Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

Vibrations affect anything that is microphonic or any surface that can vibrate and create sound (rattle being obvious but it can be moe subtle than that). Examples are a piano or guitar that will vibrate sympathetically and drum sets are very obviously sensitive to vibrations - sympathetic snare buzz being most obvious.

That said, electronics of good quality are designed so that they are not microphonic. This means vibration damping is not needed. Tubes can be microphonic so they should be avoided if accuracy is desired at louder levels. Some capacitors can be microphonic and are usually avoided for that reason. Same goes for a turntable - it is unavoidable that a TT will pick up some vibration due to the very nature of the vibrating source that is amplified enormously.

Speakers do not generally behave microphonically but they sure do excite vibrations in everything else. Proper cabinet damping and use of isolation stands and/or rubber an be essential to reduced unwanted sympathetic vibrations. Same goes for anything in the room - heavy curtains may help with windows a heavy rug may help with a floor - tapestries may help with vibrating detached gyprock and on and on....

Electronics are usually challenged by ground loops, stray EM and power source noise that is not filtered well enough. Most of the noise in electronics comes from stray current through leaky components, heat and in general poor circuit design - so vibration pads or cones are unlikely to have any benefit although vibration damping may ultimately protect the longevity of electronics in extreme environments.

What a totally useless thread full of ad hominem attacks. If the OP actually cares anymore I will add that I concur with Mapman. Apart from turntables, tubes, and speakers, for the most part any mechanical vibration isolation is totally unnecessary with most SS electronics. This can be proven quite simply by gently tapping the chassis and noting that no sound comes out the speaker even with the volume turned up fully. (Of course, don’t try this with a tube amp or with a turntable or with a sledgehammer)

I would add that a large transformer on a massive power amp can vibrate or hum audibly and so can an optical drive when close to the component but this sound is not coming out from the speakers if the equipment is working properly.

Well if you agree that tapping components is causing vibration in the components and if it makes absolutely no audible sound out the speakers at full volume then you have almost certainly proved that vibration is not a big deal.

so it definitely proves something

Geoff,

The burden is on you to make a simple demonstration to show that vibration is a big issue. Cars and other mobile devices do not suffer electrical distortion due to vibration of electronics. You are talking about a fringe issue that is obviously rare or we would encounter it more often on a daily basis.