[papabear]

I've used vibrapods for a couple of years now. They clean up the sound underneath my source. Clear up the bass and extend the high (maybe just clean them up). Underneath my speakers they again improve the mid and upper range by cleaning them up. Under some speakers I've tried I found they dried the sound up and there was too much loss in bass energy (although the bass tightened up somewhat).

I found they help when you have equipment in a cheaper rack system as opposed to a more expensive rack. I've also found they do most good under source equipment and under speakers.

As always, YMMV and everything is system dependent, but these are cheap enough to not feel ripped off if they don't do much and if they do improve your system, you feel very pleased for not having spent too much dough.

 

[ADS]

Quote:

Originally posted by papabear I've used vibrapods for a couple of years now. They clean up the sound underneath my source. Clear up the bass and extend the high (maybe just clean them up). Underneath my speakers they again improve the mid and upper range by cleaning them up. Under some speakers I've tried I found they dried the sound up and there was too much loss in bass energy (although the bass tightened up somewhat). I found they help when you have equipment in a cheaper rack system as opposed to a more expensive rack. I've also found they do most good under source equipment and under speakers. As always, YMMV and everything is system dependent, but these are cheap enough to not feel ripped off if they don't do much and if they do improve your system, you feel very pleased for not having spent too much dough.

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but, as a computer engineering student I feel obliged to point out that the effects of vibration on anything but possibly the CD transport will have negligible effect on the sound. Other factors that no one here seems to worry about have much more effect (inductance between circuit traces for example). I realize people "hear" differences, but I think that it's the placebo effect raising it's head...

 

[darkclouds]

I've been using Golden Sound ceramic cones under my tube equipment and cdp for awhile now. It seems to make the sound snappier and more focused. Of course, I may just be imagining it. It doesn't matter either way since I feel there's an improvement.

 

[AC1]

Quote:

Originally posted by ADS I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but, as a computer engineering student I feel obliged to point out that the effects of vibration on anything but possibly the CD transport will have negligible effect on the sound.

Ah yes, we have our first I am an engineer/scientist/professor/"The Brain" that feels the need to point out to us that, most likely without much experience, that we are just imagining things, since it goes against whatever beliefs he has.

Sorry, the level of improvement (depending on what you use, equipment involved etc) is close to the level of say good power conditioning, where with or without it could mean the difference between having obscured fuzzy details versus clear distinctions of details. I usually can't imagine better detail, it's either there or not.

I will say that a lot of the devices do not have positive overall effects but tradeoffs. So distinguishing that can be a more difficult task.
Also, for good reason, vibration control does not affect things like power conditioners or power supplies (AC). Still a little but very minor.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by AC1 Also, for good reason, vibration control does not affect things like power conditioners or power supplies (AC). Still a little but very minor.

This is actually debateable. I've become convinced that one of the keys to using vibration control effectively is to dampen transformer vibration as completely as possible. So, I use cones (Mapleshade Ultrafeet or some such) to couple devices to my rack, or better still to a vibration control platform which can then be decoupled from the rack. One of the keys seems to be making sure that one cone is right under the transformer.

Some power conditioners use transformers...and I'll bet that cones help them. This is on my list of things to try when I get some time.

 

[ADS]

Quote:

Originally posted by AC1 Ah yes, we have our first I am an engineer/scientist/professor/"The Brain" that feels the need to point out to us that, most likely without much experience, that we are just imagining things, since it goes against whatever beliefs he has. Sorry, the level of improvement (depending on what you use, equipment involved etc) is close to the level of say good power conditioning, where with or without it could mean the difference between having obscured fuzzy details versus clear distinctions of details. I usually can't imagine better detail, it's either there or not. I will say that a lot of the devices do not have positive overall effects but tradeoffs. So distinguishing that can be a more difficult task. Also, for good reason, vibration control does not affect things like power conditioners or power supplies (AC). Still a little but very minor.

No need to be hostile, I was merely making an observation.

I'm not saying that people don't hear differences (for whatever reason), I'm just saying that I cannot imagine any physical reason for differences to exist. Power conditioning on the other hand, has obvious effects on the functionality of equipment (obvious in the physical/mathematic sense).

 

[AC1]

It was really suppose to read....affect...as much.
Transformers do produce a great deal of vibration which if inside the machine can cause a good deal of polution, so it would be the correct idea to dampen it as much as you can.
For the DI/O with the seperate power supply, basically a (AC) transformer, (which I do not keep on the same shelf as other components) the effects of using vibration devices did help it but was not of the same magnitude as using the same device on the DI/O, and in comparison seems somewhat minor.
Using vibration control devices with Audio Magics (no transformers in them), does more so to smooth out the sound, make it less noisy/fuzzy sounding and alter the tonality to basically what the device usually "sounds" like, but does not produce the same types of improvements as what can be had with using it on components.
I have no doubt that a tranformer based power conditioner could benefit from a device, how effective, I have never tried one so I couldn't really say, but I don't believe if isolated on its own it will be as big of a change as using the device on regular components.

 

[edstrelow]

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I'm just saying that I cannot imagine any physical reason for differences to exist.
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Because you can't imagine it, it can't happen? What if you just lack imagination?

I can imagine a physical expanation called microphonics, the effect of vibrations on electronic components.

An alternative source of damping is sheets of sorbethane cut and packed under various items of equipment.

Used to be able to get them from Edmund Scientifics. But you may have to do an internet search.

 

[Sovkiller]

BTW there are some marble pyramids very nice polished, and nice colors also, in the dollar store around here for 1.00 each, yes don't laugh, is the same as many devices costing as ten times more, they are about 2" per side, and very solid and very well done, nice job, I use them as a decor, but they could be used as a vibration control devices also, why not???

 

[immtbiker]

SovKiller...
I see you changed your avatar...you must enjoy the 3000's.
I hear the best vibration control, for those headphones, is to put
them on your head.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally posted by immtbiker SovKiller... I see you changed your avatar...you must enjoy the 3000's. I hear the best vibration control, for those headphones, is to put them on your head.

Actually, I would feel much better, if more people did the same, but what can we do, nobody is perfect???