i did not know because of my old age ...😊
There is a seismic vibrations detector in the app store. No need for anything other than an iphone
As An Experiment I Stuck A Few Things Under My Pre-Amp And Am Now On A Quest
My system is built out, got the pieces I want in place, and struggled a bit with how it sounds. With certain recordings it was sublime and with others it could be a bit sterile or mechanical sounding. These are all solid state components in a Salamander cabinet, and up to this point I have never been a fan of isolation devices with SS gear. Now with tube components I did use spike type devices under amps and preamps, so I have had a bit of experience.
Last night I rounded up a few wayward isolation devices I had from previous systems and thought I would experiment a bit. The pre-amp contains the DAC also, so I thought I would start here. Put in some Wagner type pads, and got a different sound with some improved focus but the bass was lean and a bit odd. But things changed. I tried some magnetic pods I had, no change with them.
Then as a whim I cut two sections of foam pool noodle I had laying around and put it under the front and back of the preamp. I oriented them lengthwise. Something fantastic happened here! I got spooky precise focus to instruments, the bass response became impactful, the sound is more relaxed...perhaps a bit too smooth but I will take this over that mechanical presentation any day. This is sounding very nice.
So, after dinner I decide to cut a third one and perhaps the bass gets better. I put it in and all the gains are gone, it sounds worse than the first set of Wagner pads I put in. The bass literally vanishes and the soundstage collapses. Pull it out and things are good again. I listen to disc after disc last night and am pleased with the sound. I am spinning vinyl this morning and still feel the same way.
So now I have a plan of action. On one hand I am content to leave the noodles in place and roll with that for awhile. It would be nice to have a permanent solution though. It seems like I am looking for a compliant solution. I remember Brightstar used to build a little shelf that housed a bike inner tube in it, and I think Townshend Audio also had a bladder type platform.
It would be interesting to know what products folks have used that functioned in a similar manner.
Thanks for sharing any thoughts or experiences.
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@ghdprentice " Although I will not be taping anything to my speakers." I should have clarified that by writing that my Focal speakers have a glass top so no worries about the finish although I'm careful not to scratch it. |
You know that your mechanical control of vibration and resonance is right only when the qualitative change is perceived as astoundingly bigger than anything you waited for in timbre quality as in imaging and soundstage ( out of the speakers plane in depth and out by the sides of each speakers it is a recording dependant factor but very astonishing with 4 inches woofer and tiny speakers anyway filling a small room but li listen in nearfield with no comparison with any of my past headphones at all except the K340 who is at another quality level ) ... my bass go 50 hertz clear and extended because of my porthole retuning design with straws of different size ... Forget simple metal spike ... Or anything simple ... For me only heavy damping load on top passed some threshold of weight on my small box active two way speakers and under them sandwiches of mixed materials and minerals worked ... ( shungite plate-cork plate-oak plate-sorbothane plate-bamboo plate -many heavy granite plates , because these speakers are on my desk )...The damping load over them is near three times the weight of these 12 pounds speakers ..,. Cymbals decay and clarity is a good sign ... Any boominess is a sign of unsuccess...A better balance between the frequencies with no compression ... But the mechanical working embeddings control is not enough , you need EMI and electrical noise floor control , i take it with a good wall plug connector near the central panel of the house and my golden plate on all critical spots ( shungite plate+copper) but all this is useless without an acoustically controlled room with good diffusion for my small speakers in particular and mechanical crosstalk small isolation with wood panels work for me but will not work for most because impractical ...😁 I live well with this impractical crazy panels separating each speakers from each of my ears because i want good sound ...Most people will not go there ... ... Some erroneously claim that we dont need acoustic control of the room in nearfield listening but they are completely wrong ... The sound speed in a very small room make any reflections acting on your ears perceptions almost as much as the direct or first wave ... |
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