Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

erik_squires wrote,

"It is quite possible we are approaching the real problem the wrong way. What if the real issues are not that electronic signals are being contaminated by vibrations, but that we are hearing our equipment stands resonate? Same for cables. I could see them vibrating on the floor. Maybe we need quilts instead? :)"

Actually it would be quite easy to eliminate the equipment stands from the equation. I’m not particularly fond of racks or stands in general because they often do add vibration to the equation, audibly so, even If they’re very rigid. Thus removing the electronics from its rack and placing it on a real isolation device should demonstrate the efficacy of isolation. Furthermore, tube dampers must certainly operate by reducing the vibration effects on the audio signal, rather than the idea we're heating the glass vibrate instead, no? And if cables are suspended by thread and the sound improved that would seem to indicate that structureborne vibration is to blame, leaving the static electric field issue aside for the moment.

erik_squires then wrote,

"But lack of measurements leave this up in the snake oil and trial and error. We might as well be trepinating each other in the hopes of reducing headaches."

I hate to disagree but it’s not really trial and error at this point in time, you know, twenty years after the first audiophile isolation stands were introduced. It’s probably more accurate to call it a slam dunk than trial and error. You know, 40 thousand audiophile isolation devices later.

You are obviously not trying very hard to unearth this evidence? Here are several examples using your preferred method (accelerometers) supporting two of the items I use in my system

au contraire.  I have read exhaustively on this stuff (and regret doing so).  I have a "science" background, have done bench research, and published in peer reviewed journals as have many of my family members.  I know all about the discipline and energy it takes to generate "data" that leads to something new.  Its much easier to make things up or take flights of fancy or do radioshack grade measurements after the fact to provide some proof of concept (aka a "white paper").  Do you realize that John Atkinson was using an accelerometer for speaker testing back in the early 90s?  Not exactly cutting edge....and it certainly tells you nothing about speaker "output" or frequency changes or electrical epiphenomena (which is again the point of this thread).  Sigh....  

It is quite possible we are approaching the real problem the wrong way. What if the real issues are not that electronic signals are being contaminated by vibrations, but that we are hearing our equipment stands resonate? Same for cables. I could see them vibrating on the floor. Maybe we need quilts instead? :)

Touche Erik.  Thus my suggestion of frequency analysis after plopping our speakers on some magic stand.  On a related note, some speakers are voiced a certain way (including using cabinet vibration as part of that voice like Harbeths or AudioNote) and stands can most certainly change that voice.  I know this to be the case....with SS, Stillpoints, etc.

PB: I don’t worry about potential members of the Flat Earth Society who may have a problem with the more advanced aspects of high end audio, and this includes vibration control. Ultimately and unfortunately, it’s their loss. The world has a generous supply of skeptics who seem compelled to mask ignorance with sophistry. The irony is that the usual modus operandi of these types is to accuse the audiophile community of sophistry, but the reverse is usually true: the casual skeptic has not done any research, and we have.

I agree with his sentiment and there can certainly be sophistry on both sides of the aisle.  That being said, it is also self-serving as he is in the industry and the onus is on him to some degree....

Remember that in audio, the FTC sets some standards, but doesn't measure the gear. It's up to the equipment makers to measure and make claims, and occasionally magazines test them to see how close they are to the specifications. 

We are far from any of that I'm afraid. It's up to academia and manufacturers and even interested hobbyists to explore and then define measurement protocols since there is a complete lack of them in audio.  If someday that happens, then maybe down the line we'll have legal standards for labels on racks like food nutrition content.

But for now I can claim my home made rack improves temporal cohesion and reverses digital blur by 40%.

Best,


Erik