assist us in advancing Live-Vibe Technology.

So we are a bit different, almost opposite in fact. The sciences surrounding commercial isolation products do not apply to our means. 

We are patiently awaiting your next objection and you are correct - necessity is the mother of all invention but did you know that music soothes the mother...

Let it Vibrate!

Robert

Star Sound

Robert. Still hoping for a link to a reference showing how a mechanical spike can act as a mechanical diode to filter out seismic interference? You claimed this was "common knowledge" so would love to hear more

Also I’m a tad confused as to how a mechanical diode (isolation in other words) fits into your system. From the following it would seem this is not the effect you are after? Again apologies if I’m confused

they move because they are coupled to the flooring. The Energy Rooms™ are also direct coupled to the structural foundation so they also move ‘in rhythm’ with the earth

Star Sound products do “NOT” Isolate.

Robert wrote,

"Isolation prohibits the evacuation of resonance formed from vibration. Said resonance builds up within and on all surface areas of the chassis including circuits and all the small parts, wire, power supplies, etc., including every part and surface area of the chassis. This establishes tremendous component operational inefficiencies as this resonance also propagates on all smooth surfaces clogging all signal pathways (electrical, electromechanical and acoustic) per Coulomb’s Law."

Robert, as I already said damping is necessary and sufficient to deal with (medium and high frequency) vibrations that show up on the top plate of an isolation device, whether produced by an internal motor, transformer, CD transport mechanism, acoustic waves, etc. BUT this is in addition to isolation which is necessary to deal with the *very low frequency* structureborne vibrations. It is not true that isolation prevents the internal vibrations from escaping the system. The trick is to properly isolate and properly damp without over damping. If there were no such thing as isolation or if isolation prevented vibrations from escaping the system, as you say, then the LIGO project would never have been able to detect gravity waves, the amplitudes of which, by the way, are on the order of the diameter of a neutron. In fact, LIGO would never have been able to detect gravity waves without vibration isolation. Period. Surely your seismic expert knows that.

I have almost always used vibration dissipation, "mechanical diodes" and damping techniques in conjunction with or integrated into my isolation platforms, including my sub Hertz Nimbus platform. It is not exactly a big secret that damping of the top plate is important.

I have had many discussions with Michael Green of TuneLand and Michael Green Audio, who preaches a very similar message as yours, that vibrations should be allowed to flow freely in the system and the room and that isolation is either not possible or ineffective. Are you aware of Michael Green and are your methods similar to his?

cheers,

geoff kait

Hello folkfreak,

That information was provided by our newest member who is heavily involved with seismic sciences and I believe was posted by another company associate.

The studies of seismic activity are new to our company. When establishing our technical model we addressed limiting low frequency rumble via shear waves, reflective angles and relied more on the laws of gravity and motion regarding inaudible frequency.

We have always stated and agreed energy can and will travel up into the Sistrum Platform™ despite the geometry and material science, however with the majority of energy traveling down the conductor is greater the minute energy making its way upward would not affect sound quality and to the best of our knowledge it does not. The Sistrum Platform accepts and transfers energy from ‘all’ sources and is in a constant state of motion so we never became too concerned with regards to inaudible frequencies.  

The greater concern was airborne resonance. There is little known, written, studied or discussed as to the effects of airborne energy within the sound room and more importantly how it constantly  bombards component chassis and metal conduits via a wide range of frequencies both audible and inaudible.

Reviewing the industry from a racking manufacturer’s standpoint, information concerning the managing of airborne resonance is all but nonexistent but we have noticed a tremendous amount more information on the sub-harmonic factors. The immediate question was simply why? Adopting vibration management to musical reproduction systems and listening environments is all about airborne resonance.

Our belief is that airborne resonance has greater disruptive factors limiting component operational efficiency and definitely affecting room environments as the acoustic sciences will easily back this statement was the major concern in comparison to sub harmonics.

We do not know everything, who does? We have individuals involved in our company who provide information to us based on their engineering or science specialty. Example: If you want to discuss a snare drum stand which is a catch and hold type of resonance device or the effects of mechanical grounding a grand piano then I am your guy. I am not the person who would have the resource information you have requested so please bear with us as we should have something for you in short order.

Thank you for your patience,

Robert

Star Sound