Brass

[DaveF]

I have to disagree here.

All the top models of Naim power and pre-amps, CD-players and streamer models have mass loaded and spring dampened constructions for their PCB's and I can asure you they have done more R&D into this than you have.

Pointless additions made to electronics by a hifi company. Now there is a surprise. It's only purpose is marketing bollox.

[Aleg]

I have to disagree here.

All the top models of Naim power and pre-amps, CD-players and streamer models have mass loaded and spring dampened constructions for their PCB's and I can asure you they have done more R&D into this than you have.

Pointless additions made to electronics by a hifi company. Now there is a surprise. It's only purpose is marketing bollox.

I have to put all these remarks down to a lack of knowledge on your side.
I have more faith in the skills of Naim R&D then in your remarks.
Naim is not known for poppycock products or marketing hypes

[DaveF]

I have to put all these remarks down to a lack of knowledge on your side.
I have more faith in the skills of Naim R&D then in your remarks.
Naim is not known for poppycock products or marketing hypes

Fair enough, I couldnt really give a shit to be honest. Every hifi company out there has some spiel around vibration damping.
As for the 'lack of knowledge' on my side, I've been working on designs for the European Space Agency for a few years now, stuff that ends up in satellites and other systems with critical systems on board.

[Aleg]

I have to put all these remarks down to a lack of knowledge on your side.
I have more faith in the skills of Naim R&D then in your remarks.
Naim is not known for poppycock products or marketing hypes

Fair enough, I couldnt really give a shit to be honest. Every hifi company out there has some spiel around vibration damping.
As for the 'lack of knowledge' on my side, I've been working on designs for the European Space Agency for a few years now, stuff that ends up in satellites and other systems with critical systems on board.

That's nice for you, but they don't make much music do they, these satellites?

All experience is worth so much as the context in which it was experienced.

[Ivor]

It's really not worth getting into an argument about lads, if it works for some people then so be it... it's not big money.
My first experiment with isolation was a few half squash balls under a heavy power amp and and it did make a noticeable difference. I still pay as much attention to isolation under amps or power supplies as I do to CD players or turntables. I know it doesn't make sense but to my ears it makes a difference.

[DaveF]

I have to put all these remarks down to a lack of knowledge on your side.
I have more faith in the skills of Naim R&D then in your remarks.
Naim is not known for poppycock products or marketing hypes

Fair enough, I couldnt really give a shit to be honest. Every hifi company out there has some spiel around vibration damping.
As for the 'lack of knowledge' on my side, I've been working on designs for the European Space Agency for a few years now, stuff that ends up in satellites and other systems with critical systems on board.

That's nice for you, but they don't make much music do they, these satellites?

All experience is worth so much as the context in which it was experienced.

No they dont make music. But the music in any system is derived by the speakers which in turn is derived by the electronics. And the topic here is if electronics are affected by vibrations. If the change in sound is genuine, then the electronics back further in the chain has changed somehow. I've never seen electronics being affected by even moderate vibration. And the vibration in a domestic setting is wayyy less than that.
One other thing is that a lot of vibration from a hifi system is airborne. Those sound waves will easily reach the components on a PCB whether or not the PCB is spring loaded or damped.

[Aleg]

It's really not worth getting into an argument about lads, if it works for some people then so be it... it's not big money.
My first experiment with isolation was a few half squash balls under a heavy power amp and and it did make a noticeable difference. I still pay as much attention to isolation under amps or power supplies as I do to CD players or turntables. I know it doesn't make sense but to my ears it makes a difference.

Master Ivor

I will refrain from replying any further on the issue.

[nige2000]

Looks like I missed all the excitement
Nearly worth starting topics like this just for the banter
Dunno if it works haven't tried it yet
Though I admit I don't expect the earth to move :)

[tony]

Busy day for me with my diva heading to her debs surprised after logging on for a bit of R&R on my favourite hifi foo site to see a relatively cheap hunk of metal is agitating the serial box swapper from de northside.

[sima66]

It is nonsense. What level of vibration are we talking about here???........its in a living room for f*ck sake.

Speakers, TT's and some valves can be affected by external vibrations to different degrees but not electronics.

I've participated in plenty of vibration tests on electronics. The PCB, testboard etc is bolted onto a table. The table vibrates in the x, y, z axis so much so that the board is all but a blur to your eyes. Sometimes the board is subject to 10g acceleration. During each test the electronics are operating as normal. These particular electronics drive and control incredibly sensitive lasers so vibration affects would show.
The only issues here are mechanical or poor solder joints that can affected in the extreme tests.

As far as I know is that every circuit, every board, soon as the current goes in it start to vibrate. Of course that they are not cracking-wall vibrations, but big enough to affect the performance.
Since I'm not educated and blessed like some guys, to know everything ahead without trying, I just put the brass chunk on top of the CPU and listened for the difference (simple A-B). I was happy with what I heard and I recommended to who wants to try. Not mind-blowing, bust still cheap and effective tweak.

DaveF, looks like the only "open mind" that you have is the one in your signature! You "shut the doors" on yours long time ago!

It astounds me that a thread on phono cartridges, something that makes a real difference, gets barely a few replies but a topic like this here will be a 20 page clusterf*ck in no time.

Thanks to you we already have 10 pages! :)