[Audiotic]

I keep reading about thepositive effect that cones / spikes have on tube amplifiers now, for my little Schiit Lyr2, I'd like to test this. Anyone experience?

Thanks!!

 

[cel4145]

I keep reading about thepositive effect that cones / spikes have on tube amplifiers now, for my little Schiit Lyr2, I'd like to test this. Anyone experience?

Thanks!!

I have yet to understand that there is any logic behind how cones/spikes help a headphone amp. First, the idea that isolation accomplishes anything much with electronics is highly suspect. But with a headphone amp, what exactly would it be isolating the headphone amp from?

Now if you mean the positive aesthetic effect on how your setup looks, then that is about the only thing that make sense to me.

 

[Audiotic]

Cell4145 - I am also completely unsure. Maybe tubes? Heating wires? OK, well, I just put some simple spikes underneath my Schiit, because as you say - aesthetics
 

 

[penmarker]

I honestly think putting your amps on matching sized chopping boards, and putting the spikes underneath the chopping board look really nice.
 
***edit, something like this but DIY with chopping board and more rudimentary 
 

 

[Audiotic]

If my wife would let me (you know, they famous WAF...) I would indeed do something like this.

 

[Shaffer]

FWIW, the idea behind isolating tube gear is driven by microphonics that can be produced, depending on a variety of factors, not the least of which are the tubes, themselves, when a full-range system is energizing a room. Obviously, this is heavily diminished with headphone use. Good luck.

Edit: punctuation

 

[penmarker]

FWIW, the idea behind isolating tube gear is driven by microphonics that can be produced, depending on a variety of factors, not the least of which are the tubes, themselves, when a full-range system is energizing a room. Obviously, this is heavily diminished with headphone use. Good luck.

Edit: punctuation

People put spoilers on cars when the traction is more than enough and they don't race at all. Others pay hundreds for designer clothes. Some buy paintings.
 
Those things look nice.

 

[Shaffer]

People put spoilers on cars when the traction is more than enough and they don't race at all. Others pay hundreds for designer clothes. Some buy paintings.

Those things look nice.

Not sure I fully understand your point. Was the OP asking for the best-looking cone/spike, or decorating his system?

 

[Audiotic]

Not sure I fully understand your point. Was the OP asking for the best-looking cone/spike, or decorating his system?

I was asking for possible positive audible differences. Optics are nice-to-have, only... Improved heat flow might be good too. 

 

[Shaffer]

I was asking for possible positive audible differences. Optics are nice-to-have, only... Improved heat flow might be good too. 

I own several different cone designs, spikes, various isolation feet, Sorbothane... you get the picture. I've owned tube gear for +30 years. First thing you need to do is determine whether the tubes are microphonic. Have you done that? If not, put on your best cans and lightly flick the tubes with a fingernail. If you can hear it through the HPs without much difficulty....

Edit: Heat is certainly a legitimate concern. One of my HP amps is suspended on cones for that very reason, as it sits on top of an Oppo105. The machine runs hot, as does the amplifier.

 

[Audiotic]

Here's the current setup:


On the microphonics: the weird thing is that 1 tube is, 1 isn't. And it's a matched pair....

 

[Speedskater]

I own several different cone designs, spikes, various isolation feet, Sorbothane... you get the picture. I've owned tube gear for +30 years. First thing you need to do is determine whether the tubes are microphonic. Have you done that? If not, put on your best cans and lightly flick the tubes with a fingernail. If you can hear it through the HPs without much difficulty....

Rather than testing that way, put the tube amp on a sub-woofer.  Play base heavy music through the sub while playing other music through the tube amp.  Record the output of the amp than play it back later.
 
Cones under loudspeakers are one thing, cones under components don't reduce vibrations.

 

[Shaffer]

Rather than testing that way, put the tube amp on a sub-woofer.  Play base heavy music through the sub while playing other music through the tube amp.  Record the output of the amp than play it back later.

Because this is more difficult and takes far more time? And, how would this effect his headphone listening, as there's no subwoofer involved in it? [BTW, it's bass, not base.]

Cones under loudspeakers are one thing, cones under components don't reduce vibrations.

Depends on whether they couple or decouple, along with a given surface. At this point, it seems like the OP is all set.

Edit: I really don't have the time and the desire to explain this, especially in light of the comment. If you're truly interested, search for an article (a bit of a misnomer) by Gary Koh. Having read your other posts, you seem to be instant on some undetermined accreditation and you'll be happy to know that Gary completed his post-doc in mechanical engineering and currently designs Genesis loudspeakers.

 

[Speedskater]

The sub-woofer would just be a handy source of vibration.  Shaker tables are very expensive and not very common.  No one would play to one musical program on a sub-woofer while listening to another program on speakers or headphones.
It's a test to see if the amp is overly sensitive to vibrations.

 

[Speedskater]

Thanks for the Gary Koh white paper:
 
Understanding Loudspeaker Coupling and Decoupling
by Gary Leonard Koh, President & CEO 2011
http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/whitepaper/Genesis_Loudspeaker_Coupling_Decoupling.pdf
 
Spikes couple loudspeakers to the floor. That's exactly the opposite of what we want to do with a vibration sensitive tube amp.