Large brass devices on top of power amps ?

It is not possible to overdamp electronics. Its that simple.

However, it **is** possible to build a system around a certain synergy, and then when the electronics are mechanically damped (which reduces a phenomena known as microphonics, known to both tubes and transistors), then the synergy of the system is altered.

IMO, its not a good idea to build a system on synergies- like using a dark sounding preamp with a bright amplifier. You really want each bit of the system to stand on its own merit. You get a more transparent, easier-to-listen-to system that way.

Krooney, since electronics cannot be overdamped, often designers leave the little tweaks like that to the end user, IOW, for the most part, they have no opinion about it, other than 'have fun and don't zap yourself' :)