Vibrapods?

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

I was reading a review of the Jolida JD100A cd player when I read this:

Tweaks?

I guess I would be shirking my duty if I failed to mention that the JD100A responds quite well to certain basic tweaks. It faithfully mirrors the sonic properties of three different aftermarket power cords, a couple of which cost more than the JD100A itself. It also benefits from sitting on four Vibrapods, sounding slightly firmer in the bass and airier in the highs. Adding the new Bybee Slipstream RCA Magic Bullets (reviewed in February by Max Westler) between the JD100A and the VTL TL7.5 preamplifier produced a dramatically more vivid and immediate presentation. I have no doubt that a bit of tube-rolling could produce some intriguing effects, although I did not experiment with alternative tubes. No doubt my esteemed colleague Dick Olsher could offer some good suggestions.

How could a foot on a digital > analog player have any affect on sound?  Less read errors/dropped samples from isolating it from vibration?.

I could see how they would benefit other some gear/speakers, what's the deal here?  Voo-Doo?

Hopefully Skully and Moulder frequent this forum. 

[Daryan]

NOT voodoo.  I use vibrapods literally under just about everything in my system, as they are cheap and extremely effective.  For added improvement, give the cones in combonation with the pods a try as well.  Isolating any component is going to help dampen vibration, whether it be a cd transport, speakers, amplifiers, etc. 

In my own personal; experience, I heard a dramatically more definaed sound, almost like adding detail.  The image snaps into place if it was heretofore convulted etc.

Give em a try and report back.

Daryan

[jpschust]

think of it kind of like the ride in a car with crappy shocks vs a ride in a lexus

crappy shocks have you bouncing all over the place, but well tuned and well designed shocks keep you riding smoothly along when you get natural bumps in the road.

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

think of it kind of like the ride in a car with crappy shocks vs a ride in a lexus

crappy shocks have you bouncing all over the place, but well tuned and well designed shocks keep you riding smoothly along when you get natural bumps in the road.

So they'll keep the room from shaking? 

But seriously, how would vibration isolation HELP the performance of an amplifier, I can understand a CD player from read errors, but that's it?

[jpschust]

think of it kind of like the ride in a car with crappy shocks vs a ride in a lexus

crappy shocks have you bouncing all over the place, but well tuned and well designed shocks keep you riding smoothly along when you get natural bumps in the road.

So they'll keep the room from shaking? 

But seriously, how would vibration isolation HELP the performance of an amplifier, I can understand a CD player from read errors, but that's it?

because you are causing interference with the electrical signals.

on amps the influence is less than on transport devices.  fwiw, i have everything on walker points with the exception of my turntable (which has its own points built in) and my phono pre since it is an odd shape and too difficult to put on points.

[BobW]

think of it kind of like the ride in a car with crappy shocks vs a ride in a lexus

crappy shocks have you bouncing all over the place, but well tuned and well designed shocks keep you riding smoothly along when you get natural bumps in the road.

So they'll keep the room from shaking? 

But seriously, how would vibration isolation HELP the performance of an amplifier, I can understand a CD player from read errors, but that's it?

Tube amps are affected by vibration, the effect is called "microphonics" because the tube responds to sounds as if it were a microphone.
Transformers and volume controls can exhibit this effect as well.

On the cheap, "gel" shoe insoles can be cut, doubled or tripled in thickness, and do a decent job of isolating.

If the sound level is high enough, the tube envelopes will be very hard to isolate.
If the amp must be subjected to high SPLs, it may be wiser to go SS.
( FYI, L-MOSFETS softclip much in the same way that a vacuum tube does...)

Tubes are cranky, sometimes expensive, and need TLC, but there is nothing that sounds exactly like them.

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

think of it kind of like the ride in a car with crappy shocks vs a ride in a lexus

crappy shocks have you bouncing all over the place, but well tuned and well designed shocks keep you riding smoothly along when you get natural bumps in the road.

So they'll keep the room from shaking? 

But seriously, how would vibration isolation HELP the performance of an amplifier, I can understand a CD player from read errors, but that's it?

Tube amps are affected by vibration, the effect is called "microphonics" because the tube responds to sounds as if it were a microphone.
Transformers and volume controls can exhibit this effect as well.

On the cheap, "gel" shoe insoles can be cut, doubled or tripled in thickness, and do a decent job of isolating.

If the sound level is high enough, the tube envelopes will be very hard to isolate.
If the amp must be subjected to high SPLs, it may be wiser to go SS.
( FYI, L-MOSFETS softclip much in the same way that a vacuum tube does...)

Tubes are cranky, sometimes expensive, and need TLC, but there is nothing that sounds exactly like them.

+t's

Thanks for the feedbacks

[zowie]

Tube amps are affected by vibration, the effect is called "microphonics" because the tube responds to sounds as if it were a microphone.

Some tube amps.

I've played around with different types of isolation devices and never heard a difference I could be sure was not just wishful thinking on any of the CDPs, preamps, and amps I've owned.  Differences can be much more obvious on speakers and turntables.

A word to the wise (from one who was not so wise himself):  by the time you're done trying out all kinds of  tweaks you'll read about in Stereophile and TAS that sometimes make small improvements in the sound and sometimes don't, you could have instead paid for a better component(s) and gotten a real upgrade, e.g., a $500 CD player sounds better than a $300 cd player with $200 of chachkas.

[jpschust]

Tube amps are affected by vibration, the effect is called "microphonics" because the tube responds to sounds as if it were a microphone.

Some tube amps.

I've played around with different types of isolation devices and never heard a difference I could be sure was not just wishful thinking on any of the CDPs, preamps, and amps I've owned.  Differences can be much more obvious on speakers and turntables.

A word to the wise (from one who was not so wise himself):  by the time you're done trying out all kinds of  tweaks you'll read about in Stereophile and TAS that sometimes make small improvements in the sound and sometimes don't, you could have instead paid for a better component(s) and gotten a real upgrade, e.g., a $500 CD player sounds better than a $300 cd player with $200 of chachkas.

i absolutely agree

if i had to pick just a few "tweaks" that i think are worthwhile

first would be power supplies, that's the most important to me
second would be good cables- they dont need to be 10k, but something better than monster.
third would be vibration isolation pieces, certainly for transports, amps and pres are more questionable, but most certainly for your phono stage and i really do think cd player. 

[BobW]

All vacuum tubes are subject to the microphonic effect (to varying degrees), hence....

But you're absolutely right, well-designed amps are structural enough to keep these to an absolute minimum.

Some of the absolute best vacuum tube amps use tubes that have horrible susceptibility to microphonics.
The glass envelope of a 300B getting slammed by the output of a sub will produce some sounds that just ain't pretty.

A word to the wise (from one who was not so wise himself):  by the time you're done trying out all kinds of  tweaks you'll read about in Stereophile and TAS that sometimes make small improvements in the sound and sometimes don't, you could have instead paid for a better component(s) and gotten a real upgrade, e.g., a $500 CD player sounds better than a $300 cd player with $200 of chachkas.

QFT

[chitaper]

You really need to get these volume knobs, they kick ass! And less than $500 (can you believe that?)!

[chitaper]

Oh, and don't forget the Clever Little Clock, no system should be without one.

[BobW]

Don't forget the Golden Sound Intelligent Chip        +T

[chitaper]

How about $1500 for a 6 foot power cable. The miles and miles of aluminum power lines to your house and the many feet of plain copper wiring to your outlet are no match for the magic of this baby. I hooked one up to my toaster once (just for kicks) and was completely amazed at how light and fluffy, and delicately flavored, my toast was afterwards. 

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Chitaper, with all these wierd tweaks you are posting, are you suggesting that vibrapods are a scam?