[neonextgenazn]

Do I have to place my dac away from speakers? Is there an optimal place to place it? Thanks guys!

 

[chesebert]

I place the DAC on top of my head for a bigger soundstage

seriously you can place it anywhere you like as long as you provide some decent isolation

 

[neonextgenazn]

I'm just worried about damaging the dac from placing it too close to my speaker drivers. I know that you're supposed to keep your cpu away from speakers but I don't know whether this applies to dacs. Thanks!

 

[Garbz]

Speakers generate a magnetic field, but the field is due to the magnet at the back and is reasonably constant. Even big speakers placing microchips creditcards or floppies next to them will do nothing. You need a very powerful magnet or a magnet placed very close to these items to do damage. What is dangerous is a magnetic field which changes quickly (I should know it but I am not sure what this is called

)

Though one thing that is sensitive to constant magnetic fields are computer monitors. These should be kept away.

As for Zahlou placement, how close to your amp to shorten your interconnects

 

[neonextgenazn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz Speakers generate a magnetic field, but the field is due to the magnet at the back and is reasonably constant. Even big speakers placing microchips creditcards or floppies next to them will do nothing. You need a very powerful magnet or a magnet placed very close to these items to do damage. What is dangerous is a magnetic field which changes quickly (I should know it but I am not sure what this is called ) Though one thing that is sensitive to constant magnetic fields are computer monitors. These should be kept away. As for Zahlou placement, how close to your amp to shorten your interconnects

Does the damage caused by the constant magnetic field also apply to lcd flat panels?

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonextgenazn Does the damage caused by the constant magnetic field also apply to lcd flat panels?

No it does not. You can place a speaker right next to an LCD monitor and get none of the bleeding you get with a CRT.

 

[hugz]

I'd try put it close to the amp to allow you to use really short interconnects.

 

[alex_cs]

perhaps he means the surface material.

i noticed something very strange in moving my D2C from the top of my speaker amp and cd player stack, to straight onto the wooden desk. the sound just became obviously fuller, and ive gone back and forward and cant believe, nor explain, why this is so. perhaps the zhaolu has a particularly sensitive power supply or something?

 

[tianguis]

Alex:

Nothing strange. Lots of components in electronics are microphonic, subject to vibrations. You just discovered how different support affects microphonics by varying the damping (or non-damping) materials.
I've tried my Zhaolu on Myrtle blocks, rollers, dead balls, Vibrapods and Hyperion Magnetic Levitators. The cleanest sound I've gotten is with an internally damped, mass-loaded D2 on the MagLevs.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

 

[neonextgenazn]

By vibrations, are you referring to the physical vibrations emitted by speakers or are you referring to something much more technical (electromagnetics, etc)?

 

[vmajor]

Microphonics of solid state equipment eh? I thought we had this one licked already.

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...=192922&page=3


The answer is obviously "the higher up in the air, the better"

Cheers,

Victor

 

[Garbz]

I love how often microphonics also improves sound when people listen to headphones. I have another name for it, placebo. While tubes especially are microphonic and capacitors are too, the scale of vibration that hit the device even when listen to muic loud is so small, then the actual effect is even smaller, by the time it gets anywhere near the speakers the effect of microphonics would have been completely oblitterated by the effects of room acoustics.

That is my theory. I have played with positioning, used spikes etc, and I have heard no effect on any equipment except for my turntable, which now sits on an sand isolation platform.

 

[Sinwerm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz I love how often microphonics also improves sound when people listen to headphones. I have another name for it, placebo. While tubes especially are microphonic and capacitors are too, the scale of vibration that hit the device even when listen to muic loud is so small, then the actual effect is even smaller, by the time it gets anywhere near the speakers the effect of microphonics would have been completely oblitterated by the effects of room acoustics. That is my theory. I have played with positioning, used spikes etc, and I have heard no effect on any equipment except for my turntable, which now sits on an sand isolation platform.

I have nothing other to say than bless you for placing Oscar Wllde in your sig. You may also like this one..."The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.

This is a fault."

Preface to Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

 

[pmkap]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz I love how often microphonics also improves sound when people listen to headphones. I have another name for it, placebo...

As much I love conclusions that ignore the initial question -
Do I have to place my dac away from speakers?

But the source of whatever vibrations do not necessarily have to be airborne, or external, for that matter. While I do consider myself quite fortunate when a component is powered via a r-core transformer, for obvious technical reasons, they do tend to vibrate due to magnetorestricive effects. Not necessarily audibly hum. In the Zhaolu, neither the transformer or circuit boards are decoupled from the chassis.

I can only suggest that anyone who actually has a Zhaolu conduct their own (real, as opposed to thought) isolation experiments. The difference between Sorbothane and Nosorex (unhappy balls from Arbor Scientific) is quite apparent.
While Larry's suggestion of mi-rollers or mag-lev are spot on, they are relatively expensive; the Sorbothane and Nosorex comparison is a first step in solving a problem, determining whether you have a problem in the first place.
FWIW

 

[vmajor]

Then try this next:

http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Me...Code=NOB_C37_C

(thanks for the link MuffinMan, I thought they took this gem down, but no, I just could not find it)