Vibration Isolation & Damping

Vibration isolation by its meaning prevents vibration transmission. It keeps vibration energy from getting into an object, like a structure or piece of apparatus. Vibration damping dissipates vibration energy. It absorbs or changes vibration energy, reducing the energy transmitted through the instrument or a structure. Vibration Isolation and Damping are very important when it comes to getting the most of your audio investments.

In my case, when I had my set up in Tokyo and Taiwan, I had concrete floors. Tokyo, for example, had a thick carpet that required heavy stone slabs to compress vibrations, which when combined with a 'Sorbothane' material and additional stone slabs helped reduce vibrations from the rack and speakers. My setup in San Diego on the other hand has been a challenge for the sole reason it's on the 2nd floor of the home with wood framing and a wooden floor. Footfall was a significant issue as was the wood floor's ability to transfer the vibration from the speakers. The solutions in Japan were no match for this new room hence I had to start from scratch.

The San Diego final solutions required IsoAcoustics GAIA, Oreo, and Puck isolators for the speakers, rack, Turn Table (TT), Pre-amp, DAC, CD, rack component power regeneration, and amps. Each of the IsoAccoustics products was selected and matched to the weight of the component they would be applied to. The only variations are the Amps, P20 power regenerators, and Turn Table. The amps have Sorbothane blocks directly on the floor with a granite slab on top that acts as the base to the IsoAcustic pucks under the amps; (Floor to Sorbothane to granite to puck to amp). The P20 power regenerators have just the Sorbothane blocks on the wood floor and granite slabs on top which acts as the base for the P20’s. The Turntable platform uses IsoAcustic pucks supporting a carbon composite plate atop the rack. The turntable has IsoAcustic Gaias which ultimately sits on a custom Minus K isolation table; Rack to Pucks to Carbon Composite plate to Minus K isolation table, to GAIA as turntable feet. As referenced the rack and speakers each have GAIA feet. That is finally what it took to get the TT isolated from ambient vibrations and footfalls and I was able to not only hear the difference but measure it.

There are a good number of solutions available today to fit different budgets and variables for vibration isolation and damping. To get started, I recommend finding a way to measure the vibration on your rack/components/speakers. Without a way to measure you don’t know where or how big the issue is or even if the solutions are working as it relates to footfall or ambient low frequency. There are plenty of options including smartphone apps with external sensors, or the phone itself, or standalone meters. Being able to measure the number of variations I have tried has proven to be very helpful. “Vibroscope” is an iOS example of a smartphone app I have used as is “Vibration Meter” for Android.

The impact of the right isolation and damping is a must for the turntable. After you have implemented/used the right solution/s you will hear a significant improvement in the digital source. I was surprised with the digital sources; CD, high res. files and streaming via the DAC had a noticeable improvement. Clean power and vibration isolation have a powerful effect on the digital path. And if you can get those speaker cables off the floor; that’s another surprise on the performance that you will notice on sensitive systems.

You can visit the gallery to view the setup pics and set-up details page for technical specifications.

Room Treatment

Where do you start? REW testing? Outside consultant? Clap listening for echos?

Let's start with the easy stuff; 1st and 2nd reflection points on the sidewalls and floor. Yes, the shape of your room will need more planning but straight away its about the first reflection points and the hard services, corners, furniture, wall, and floor coverings. In the end, this is a game about managing the timing of the sound waves to your left and right ears for mid and high frequencies and if necessary, managing the low frequency.

There are plenty of books and web-references on this subject as well as outside services. For me I started with some Roxul acoustic panels 48’x24’x2” to see how that would impact the room; it was an experiment I could do quickly. Literally raw non framed batts could be placed in the room at the obvious reflection points using the mirror test. Yes, it made a difference, and soon I was adjusting my speakers and seating position and relistening to reference recordings. It was clear the delta was significant from just my listening alone and there was a path to keep improving. My room is not a standard size or dimension and hence I wanted some help, and that was available. The GIK Acoustics team was able to advise and provide a suggested treatment with their products and some straightforward analysis that included the spec of speakers and amps along with room measurements; videos and photos of the room also played their part and were helpful. If you like what they suggest order away or add more or trim back their suggestions. They are a wealth of knowledge and also have improvements that look like art/framed pictures that may be needed for multipurpose non-dedicated rooms.

After some discussion with the GIK teams, the products eventually arrived and I placed all of the wall and floor stand treatments for the side, front and back walls and placed the bass traps in corners as suggested by the GIK team. I again went through the reference recordings and again there was a significant improvement that required me to again adjust the speaker positions, listening position and make a few adjustments with the panels although I admit very minor. Finally, was the ceiling-mounted treatment which again demonstrated another significant improvement in the audio, and it should have; it’s a major 1st reflection point. The audio improvements are as you would expect and can read on other sites as it relates to imaging, depth and width of sound stage, and a much tighter and true low frequency. The removal of interfering sound waves allows more detail to be imaged and with this, you will re-experience your library of recordings.

Below are pictures of the digital representation of my audio room. The 1st and 2nd reflection points on the floor, ceiling, and walls or lack of walls were straightforward. What was impressive is the number of base traps I put into the corners. The bass traps are as if you never have enough. I also like the option of selectable frequency absorption coupled with diffusion. I did not want a completely dead room. Notice the rug in the room? It’s not synthetic but a thick uneven wool rug with a non-slip pad under it. This helps with the absorption whereas synthetic uniform cut rugs can reflect. And that grey table in front of the listening position, yup it must be removed when performing critical listening. The reflections are well managed in the room to the point where that table’s interference is noticeable.

Post the room treatment I did go the route of measuring the room acoustically with REW; Room EQ Wizard. Great software that when paired with a miniDSP USB mic can do far more analysis of your room. The REW software is great but you will have to read/study, it’s not for a novice. Nevertheless, for 2 channel stereo systems, it's helpful but if our doing a studio with digital acoustical adjustments it’s a must-have. Again, you can have experts for this. In the end, I trust what I hear or can’t hear and like the REW as a reference for my 2-channel listening room.

Going through this process was necessary given the challenges of the current San Diego room. It did give me an opportunity to think about the rooms the system was in before; Tokyo and Taiwan, and how those were naturally better and why. It also gives me a heads up for future planning for the next room. Bottom line, room treatments are necessary for a significant improvement in your home audio experience and there are solutions for dedicated rooms and shared multipurpose rooms.

You can read more about REW here

Photo: Amazon.com

San Diego (Home) Audio Room set up - Reference Pics

Notes on Clearaudio Jubilee MC

Clearaudio Jubilee MC

After a faithful run and some melodious memories, the Benz Ebony TR cartridge hit the re-tip point; loved that cartridge. It was amazing with great warmth and yet solid detail but all things or should I say good things do come to an end at some point. The Benz Micro in Switzerland stopped production ☹. So, after a lot of research, reading, and consulting, I decided not to have the Ebony TR re-tipped by a third party and decided to move to a Jubilee MC, Clearaudio. It has been months since I installed the Jubilee MC but was just too busy to try it out and share my notes. Finally got a chance this weekend, after a burn-in period.

The feeling with Jubilee MC goes something like Wow and Oh let me play that song again. Yes, the Clearaudio performed on an elevated level as compared to the beloved Benz Ebony TR. Now grant it the Benz needs a re-tipping aka tune up but the Jubilee demonstrated more power and energy creating more separation of instruments and voices with a sliver of detail/brightness that was complimentary and not harsh. You could, as with the Ebony TR, feel the music more, and more is better. Thank you Clearaudio.

A few records I put under the Jubilee MC, all live performances: Eagles Hotel California - Hell Freezes Over 1994 live recording pressed in Europe (yes that’s a really good one). Patricia Barber, A Fortnight in France Album with the song Norwegian Wood. Diana Krall, Live in Paris album, A Case of You. After playing these and other vinyl selections it was like being at the Eagles concert, having Diana Krall and her piano in my music room and Patricia Barber’s entire band perform live especially the bass player. Great music records with an outstanding cartridge.

Note the Jubilee was paired with a new step-up transformer from Bob’s Devices, the Sky 20, and connected with Transparent Audio cables. The TT is still a McIntosh MT5 Precision Turntable ("The turntable of the gods." - Rolling Stone) with a special Asai disc sheet AMG-2000, powered by a custom McRu linear power supply and modified vibration isolation from IsoAcoustic and a Minus K isolation table. Yes, I went crazy with vibration isolation and room treatment since arriving from Japan. I am still a big fan of Bob SUT’s; great performance and value. And the Asai disc continues to provide a surface that combines the warmth of the MT-5 Acrylic platter but pops the music with clarity and no muddiness.

Vibration isolation and room treatment are altogether a different ball-game so let me leave it for later. For now, getting back to tuning up my week😊

“Where words leave off, music begins.” - Heinrich Heine

BoB's Devices SUT SKY 20

MT-5 with ISO ACOUSTICs Feet and Minus K Isolation Table

ISO ACOUSTICS Foot on MT-5 TT