Vibration dampening
After reading the article on Herbies isolation products, I got to thinking: My sub has more vibration going on than anything else, at higher volume you could put your hand on top and it feels like a massager..I am using spikes on thin carpet with concrete underneath. Has anyone had positive results with these or other isolators? It is a Velodyne DD12.
I suspect if your sub is vibrating you probably have it turned up way too much. Assuming you are talking audio and at volumes less than 100db then it should be filling in a thin band of low frequencies and well typically if you can hear it it is turned up way too high and is interfering with the overall audio spectrum.
When my subs were tuned in I could feel no vibration whatsoever with my hand on them. |
If you have watched many REL viideos you will know they strongly suggest to NOT use any isolation materials for their subs. I assume this should apply to any sub. The goal of setting up a sub or subs is to not know it is on until you turn it off. Think about that. My 212SX subs sit on a concrete floor with Blue Tac under them so on low organ recordings they do not slide. I do not have the issue you are describing. |
I have used the same subs now for over 20 years. I used to think I liked the bass response. My son and I got a kick out of my walls vibrating during Welcome to the Machine.Then I put springs under my subs. Spikes or nothing allow the subs to "bounce" around and mine were louder and boomier. Now, I have more detailed bass notes and decay. The springs dissipate the vibration though heat. I can actually feel the bass. Yet, there is less wall vibrating and the bass does not shake the entire house. Some say subs are not needed but there is lots going on down to at least 25 Hz or so. Springs should be compressed about 50%. There are 6 coil springs in each assembly. Individual springs can be removed if your speakers or subs are light weight. |
In talking about the spring pods to isolate, I actually put foam ear plugs inside the springs to act as a damper on the bounce and run one or two less springs in the setup. Effective loading without the wiggle and jiggle of springs and sound seems a little better overall.
And yes, pulling your sub away from the wall a little helps a ton to smooth out the response.
-Lloyd |
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OP - "I am using spikes on thin carpet with concrete underneath." It seems that you are 'coupling' your sub to the floor (and secondarily, the walls), not isolating the sub (which is quite different). The aforementioned suggestions of using springs may work well. I use inexpensive elastomer-cork-elastomer squares to transform the vibration into heat - isolation, not coupling. Give each a try... You are likely to be pleased with the sonic results. |
A subwoofer is also a "speaker" (essentially), i.e., the same benefits one may reap from isolating a potent speaker shall also apply to a sub in a hifi application...unless the goal is to initiate boomerman mode, crack the drywall, bring the ceiling down, etc... like the hometheater dudes with a platoon of 18 inch subs. Isoacoustics makes some good stuff for sub isolation that's cheaper. If you want to spend more, Acoustic Fields can hook you up.
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This is an interesting discussion. I know a sound engineer from college and recently met a manufacturer of sound isolation gizmos. They had some interesting insights. For most components, wool balls provide the best vibration buffer. Wool diffuses the vibrations randomly. It has no sympathetic frequencies and transmits a lower amount of vibration than any other substance. I buy wool dryer balls and cut them in half to put underneath my CD player and other sources with mechanics. Works a charm. For heavier things like speakers, Steve recommends wood hemispheres. A half globe has exactly the same amount of contact with the ground or the gear as a spike - one point. Generally, a sphere spreads the vibration more. Wood is also better than most metals at dampening vibrations. (They can also be painted or stained to match your speakers.) Steve chuckled at the design of most audio gear solutions. He said most spikes and springs are like putting your equipment on tuning forks. Any isolation will help matters, but sympathetic resonances from "tuning fork" arrangements might create unwanted peaks and dips. Attached are a photo of my CD player on its half balls, a picture of the 10 dollar box of wool dryer balls I bought at the grocery store to make them, and a 5 dollar bag of wooden hemispheres I bought at a craft store. Woolen Ball Supports Dryer Balls Wooden Hemispheres Of course, YMMV. Acoustics is a situation best addressed by experts, as each room and system produces different patterns and distribution of sounds and frequencies.Some rooms match your system marvelously, some not so much. Given that most of us cannot rigorously measure the sound in our rooms and determine with professional certainty what solutions will work, I use Jordan’s razor - start with the simplest, cheapest effective solution and see whether that does enough. As all audiophiles know, there is always someone looking to sell you an expensive solution based on little more than knowing you have a problem to solve. Which is not to say that you might not need an expensive solution, just that you might not need an expensive solution. There are a million ways to shield components. If vibrations annoy you, try until you smooth them out. |
I have used Herbies products and I think you need to decide if you want to couple the sub to the floor or isolate it. I use Townshend Podium products to isolate my speakers from the floor (suspended wood) rather than coupling. Isolation made a significant difference and for my application, they are a essential componet. |
I have laminate floors and I also use the SVS Soundpath feet under my Velodyne DD 10 sub. In my case, the sub sits on a small slab of granite (19" x 16"), which in turn sits on a thin rubber mat of the same size. I am happy with the sound and even happier that my adjacent neighbors don't complain. Lots of good advice here, so best of luck with your particular situation. |
This for me is a very interesting topic. I have tried over 20 different types of anti-vibration products. First I would like to say we are the importers for North America Welllfloat products. The best antivibration products we have experienced are built by a company called Wellfloat. This company is based in Japan and I would highly recommend their Delta Extreme footers on speakers and subwoofers. https://wellfloat-global.com/delta/ Robert Neill President Worldwide Wholesales 519-619-9924
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