Energy damping or energy transfer?

Thanks for the replies. Looks like 2 to 1 in favor of isolation for components.

Among other applications, I'm working on a custom equipment rack that uses an angle iron frame with hardwood shelves. I wasn't sure if I should try to couple the shelves to the frame (by epoxying some type of small points to the shelves and having the points contact the frame) or isolate the shelves from the frame.
For isolation, I was thinking about a combination of cork and sorbothane.

Then there's the issue of isolating/coupling the components and the shelves, or, like Bojack says, DO NOTHING. ;-)

Krell man, you're right. My "statistical summary" was kind of tongue in cheek; sometimes kind of hard to get that across in print. Given the frequency with which this topic is apparently covered around here, I guess I didn't really expect a lot of posts, hence my summary.

I would like to try both approaches in developing my rack. Without going to the expense of buying lots of brass cones, any suggestions for testing out the coupling idea? Thanks.

Cbrentc, I've thought about similar turntable damping tweaks. 2 thoughts come to mind, there.

1. How about putting that inner tube in a solid box with the inner tube inflated just enought to stick above the top of the box so that the shelf that the TT sits on still floats slightly above the box, but the box itself restricts any lateral type movements that result from vibrations.

2. Acknowledging Krell man and Stehno's assertion that "nothing can stop airborn vibrations", what if you had a large dust cover that could cover the entire TT and rest on the shelf itself and then weight that down with something quick? Would that work in helping stop airborn vibrations?

It wouldn't be a good solution for heat-producing components, but for a turntable? Maybe....

Anyone ever try shipping peanuts (those styrofoam things) as damping material?