Looking at your setup, I would suggest the Townshend corner Pods for your rack. It will increase the performance off what you already have.
Rack Stack Vibration Isolation advice
Hello you fellow crazies....
I seek some advice on stacking my components is needed.
I am restocking my components. Currently I have a wooden rack on cheap neoprene feet, some marble with neoprene feet beneath my components on two shelves. See here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ybl9eltdoj7o94bx1gbap/IMG_8694.jpeg?rlkey=gflbkfb2hr2p494pr1ae01vv7&dl=0
I am needing some more clearance below with some small components added. I am thinking of raising the entire rack on a 1.5" wooden butcher block. My main question is what should I place beneath my butcher block, between it and the floor?
Option 1: Cheapo "Tertullus" footers with ball bearings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09P1BR54Q?smid=A22180QALJ57SP&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1
Option 2: Neoprene Footers 1" high and / or Felt
The rest of the rack would consist of Stack Audio under the Marble which has the components.
The total weight of the rack and components and marble is about 200lbs.
What do you all think?
Thank you for your input!
r.
Below is the planned overall stack:
STACK:
- WOOD FLOOR
- TERTULLUS BALL BEARINGS OR
- FELT and / or (?) NEOPRENE
- WOOD BLOCK 1.5” THICK:
- 3X CS2 STACK AUDIO
- MARBLE
- PHONO PREAMP
- FELT
- NAGRA STREAMER
- 3X CS2 STACK AUDIO
- WOOD RACK:
- TERTULLUS BALL BEARINGS X 2 AS FOOTERS
- FIRST SHELF
- 4X CS3 STACK AUDIO
- MARBLE
- DAC
- VROCK + VBIT
- 1/5” NEOPRENE
- MARBLE
- AMP
- 2ND SHELF
- 3X CS2 STACK AUDIO
- MARBLE
- TURNTABLE
- ...
- 13 posts total
I've never had much faith in ball bearings as isolation components, at least in the vertical deflection range. Amazon also sells spring based units which will do the job. You will want to dampen them a bit with some soft foam between the shelf and the component. The thing to understand is vibrations travel through a medium until it encounters a second medium of a different density. Then it reflects in the direction it came as a ratio of the two densities. Since the reflection and the travel through the medium is inherently lossy, eventually the vibration energy is spent. So, if you use butcher block and put 1/2 inch of felt --- well, you can see where this is going. Aim for 1,000:1 attenuation based on the densities. You will want two or three layers to get those numbers. Do the same thing on the shelf to rack and shelf to component. Don't make this more complex than it is, it really is simple physics. |
+1 @slaw regarding Townshend. I recently purchased their isolation platforms and they are amazing. I’m a convert to decoupling over other methods. On the very low cost side I’d try the springs that are found on Amazon. I purchased a 4 pack and you can remove springs to get the appropriate resistance Vs weight. I’d put the Townshend’s under the rack and experiment with springs under individual components provided you have enough clearance. Happy Hunting , Mike B. |
Cork Pads are one of my go to separators and used as a tier in the Support for the Sub-plinth my Racks sit on. Years ago Spent Squash Ball as a Half Ball were used as footers under equipment. I was always led to believe Spent Hockey Pucks were similar in their managing energy, these would be a good dimension as a Rack Footer. Do consider for the Rack Support, a Sub-Plinth built on top of a few tiers of different separator materials.
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- 13 posts total

