This is no joke.

Another good point Mickeyf. Animals do what animals do - there is no morality, respect etc. I have had pets all of my life - they do not 'respect' somebody's speakers and if they tear up the speakers or chew up the $1000 headphones they are not a 'bad cat' or a 'bad dog'. Just a cat or a dog doing what they do. I bet the joke police had a real bone to pick with Monty Python - how about South Park? Geez, work as joke police must be bottom of the barrel - what's next on the ladder book burnings?, planned parenthood protests?

Seriously since tube traps behind a speaker absorb standing waves this ornament may act as a disfuser to improve sound. Call me Dr. Tweak.I have three weaks that will blow you away helping all systems and you will find it hard to believe. Normally I charge good money for my expertise but out of the goodness of my heart I will expose these three now. I have many more.

1) Take your blocks of wood and tiptoe devices and throw them out. They are hurting the sound. Remember one componet per shelf and for amps and preamps only use one of two things to ISOLATE THE COMPONET. Sorbathan pucks, or rubber feet(Herbies one example)Vibrapods all work to isolated electronic signals. So ISOLATE amps, preamps, CDs yes and turntables. Decouple speakers. Spikes , tiptoes all work on these.This would only be my choice for a concrete slab. A pier and beam or second story go back to isolate. There are a few products out there that do this- they are basically a carpet covered board with foam underneath them.(SubDude HD) IS AN ISOLATED PRODUCT WHICH WORKS WELL WITH SUBS AND SPEAKERS FOR CONDOS OR APARTMENTS OR PIER AND BEAM OR SECOND STORY FLOORS. For Slabs spike em.
2)Now tap your mega buck amp or preamp. Is it dead silent like your speaker? Probably not- just a few are. Take the outside metal case off, buy some Dynamat Extreme stick on absorbtion/deadening material from your locar CAR STEREO house(they use this to suround the speakers to isolate road noise)you line the inside cabinet(where you can/don't cover vent holes or slots) and reattach the cover.BE careful one this stuff is on it is not going anywhere. Put on the inside of the cabinet. It is not pretty. So for $40 you have deadened and issolated your amp and preamp. The sound tightens up and on a good su=ystem separation is improved.I would not use on speakers. Be carefull on cd players. Most can use this on the exterior bottom also.Leaving your metal case off will also improve sound but most feel it detracts from the visiual experience.
#3) I could give you a hundred tweaks. Do I do the free toilet tissue roll trick, the $10 a foot speaker cable that blows away the $100 a foot cable or how to make a cheap bass trap that looks great or improving outlets for under $10?? I choose the outlets today. ALL outlets can be improved. Most have a 59 cent recepticle. Home Depot or an Elelctrical supply store will have the brand Hubbell or Levitron HD 20 amp outlet that will improve most sound systems.

Musicnoise & Mickeyf:

You guys/girls (difficult to tell on the WWW) creep me out, by your justification of what you think is OK to post in a forum such as this.

why dont you just a) answer the question and b) confirm you haven't declawed (mutilated and tortured) your cats?
If you think I'm being funny now I'm not. I have more compassion for animals, cats included, than most, likely you as well. and yes, this, is no joke.

M
Never yelled at 'em, and certainly would never declaw.
The butcher shop cat liked a certain rug while the orange tabby loved a couple trees out back. They both ignored the scratch post I built for 'em. I think they scent mark thru the paws and using the nose, won't share certain things.
They both stayed away from my panels without ever being told or coerced.

I'm not a bluenose or a stiff, but jokes about nailing cats to something or drilling holes in 'em are in wacky poor taste. Your original 'joke' was, IMO, not a bit of absurdist humor.