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Speaker isolation or absorbtion - what is best?

I have Verity Audio Parsifal Encores on a carpeted concret floor in my basement, using the stock brass spikes. I am reading up on possible improvements through isolation/vibration control/absorbition.

There appear to be two schools of thought. "Isolation" decouples the speaker from the external environment, leaving the energy of the cabinet with no where to go, but prevents distortion caused by energy transmitted from the cabinet to the environment (e.g. a vibrating floor). My spikes on concrete are an example of isolation.

By contrast, absorbtion "drains" the vibration energy from the cabinets, thereby reducing its harmful effect on the speaker performance. Stillpoints and symposium are examples of absorbtion based approaches. This appear to me very opposite philosophies of how to go about improving speaker performance.

Three questions. First, is my understanding correct? Second, in my environment (carpeted concrete), which way should I go to get the best out of my parsifals. Third, what specific products (platforms, cones, spikes etc) have you used succesfully with the parsifals to achieve optimal isolation or absorbtion (on a carpeted concrete floor!)?
edorr
larryi
3,973 posts
 
The only way to really know what will work best is to experiment. This is a matter of "tuning" so a change will alter the sound, but, there is no way to know if you will like or dislike the alteration.

As a broad generalization, the Symposium shelf under the speaker approach (I do that myself) works best when the speaker is over a suspended wooden floor. That is because transferring energy to floor causes the floor to act as a sounding board that muddies the sound. I have the flat bottom of my speakers sitting on a large Svelte Shelf with nothing between the shelf and the speaker (maximum transfer of energy from the cabinet into the shelf).

A shelf under your speaker could also change the tuning of your speaker by absorbing energy from the cabinet, but, I would bet the overall change in sound would not be that dramatic because you probably do not need to suppress the floor acting as a sounding board. Still, the only way to know is to experiment.
roccl007's avatar
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roccl007
205 posts
 
You also may send an email to VERITY AUDIO to see what they might recommended you for an improvement....
Good luck
crystalref
24 posts
 
Lateley I have had the opportunity to experiment with some products from UK manufacturer Vertex AQ, who approach the problem of vibration transmission within a hi fi system from a novel perspective.

I own Avalon Indra speakers supported by their heavy Apex couplers (spikes) to my carpeted concrete floor. The Indras are pretty well damped as enclosures go but I had been thinking of the vibration transmitted back from the speaker terminals to the amplifier and so on into the system and the negative effects of that vibration.

I am a complete disciple of Stillpoints technology and use the ESS405 equipment rack for my source components with Stillpoints + Risers under each unit on each acrylic shelf.

AC power distribution and CJ Premier 350SA amp are both supported on Stillpoints Component Stands with intermediate Stillpoints + Risers.

I use MIT Oracle MA-X interconnects and MIT Magnum MA speaker cables which have network boxes containig circuitry.

I have enjoyed a substantial improvement to resolution and soundstage/imagery by utilising a pair of Vertex AQ Moncayo speaker links between the MAgnum MA's and the Indra speaker terminals.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a link to my Photobucket album pages http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/crystalref/
The first picture on page 1 shows the Vertex speaker links.

The boxes on the speaker links contain an acoustic labrynth with single point contact on the silver cables, which pass through the box unbroken. The acoustic labrynth is designed to 'drain' vibrational energy from the cables, preventing it from travelling back to the amplifier and source.

In my case, an extra benefit is to isolate the network circuitry in the MIT boxes as well.

Vertex AQ manufacture complete system solutions for support, mains EMI/RFI reduction and viibration control. Check out their website here http://www.vertexaq.com/

Vertex Pico boxes can also be placed on top of speakers where this allows and are designed to drain energy from the enclosure via the acoustic labrynths within the boxes.

I have absolutely no commercial connection with Vertex other than as a satisfied customer.

I think my non-UK enthusiasts would be interested in reading about their products as I rarely find any references to them on Audiogon.

With reference to the original question. I have tried Stillpoints + Inverse Risers under the Indras but prefer the stability offered by Avalon's Apex couplers.

Now Stillpoints Component stands under each speaker would be another proposition!
crystalref
24 posts
 
Oops! Looks like the links didn't post properly, so here they are again.

http://www.vertexaq.com/

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/crystalref/

Regards

Steve
bar81
791 posts
 
As always with audio, it depends. With my old Focal Alto speakers they sounded best with spikes on couplers and Herbie's dbNeutralizer pads under the couplers. However, with my new Focal Scala speakers they sound best spiked directly into the floor.

There are no shortcuts, you have to try the options yourself. In this case, it's a relatively cheap experiment so there is no excuse.
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