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Isolation Feet for Laptop

It seems fairly common knowledge that vibration is a form of distortion in many electric components, not just for turntables and speakers. Isolation feet seem to work well in most applications.

I searched around and I didn't find any information to suggest that folks are using isolation feet on laptops or desktops, despite increased streaming usage. In a great many cases, there are indeed heavy vibrations coming from within the computer.  Whether it is the fan for the CPU or even GPU to the all the various chips/transformers, etc or even power supplies and batteries. If adding isolation feet to a streamer, DAC or power supply makes sense, then wouldn't it also make sense to apply isolation feet to your laptop; if you use it for music?

Well, I am going to find out. :)

I ordered some IsoAcoustics Orea Series Audio Equipment Isolators with a max weight of 16 pounds. The laptop weighs about 6.7 pounds, so it shouldn't be that much strain, even with all the cables creating some measure of down force as they dangle over the edge.

My expectation is that the DAC will be able to perform slightly better due to reduced vibration across the USB port and power filter. The DAC is a USB stick (Dragonfly Cobalt) so it has a very rigid hard connection to the laptop; so vibration is very easily transferred.

Has anyone else tried this?

guakus
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,160 posts
 

You missed several possible steps, revisit what leg of your power panel all the digital stuff is on… 

electrical sleeve heatshrink 

 

guakus's avatar
guakus OP
352 posts
 

@slaw Thanks, that looks like a possible idea as well. :)

guakus's avatar
guakus OP
352 posts
 

@tomic601

Sorry I am still not sure we’re on the same page with terminology.

The power panel to the house cannot be altered by me, since I am renting.

The Shunyata Venom V16 has two zones. The monitor and laptop are plugged into Zone 2 and the speakers and sub are on Zone 1. They are separated from each other following Shunyata’s CCI tech. Also, both the monitor and laptop use their digital cable, which has noise filtration built into the IEC NEMA connector.

Looking briefly into electrical heat shrink, this appears to be the rubber used to seal electrical wires when you're either splicing, splitting, or attaching connectors.  I have some of this.  Are you suggesting I put a sleeve over the laptop's electrical plug (that goes into the laptop) to stop any possible EMI leak?

ghdprentice
7,500 posts
 

I used a MacBook (with solid state drive) for a number of years. I would always unplug and run on battery power to play music. I was using an +$10K DAC. I will admit I never tried an isolation method.. cones, platform, or any of the other stuff I had laying around because it just wasn’t of high enough sound quality to expect to hear the improvement.
 

After nearly twenty years of experimenting with digital streaming I concluded the only way to good sound is through a purpose built streamer. PCs and laptops are a cornucopia of electro magnetic fields, vibrations, and conflicting CPU services. If this is a fun exercise for the fun of figuring out if you can hear a difference, have fun. My money is on you not being able to hear a difference if you put it on a mount made for an electron microscope (which my turntable is on, and I can hear a difference). If you are seriously looking for better sound, buy a dedicated streamer. Blue Sound sells a very popular budget one.

jerrybj
869 posts
 

@guakus 

I had a Mac laptop as server.

I ran an Audioquest Jitterbug and iFi USB Silencer in parallel.

Had Black Ravioli Pads underneath. Used a Halide Bridge USB to coaxial reclocker. Drove that with an Aqvox USB power supply. Was going to use some fo.Q damping tape, but have changed to a streamer.

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