Wood blocks underneath components?? snake oil?

David12, I wonder to what degree the golden section ratio really contributes to the effectiveness of wood footers. It certainly makes for good ad copy but it's application may be psuedo-science in this case? The golden ratio certainly crops up over and over again in nature's design and in the works of artists, but does this have any relevance in this case? Just because it's aesthetically pleasing doesn't mean it contributes to functionality. Look at a marimba, the ultimate example of tuned wooden blocks, no golden ratio at work there. When I cut the blocks I experimented with, I made one set very carefully to maintain the golden section proportions as exactly as my shop would allow. I deliberately made another with the longest length deviating from this ratio (shorter.) I can't hear any difference, but then maybe my ears aren't golden enough and my system isn't revealing enough.

Yes. Snake oil. Cheap snake oil (in this case, free), but snake oil nonetheless.

Personally, I put my components on the properly engineered feet they came with. Well, except for my satellite receiver. That, I must admit, I balance on top of my favorite house plant (only lightly watered), with a rubber band on the left rear corner, wrapped around a very special Brasilian rosewood #2 pencil. No varnish or paint on the pencil, naturally, but rather lightly oiled and hand-rubbed for the best resonance control. The olfactory presentation of the receiver is much improved when following this procedure.

Okay, all kidding aside, shouldn't the feet and chassis be engineered properly for resonance control to begin with? Makes sense to me....

Your moniker seems to indicate that you work for Boulder Amp of Colorado. Is that correct?

Wood = okay but ceramic (pumice) foot sanding stone material is more neutral than wood if that's your preference. Ceramic replaced everything I tried, included roller feet, sorbothane, wood, vibrapods, etc., etc.

Stereophile has an excellent article titled "Bad Vibes" I don't have time to get the link.

Dumb question time for all you resonance control affictionados....

Its my understanding that everything resonanates at some frequency. By using different materiels aren't you just changing the resonance frequency? Wouldn't you need to know the frequency at which your present system was resonanating in order to select a materiel to move the resonance frequency to a frequency where it becomes less of a problem (I would guess that frequency would be one which was not being excited by other stuff in your system or room)?

Help me to understand this.

Thanks........