How Good Is A Marble Slab at Deadening Vibration


I have a marbles slab that is approx. 42" X 16X 2". A left over insert from a coffee table. I would like to lay it on top of a plant stand table that is 50" X 18X 30" The slab weigh about 70 lbs. II think I have enough space laterally to position a Rega turntable, a Bel Canto line stage, and Rega Apollo CD player and a pair of Red Dragon monoblocks, that could easily be stack vertically if necessary.(Also could place them on the bottom shelf which has a slight V-shaped dip ...probably a run off channel. This would save me three feet of speaker cable on both channels is placed near the bottom)

The plant stand is made of wood and has fairly massive "L-shaped" legs. The table weight is about 40 pounds.

My thinking is that a marble slab should provide excellent isolation from vibration. The only drawback is the left side of table will only be a foot from the right speaker. So I would start the progression of components from right to left to increase the distance to the speaker in question. Would like opinions from members about the pros/cons of this set-up. Thanks, Jim
sunnyjim
Act-u-ally, maple is much denser than bamboo. I'm not saying density is the overriding characteristic of value. Otherwise we'd all be using ebony.
I use gray foam pipe wrap that I cut into 2 inch lengths.4 under each amp on the floor between the speakers and about 4 ft. away from the subwoofer.It was meant to be a temporary solution until I built something more substantial.They turned out to be all that was needed to my surprise.
Thanks to both Csontos and Geoffkait. I think it's the density of the wood that might work in my favor compared to the weight. I won't really know until I try.

All the best,
Nonoise
Nonoise,

If you want dense wood try some Ipe wood also known as iron wood. Just make sure that you have it cut to size where you buy it as most saw blades are toast after cutting this stuff. BTW it is also very beautiful looking. It looks similar to mahogany in color.
Hevac1, thanks for the info. I've seen where Ipe wood is used for custom home building because of its strength and resistance to aging. It must have cost quite a bit to use it.

All the best,
Nonoise
Rings like a bell makes everything thin and bright other than thats just ok.Try Symposium Ultra.
If you want to use stone, get a shelf made of steatite (Brazilian soapstone).

It is amorphous, impermeable, extremely dense, and does not ring in any way. When oiled it reveals the natural striations and grain that are beautiful, in my opinion.

When the top shelf of my Polycrystal rack started bending after years of use I replaced it with a 3" slab of steatite - probably 70 pounds. About $300 delivered to the West Coast.

Photos:

http://s632.photobucket.com/albums/uu43/ghtoz/Soapstone_Shelf/?albumview=slideshow

Regards,
A 2" slab of marble will ring somewhat when struck with a small hammer or other implement. The trick is don't strike it when the music is playing. I's had marble slabs, Italian marble, at CES. All depends on how you support the slab and how you support the component. The advantages of marble are stiffness and hardness. I also have a soft spot for bluestone, a considerably less expensive alternative.
Ebm.....Disagree......If applied correctly, the granite/ marble can sound as good as symposium....maybe better! 1/2" to 2" thick with acrylic furniture pads (sold at Home depot, and other hardware stores) placed underneath the corners will provide isolation/ absorption from ground and airborne vibrations, also since the acrylic carries a warm sound of it's own, neutralizes any cold- sterility of the granite/ or marble.
FWIW, about 1.5 years ago, I bought a pair of 1/2" thick (8" x 8") cork to be used in the kitchen to put hot food on. Got them at either IKEA or Bed Bath & Beyond and didn't pay more than $10 for them I think. Several of these might be the answer to the thin cork sheets that have been discussed above.