Vibration - What are the Main Sources?

It does NOT affect the sound, it is just an annoyance.

Care to explain the logic behind that one?
The author of that article states:

Likewise, I can't bear to hear/ read actual snake oil vendors claiming that you'll get "cleaner highs", "more authority in the bass" or any of the other stupid things you may read elsewhere. The purpose is to stop transformers from growling (usually at no or light load). There is no magic, and it doesn't improve anything other than reduce the acoustic noise from the transformer(s). Anyone who claims otherwise is probably lying.

 Sounds like something you latch onto. Very self reinforcing.

All the best,
Nonoise

@mijostyn,
"Electronics are not effected by vibration. Electrons could give a hoot. If they were we would have F22s crashing all over the place as they are completely controlled by electrons. If we blinded all these silly people they would never be able to tell which devices were isolated or not excepting perhaps the turntable. Silly in the Monty Python sense.
This circus is subsidized by reputable manufacturers who do not want to alienate potential customers, they remain quiet on the subject. Others take advantage of it. Why not? All is fair when it comes to making money.
If people want to spend their money on silly things it is their prerogative and problem. Big Pharma does this in spades."


Unfortunately for some of us, the trillion dollar Big Pharma industry now has governments acting as enforcers.

However when it comes to audio there isn’t a shred of evidence that vibration (or even G Forces) can affect the movement of electrons.

As you say, if you were to believe there was, then you’d probably never board an aeroplane. Or ever get into an electric car. Can you imagine doing 70mph and all the electrics suddenly decide they’re not playing ball?


I’m guessing some of us might be wondering about the relationship of vibration and mechanical transducers eg cartridges, tonearms, turntables, loudspeakers (headphones and microphones) etc.


Surely this an area where designers with advanced measuring resources are better equipped to find answers and solutions, if they’re needed, than we are?
On the other hand it seems harmless enough to experiment with bits of sorbothane/rubber pads and a few springs under your loudspeakers if you feel that environmental resonance is high in your location.


Where I live (a 100 year+ old house with wooden floorboards just yards away from an increasingly busy main road), every now and then I can almost feel (as well as hear) the sound of a heavy vehicle as it passes by outside.


I always felt that my turntable sounded best on a light rigid wooden table than any of the wall shelves I tried.
I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that, apart from perhaps very late in the evening, the entire house was in a constant state of gentle resonance caused by the traffic.

It does NOT affect the sound, it is just an annoyance.

Care to explain the logic behind that one?
The author of that article states:

Likewise, I can’t bear to hear/ read actual snake oil vendors claiming that you’ll get "cleaner highs", "more authority in the bass" or any of the other stupid things you may read elsewhere. The purpose is to stop transformers from growling (usually at no or light load). There is no magic, and it doesn’t improve anything other than reduce the acoustic noise from the transformer(s). Anyone who claims otherwise is probably lying.

Sounds like something you latch onto. Very self reinforcing.

All the best,
Nonoise

As I said, and as you can also read it, it is an annoyance generated by a mechanical issue. NOTHING DIFFERENT will come out of your speakers. It is a SEPARATE issue.

@pauly - speakers generate internal vibrations from their drivers moving and push vibrations to the floor vibrating everything.

I’m waiting for you to tell me we use our ears to hear and our eyes to see next. 

That is why you want to isolate them and take the vibrations out of the cabinets.

Nobody “takes” vibrations out of cabinets. Cabinets are designed to resist resonances, and by coupling them to a large mass (read, the floor) their propensity to resonate is further reduced.

Most good speakers either come with spikes or platforms or something to decouple them from the floor. 

Spikes couple speakers to the floor. Take off the spikes and the cabinet will exhibit increased resonance. Coupling to the floor reduces speaker cabinet resonance.

Same is true for amps, phono stages, CD players, DACs, you name it

I’ve never seen a phono stage, CD player or DAC that comes with spikes and meant to go on the floor. All the ones I owned were meant to go onto a properly isolated audio stand.

These components require the opposite of what speakers require. They do not produce sufficient vibration to need coupling to the floor, and benefit from isolation to prevent floor borne resonances getting to them.