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Speaker cable vibration?

After trial and error, I discovered that a certain 'edginess' and lack of coherence I was hearing from my speakers was due in part to the physical vibration of the speaker cable and connectors. As music was playing, I felt the connectors where they connected to the binding posts, and they had significant vibration, in direct relation to what the drivers were doing. Also, to a lesser degree but in the same vein, the speaker cable itself was also vibrating.

I then tried damping the the cable and connectors with very DIY items from Home Depot -- pipe insulation and felt washers for sinks. The result was a much tighter, smoother more natural and direct sound.

I am in the middle just now of receiving different speakers after selling off the ones I was using. I have wondered if poor binding post insulation was the culprit, and will find out more definitively once I try the new speakers and see if vibrating binding posts are still an issue.

I bring this up, because:
1) The issue seems significant in its affect on the sound
2) I haven't read/heard much about this before (I would think any significant source of vibration would have been jumped on by the tweak companies by now)
3) Why haven't speaker cable companies addressed this
4) Curious to hear from others

The sound has been improved, but looks-wise, I've got speaker cable wrapped in pipe insulation. Not very WAF to say the least. I do know of one company -- Acoustic Revive -- that I think has some sort of insulation in their connectors. FYI my speaker cables are thick Synergistic Research with WBT 0645 banana connectors.
tholt
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
'But hundreds,dare I say thousands, will claim they can!!!!'

True, and under the rules of high-end audio, their claims must be respected. To do otherwise leaves you open to the charge of being 'an inexperienced fool'. Trust me, I know from experience. :)
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,687 posts
 
10-31-11: Rok2id
True, and under the rules of high-end audio, their claims must be respected. To do otherwise leaves you open to the charge of being 'an inexperienced fool'. Trust me, I know from experience. :)
Rok...I never said I didn't respect other people's claims now did I? BTW,I've been called much worse than "an inexperienced fool"!!!!
wolf_garcia
6,734 posts
 
"Respecting claims" led to Tice Clocks and Mpingo discs. I can "hear" the difference between logic and myth most of the time, and claiming to hear a difference between spades and bananas makes you a "connectist".
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
I am surprised no one has claimed to be able to hear the little strings vibrating. The ones in string theory. Or perhaps hear stars going supernova. One member recently suggested I see a psychiatrist. I did, and she said after the lobotomy is done, I will be able to hear everything. Including wire!! Oh goody goody.
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
Well I found with my KEF Q300 bookshelf speakers that not only do the binding posts vibrate but the whole enclosure of the speakers vibrates when music is playing. Top, rear, sides... I know. I know. What did you think was going to happen?

I guess I'm used to the internal bracing and thicker cabinets of the bigger older KEF floor standers where you don't feel much vibration when you touch the speakers when music is playing.
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