Damping sheets work


I read about tweaking the top cover of the Jolida JD9 phono preamp with damping sheets from Parts Express. Not only did they work great to dampen my Jolida's sheet metal, they work on all components. But for the BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT I used them to dampen the wood platform for my TT. I have my TT sitting on a wood platform which rests on top of Vibra-pods and cones, which is placed on top of a shelves for my lps. I applied the damping sheets to the underside of the wood platform, and it make a HUGE difference. Every aspect of my TT's sound improved.

The damping sheets are self adhering, and cost only $10 or so for (4) 12 x 12 sheets. I highly recommend you get some and experiment how it can improve your system's sound. Cheers.
tbromgard
I'm glad the damping worked on ur Jolida preamp, but there is such a thing as overdamping. I covered the top of my Jolida cdp and took the life out of it, so I quickly removed the material.
BUT, I too have found a major improvement in sound by damping the wood platform under my TT.
Hi Lowrider-Yes I read about concerns of over damping-but on TT shelf and sheet metal covers Im not sure there is such a thing. I can see how over damping might take the life out of the sound of a speaker, but why would it make such a big difference on a cd player I wonder?
Dont know why, Tbromgard, but the cdp lost it's open, airy sound. But wow, what an improvement on the wood shelf. (already had Herbies under the TT).
I had the same bad experience damping the top of my cdp.I wonder if the sheets would work better on the bottom.Anybody?
Jtcf, and to others in general: I've used damping material (Dynamat) throughout the entirety of my CDP, including the underside of both the top of the case enclosure, and, the underside of the bottom of the enclosure. I can only say that the results have improved—particularly with respect to higher frequencies. I first noticed it while hearing multiple glockenspiels play, then with other tuned and untuned percussion.

If adding vibration damping material to a CDP makes it sound worse, I should think the cause is either the CDP itself (e.g., by removing the vibration, you hear more clearly what the CDP is naturally—without the additional influence of vibration—capable of); or, the sonic signature introduced by the solution itself (i.e., in terms of what frequencies it may selectively dampen or not dampen well). Perhaps it's both, or, by damping vibration, you're now able to hear a problem that is quite different in nature. Whatever the case, I can't see it being what some like to call "overdamping".

I say this because it seems reasonable to me that, the only thing in a hi-fi that should vibrate are the loudspeaker cones. Anything else in the system could merely introduce signals that any other part of the system was never intended to introduce or entertain—signals that therein mask or distort the original audio signal. If, to the contrary, there are some circuits or electronics that must necessarily vibrate in order to perform optimally, I don't know what they'd be, and regardless, it doesn't appear that anyone is damping the electronics itself, anyway.