Component isolation

The signal itself is subject to mechanical vibration. That’s why isolating apparently inert objects results in better sound and why isolating, i.e., suspending cables and power cords results in better sound. Furthermore, objects that appear to be inert actually are not (rpt not) inert. For example capacitors vibrate and transformers vibrate. There is no getting around it. That’s why a wise man loosens or removes the bolts holding the transformer to the chassis and isolates the circuit boards from the transformer and isolates the transformer from the chassis or removes and relocates the transformer.

Furthermore seismic vibration moves the entire building structure so, even if there was such a thing as a completely inert component, which there isn’t, it would still be moving right along with the building’s motion. There’s no getting around it.

I'm not sure whether anything without moving parts requires isolation. Why would it? Can resonances actually convert into electrical signal? If so, can we hear them?

Some parts, absolutely. The ringing I described in the phono stage was most likely due to ceramic capacitors. The physical rapping causes movement inside affecting the distance of the plates to one another.

The problem I have is that we don't really measure how vibration affects solid state appliances, but it could be done.

Speaker isolation and eliminating the motion of speakers is an entirely different beast, and can be very effective. The cause/effect here is simple and clearly audible.

Best,
E

All my audio gear,speakers included, are on my desk beside my computer screen...

There is the mechanical vibration and resonance problem I partially solved with my own device at low cost (quartz feet+granite plate+sorbothane+garnite plate+cork plate+bamboo plate+sorbothane) under my 2 speakers and under the dac and under the amp... I also damped the speakers with concrete slabs 60 pounds or more on top, with some little less slab on top of the dac and on top of the amp... i also glued sorbothane around the cone of the speakers and around the cups of my headphones to isolate the cups...The difference were very audible...The load and the quantities must be determined by listening, because like Michael Green said too much constrict the harmonics much less expand them...

But more importantly than mechanical vibrations and resonance was the noise floor threshold that is too high, in any audio system, if not taking care of +EMI interference of any part of the audio system with any electronic appliance in the house or the neighbourood... The solutions in the market are generally linked to the purchase of some power supply and conditioner or isolator from the computer noise etc...

Filtering the electrical line with active electronic components "clean" the sound but the price to pay is some kind of "reframing" the sound, because it is a trade-off between the component that are introduced that clean and the one to clean...The best solution for me was to use stones and crystals that are passive filtering device with no trade-off, because the floor threshold of the audio grid is not modified by the introduction of new electronical active components, then a net lowering of the total noise floor of the system follows... They are filtering passively... The upgrading effect on the audio line and on the general electrical line of the house was so astounding that nothing I purchase compared to that...The same gear I was not totally satisfied with are now so good that a "real" upgrading is impossible really under 25 thousand dollars … My system net cost is 1000 dollars... And you know what, even if I had this money I am not certain that I would buy that 25 thousand bucks new system,because when you are happy with the music for the first time in your life, you dont feel the need to upgrade...My system is not perfect, but for the price modulo these cleaning methods it is unbeatable...


I read so many forums about audio, I know that most people underestimated completely the vibrations problems, but more than that the most important problem linked with the electro magnetic and radio interference between components equipment from the room, from the house or the neighbourhood.....