Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

Rather than waiting for measured "proof" that any given product marketed as providing isolation from vibration actually does so (and further, that such isolation is not just academic, but actually provides an improvement in sound), you may in many cases try one and decide for yourself. Symposium Acoustics, makers of a couple of different roller bearing feet (named Roller Blocks) and isolation shelves, sell their products with a money-back guarantee. If you don't hear a difference, or one too small to justify the cost, return the product for a refund. Unless you aren't secure in your own ability to hear, and need an authority figure to validate your purchase decision ;-).

wolf_garcia
Half of geoffkait’s posts are re-posts of whatever he’s responding to, which I feel is a waste of pixels as what he’s responding to is already there. That said, I also feel that there’s a lot of money spent needlessly on various spiked or isolating or otherwise insanely over designed audio shelving, speaker cord holders, expensive cones, spongy decouplers (I use those…not sure if they do anything except under my speakers), and other stuff that does nothing audible. Note: Vibration touches everything anyway if its in the room with speakers, and that’s OK…really…it is...

Hey Wolfie, let me get this straight. You’re an audio engineer, right? and you don’t see a problem with vibrations running amok in the room? That’s weird. Barry Diament, you know, the guy who remastered the Led Zeppelin Catalog, is the complete opposite. Here’s the intro to his article on vibration isolation, note LINK to full article follows intro.

INTRO TO BARRY DIAMENT VIBRATION ISOLATION

"What I’ve found is that all of our components are being substantially inhibited from delivering their best because they are subject to external vibrations. By far, the most sonically and visually degrading are those vibrations in the ground that enter the component via its feet. These seismic vibrations (the ones very low in frequency and amplitude, so tiny we don’t even normally feel them) are creating spurious signals within the sensitive circuitry of your components. These spurious signals mix with the real music and video signals to distort them, hardening the treble, thinning the bass, muddying the soundstage and annihilating dynamics. Seismic vibrations add grain to video pictures, ruin color purity and contrast and soften focus.

I’m still having a bit of trouble accepting that the ocean tide or the wind or a truck changing gears 1/4 mile away has such a profound effect on the performance of my audio and video gear. What I have no trouble with is the results of isolating my gear from these effects. The performance gains in every parameter I can think of are clear, consistent and repeatable. Frequency extension into the treble and downward in the bass is improved. Stereo imaging gets better focused. The soundstage takes on greater proportions. Dynamic swings both large and small are more like real life. Overall, there is a much greater sense of the system getting out of the way, leaving the listener with a considerably increased sense of contact with the recorded event. The color, contrast, focus and purity of video signals is improved. None of these changes can be described as subtle, as they are very easy to perceive by all listeners and viewers. Best of all, the differences between sources (different recordings and different movies) are more easily discerned. This is important because recordings and movies vary in quality and the ability to perceive qualitative differences speaks of the resolving capabilities of the playback system.

Seismic isolation. Those two words are the key to knowing what your components can and cannot do. The benefits extend to loudspeakers as well. In fact I have yet to find a component that doesn’t significantly benefit from seismic isolation. Some, like source components (for example CD and DVD players) and loudspeakers show the largest improvements but even power strips benefit from seismic isolation. After all, they too contain electrical signals which are subject to degradation by seismic interference."

See Barry Diament’s page on vibration isolation here:

http://www.barrydiamentaudio.com/vibration.htm

Have a nice day

geoff kait
machina dynamica
advanced audio concepts

Believe it or not, isolation is like everything else - system dependant!  Almost two years ago I received a Baetis Reference music server with custom Sillpoint footers and the Stillpoints did absolutely nothing to improve the server's sound.  So, I removed the Stillpoint footers and placed the Baetis unit on a Star Sound Technologies Apprentice isolation platform and the unit came to life, in fact, it sounded like a totally different unit and this is no lie.  Needless to day, I sold the Stillpoints.  The bottom line is like everything else...you have to try what you are considering to determine if the investment is worth the return.  BEFORE you invest in isolation be sure to 1) completely have your component settled/burned in and 2) make sure you anally voice your speakers to your room.  Proper setting up and voicing your speakers to you room is something many people overlook drastically robbing them of the performance.  Spend the time to voice your speakers to your room (and not the other way around as so many people do).  When you achieve this, you will hear stuff in your music that you never heard before.  At this point you can consider isolation properties.  Some great pics of Star Sound Technologies isolation products appear on my Auduogon virtual system here:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5390

randy-11
no, poodles, you're being entrained

I don't think you get it. I'm bringing you on board to be my personal trained monkey.

Just cut to the chase and listen to a Sony walkman like Mr. Vibrations and all these problems solved except for Walkman vibrations of course.