Vibration isolation in pro amp / equipment rack??? Processor rattles!

[Gordon Gray]

Gordon,

Read the reviews on Amazon and in other publications.

Generally speaking, a product that attenuates vibration induced distortion (even though you may not realize that's what it is until it's gone) will allow you to hear much more of the intended "designers" goals in sound reproduction.

The other aspect is that removal of excess bass allows everything above those frequencies to be heard in a much more transparent manner.

Give the subdude a try. You have everything to gain and, with the return policy, nothing to lose.

GG

 

[Bernard]

I remember seeing something somewhere where the equipment is clamped vertically. It may have been in an issue of TAS.

 

[Speedskater]

The Krell processor is basically a sophisticated computer and exposing it to constant significant-vibrations will eventually upset or damage it internally.

If that was true, you couldn't ship a PC anywhere and laptops wouldn't last a week. It's the hard drive (especially the older ones) that don't like vibration.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Bernard,

You may be referring to the "Michael Green clamp rack".

Bought one some twenty years ago and still in use.

Adjustable shelves with each piece of gear resting on three cones (bottom) and one cone (top).

Very heavy (150 lbs.) and very effective.

Shows up on one of my system pictures.

Gordon

 

[Dan Osib]

If that was true, you couldn't ship a PC anywhere and laptops wouldn't last a week. It's the hard drive (especially the older ones) that don't like vibration.

Maybe your right, but Super Deep' bass from his JL Subwoofer (near the 10Hz region) which is constantly rattling the Krell Processor can't be doing it any good in the long run. I mean, how many people would always leave their laptop resting on their subwoofer when not in use?

 

[gordonmenninger]

Found a solution...

OK after experimenting with cones which really did nothing to help for some reason, trying out some Audioquest Sorbothan feet I had laying around which helped a good deal, I have come up with something that works: Super cheap and effective tweek: Tennis Balls. My son is an avid tennis player and we always have tennis balls laying around the house. Just for fun I cut up 2 balls in half and placed each 1/2 ball under the feet of my processor and the vibrations were reduced by about 90%! I did not really believe what I was seeing and I retested with the same track using cones and was amazed at the results. With the cones, the top of the processor was vibration, with the tennis balls there was almost nothing!
I spray painted 8 balls black last night and will use them under some other components as well! It is definitely worth a try!:music:

 

[Brad225]

Don't forget Gordon's suggestion of some type of platform with spikes under the Fathoms. It will not take away your low end.

 

[gordonmenninger]

Thanks. I am still trying to find out the benefits of having the sub sit on this.... Right now my stacked subs are in the front corner of my HT sitting on a basement concrete slab with pad and berber carpet over it. Are you saying right now that the subs are actually coupling with the concrete and shaking the walls and vibrating my components?
I want to make sure that I do not lose the in your gut feeling of bass (on certain movies) and being able to feel the bass in my couch!~

 

[gordonmenninger]

hmm, i did a little research and I think I might give the SubDude HD a try. However, from reviews I saw it says that the platform is only 15x15" and my sub is 16.5 x20" so i need to step up to the Great Gramma amp and Monitor riser which is like 30"x19".

 

[gordonmenninger]

I called JL Audio today and talked to someone there that knows everything about the JL subs and how to set them up correctly (phase, etc) and explained my situation to him. He said in my scenario with the subs being stacked in corner on concrete floor that SubDudes have absolutely no benefit. The cabinet of the JL does not vibrate / resonate at all and all the energy is transferred into the air with the sub driver pressurizing the room. This is what is causing my walls and therefore equipment rack to rattle and not the fact that the sub is sitting on a concrete floor. He also recommended sorbothane for equipment isolation as it basically lowers the frequencey of the pressurized sub bass notes down to 1 or 2 herz and therefore reduces the vibrations the equipment sees.

Again, the tennis balls under my processor have worked wonders and I am going to work on stiffening up my rack a bit.
I also talked to a tech at Krell and he said that vibrations in the amp / processor have absolutely no detrimental effect on sound quality...
Just food for thought...

 

[Bernard]

The other aspect is that removal of excess bass allows everything above those frequencies to be heard in a much more transparent manner.

Very true.

On another thread a poster indicated that he likes to really feel the bass, and I wonder if that is what the problem is here, i.e. the bass is cranked up, especially since GM said that he likes to listen to music and movies loud, a statement that always makes me think of hearing damage.