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Vibration control on power versus signal

I am upgrading a power conditioner and was wondering if anyone has compared the effect of vibrations on the actual signal  - speakers and the their cables, amps, phono stages, turntables, other sources with the boxes and interconnects on SQ versus those on the power delivery side- power cords, conditioners, power supplies, etc.

So far, I have seen the benefits of vibration control on the signal via treatment on my speakers, phono stage, amp, and of course turntable. I have only minimally addressed it with my existing power conditioner with Herbie's tenderfeet, which may do something, but don't give the box the floating effect you get with Townshend pods/platforms or Symposium roller blocks.

Logically, I would think the effects of vibration would be much less detrimental on power versus signal, but logic doesn't always work in this hobby. For example, I was told that the BIGGEST improvement heard by Symposium is on CD players, not turntables or speakers or boxed components. That surprised me because of the huge improvement I heard on my turntable with Townshend's Seismic Platform.

It's the only box I have that doesn't float around when I touch it (with the corresponding wires in the back) when I put records on top of it when putting them back. I don't like seeing that movement, even though it is very short lived. I would prefer not to treat the new one, but of course want to have the best sound that I can hear, not just the best in theory.

Thanks for relaying your experience. 
   
sokogear
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
My conditioner is built on a BDR Black Beauty, similar to a Shelf but without the pretty carbon fiber. DJ made it and gave it to me for being such a terrific guy. Seriously. The BB is threaded and had BDR Cones screwed into the bottom. Until recently, when after going through all the springs I had a bunch of Nobsound left over and so decided why not?

Sure enough they produce the same effect under the conditioner.

Having done stuff like this going on three decades now, and especially with the experience of the last few years, I really find it odd people still thinking in terms of being able to divide things up and say this is signal it does this that is power it does that. If the experience of power cords, conditioners, and all the rest has taught us anything it ought to have taught us there is no such dividing line.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/april-fool-s
sokogear OP
1,050 posts
 
Cool. Was just wondering how profound the effect is. I know everything helps, but sometimes it's subtle, very subtle, astounding, etc. Sometimes it is hard to notice what caused what because multiple changes were made in short succession and I haven't heard all my records after each individual improvement, and then I play a record I haven't heard for 6 months and it's like WOW I never heard that before or like that before.

Plus, not having one box float appeals to me. 
middlemass
876 posts
 
Don't know if it's applicable to your situation but I've had great results with SR's ECT...4 on top of my power transformers and 1 at the base of my preamp's rectifier tube. Millercarbon suggested that placement and he was right again...thanks MC!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
You're welcome. My pleasure. I think it was David Pritchard turned me onto ECT and HFT. Sounded crazy but he seemed sane enough so I gave em a try. First thing I do is try them where they are not supposed to work. I do this with a lot of stuff, just out of curiosity as much as anything. Like maybe knowing where it works and how well might tell me something about what is going on. But it remains a mystery. A lot of this stuff is a mystery. Fortunately I do not require a neurophysiologist to explain hearing, I can simply enjoy hearing. And I do! Ha! And glad you do, too!
pauly
1,012 posts
 
"Logically, I would think the effects of vibration would be much less detrimental on power versus signal, but logic doesn't always work in this hobby."

Look at a circuit diagram. It's fairly "obvious" why reducing noise at the AC input side will improve sound. 

I put the obvious in quotes because I only realized how obvious it was AFTER I heard the effects of a power cord first hand. I had built, and improved on, ripple filters in power supplies for years and it never dawned on me that cleaning the AC would lower ripple and noise on the B+ rail. 


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