Putting Weight on Components....

[SWL3600]

I've seen this in quite a few pics here. Hoping someone can elaborate on this....and for the sake of discussion, does it REALLY help? How much weight? What kind of weight? What components need weight the most?

 

I'm getting pretty serious into computer audio and am getting very good results implementing it into my main rig.

 

Thanks. [emoji106]

 

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[cjf]

I've seen this in quite a few pics here. Hoping someone can elaborate on this....and for the sake of discussion, does it REALLY help? How much weight? What kind of weight? What components need weight the most?

 

I'm getting pretty serious into computer audio and am getting very good results implementing it into my main rig.

 

Thanks. [emoji106]

 

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

 

I try to apply Mass Loading to equipment who's chassis tends to be on the thinner side and if it shows signs of ringing when wrapped sharply with a knuckle. One such component that I own and falls into this category is my Torus RM20 Isolation Transformer. If I give it a decent wrap on the top center of the chassis I can hear a tone that rings for a few seconds as the vibration travels thru the chassis before disappearing gradually.

 

In terms of what to use to help lessen this effect I find various dodads from Herbies Audio Lab to work well and are fairly priced. It doesnt take much weight as long as the object being used is dead enough to absorb the ringing. In reality you could just as easily use an old sock filled with sand plopped down on top of the chassis as long as it doesnt block any air vents.

 

Does it make an audible difference in terms of SQ; well thats another story. Ive not noticed anything but I sleep better thinking its doing something good in some remote way somehow

[Elon]

The best upgrade I ever did was adding 40lbs of lead weight to my speaker stands. It tightened up the bass and really improved almost every aspect of sound. But, you were asking about components. To be honest, it has been ten plus years since I really did much comparison, but adding weight to the top of my CD player, showed in a fair amount more detail and air. Adding some weight to my integrated wasn't as obvious of an improvement, but it did help a tiny bit in the upper ranges.

 

At that point, I had my Mom make me some nice, presentable bags which I stuffed with sand and lead, and I just throw them on any components I have, it is cheap and easy. Haven't really A/B'd them in a while. I can't say if it will help as much with components that don't vibrate as much as a CD player.

[gmgraves]

I've seen this in quite a few pics here. Hoping someone can elaborate on this....and for the sake of discussion, does it REALLY help? How much weight? What kind of weight? What components need weight the most?

I'm getting pretty serious into computer audio and am getting very good results implementing it into my main rig.

Thanks. [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

 

I once had a Phillips A/V surround processor. It was gold facia with gray crinkle finish on the end pieces and it weighed a ton! A switch became defective and I opened it up to see if I could replace it. When I did so, I found that under the end plates were pieces of lead the same size as the end plates which were made of aluminum and quite light. I found that I had to order the broken switch through the Phillips' US importer. So I put the case back together without the lead weights, and the thing was light as a feather! Moral? Things aren't always as the seem, and you can't judge build quality by a component's weight.

[davide256]

When talking about vibration interference you need to look at (a) room construction ( floor over wood beams, concrete slab, other?) (b) acoustic feedback potential © mechanical characteristics of the device

 

slab floors conduct low bass but little else... spiked stands for equipment and speakers are a necessity to decouple bass interference from the floor; floors over beams don't conduct much acoustical feedback but are subject to mechanical vibration (foot steps, a/c compressors, outside traffic vibration, etc)

 

In general speakers are sufficiently heavy that with good stands you shouldn't need to weigh them down on a slab floor. On a floor over wood beams weight may help with better damping of mechanical vibration. The wider apart the floor stand contacts are for the speaker, the less of a problem you will have and the easier it will be to weight down the speaker.

 

Record players and disc spinners are the equipment most susceptible to mechanical vibration interference since they have a mechanical function. If you are in a house with wood beam supported floors, a good option is to use rigid wall mounted shelves screwed into the studs to support them. On a slab a good rigid equipment stand with spiked feet should be fine.

 

Large amplifiers are often put on a separate amplifier stand from the rest of the gear both for heat and transformer vibration reasons.

 

For solid state digital gear, can't think of a single reason why you would need to weight down gear, unless its light like the iFi Nano and wont stay in place otherwise when you start fiddling with cables.

 

And if you can afford the cost of the longer speaker runs, worst place for your audio gear is between your speakers or in a corner as that's where you are most prone to excite acoustical feed back. On a mid wall or directly opposite the speakers is better

[Ralf11]

an excellent test for vibration degradation of equipment performance is to set a glass of single malt scotch on the component at issue

 

gaze at the surface during various passages to see if there is a ripple in what should be still water (or mostly water)

 

if you see ripples, drain the glass and try again

 

repeat this procedure until you no longer see any ripples and everything sounds really fine

[dean70]

an excellent test for vibration degradation of equipment performance is to set a glass of single malt scotch on the component at issue

 

gaze at the surface during various passages to see if there is a ripple in what should be still water (or mostly water)

 

if you see ripples, drain the glass and try again

 

repeat this procedure until you no longer see any ripples and everything sounds really fine

if you see ripples, drink the glass and try again.

Fixed it for you.

[sphinxsix]

an excellent test for vibration degradation of equipment performance is to set a glass of single malt scotch on the component at issue

 

gaze at the surface during various passages to see if there is a ripple in what should be still water (or mostly water)

 

if you see ripples, drain the glass and try again

 

repeat this procedure until you no longer see any ripples and everything sounds really fine

I think for many perfectionists this might be the only way to 'make' their system sound good!

 

As for weight on the components - experiment but I'm pretty sure too much weight can be a bad idea..

 

[gmgraves]

an excellent test for vibration degradation of equipment performance is to set a glass of single malt scotch on the component at issue

 

gaze at the surface during various passages to see if there is a ripple in what should be still water (or mostly water)

 

if you see ripples, drain the glass and try again

 

repeat this procedure until you no longer see any ripples and everything sounds really fine

 

Does it have to be Scotch? Can it be a good premium Bourbon such as Woodford Reserve, or Buffalo Trace?

[Ralf11]

those might work if the system is all analog

[gmgraves]

those might work if the system is all analog

 

I was a single malt aficionado (Laphroaig preferably) since my early twenties, and I didn't like bourbon at all. Of course, I had only had "supermarket" bourbon (Jim Beam, Early Times, Jack Daniels [not specifically a bourbon, but close enough]) which I never thought tasted very good being astringent and not very complex. IOW, "getting drunk" whiskies. Then, one Christmas, a friend gave me a wee dram of Woodford reserve, and it was a revelation. Smooth, complex, with overtones of vanilla, caramel, and cherries with an oak-y aroma. I was hooked. Since then I have discovered Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkles, and Knob Creek. All small batch, premium bourbons and all very smooth and complex; real "sipping whiskies"!

[ssh]

I was a single malt aficionado (Laphroaig preferably) since my early twenties, and I didn't like bourbon at all. Of course, I had only had "supermarket" bourbon (Jim Beam, Early Times, Jack Daniels [not specifically a bourbon, but close enough]) which I never thought tasted very good being astringent and not very complex. IOW, "getting drunk" whiskies. Then, one Christmas, a friend gave me a wee dram of Woodford reserve, and it was a revelation. Smooth, complex, with overtones of vanilla, caramel, and cherries with an oak-y aroma. I was hooked. Since then I have discovered Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkles, and Knob Creek. All small batch, premium bourbons and all very smooth and complex; real "sipping whiskies"!

 

exactly my experience.

[Ralf11]

Pappy is nice but horrendously expensive

 

BTW, I recalled something on topic - ARC (on the ref pre-amps IIRC) says to use the polycarbonate top cover, tho they make and will sell you an Al cover if you prefer...