Weights on top of equipment to dampen vibration

I have also been using to good effect 20lb lead bricks (with vinyl footers) on the hardwood floors around my Cornwalls and Rels. It is a very tunable process. Too near the components and treble goes up. It has to be done judiciously.

I had a bunch of extra edenSound Bear Paw footers that I decided to quit using so I wrapped them with heat shrink and applied top/bottom thin adhesive non-slip pads and now have a bunch of brass weights that I can position on top of equipment and peripherals. 

Being a very old timer, and remembering the VPI Magic Bricks, these were long before vibration control under the chassis was thought of. My how times have changed. Recently I placed VeraFi Audio's Very Black Hole vibration devices under my kit, starting with under my Audiolab 6000 CDT transport. I can't imagine how a set of these can perform such magic for a reasonable $199/4. Following that, I now have them under the rest of my kit. I posted a review for further explanation

Variables make things mysterious, and who doesn't love a good mystery?

                                          SO MANY variables!

My experience with the VPI bricks was they squashed the sound. I do use either heavy wood or  thick marble. YMMV

I have a heavy Stillpoints record weight on my Roku.  Incredible!

Lead bricks everywhere

Musicfile, look at it as an adventure. Whatever you try experiment with many locations. This is true also for feet under the components.

Tbg thanks, I was afraid that was the case !

Tbg. Well said.

It depends on everything. Your component and its case, what is under it, the metal of the case, the material of the weight, its location on the component, how it couples with the component, what the component is sitting on, what your flooring is like, where the component is relative to the speakers, how loud you play, what standing waves you have in your room, the positioning of the wires and circuit boards in the component, whether there are mechanical or ac induced vibrations in the unit, and your tastes all matter.

Trial and error is your only alternative. There is no reason to think that anyone's experiences here transfer to you and your system.

I accidentally found another (cheap) isolation fix.

I have a Zanden 5000S DAC with a very microphonic tube...waiting for tube replacement. (It is so microphonic, that the bass the combination of my SF Strads and Velodyne DD-18 sub causes to tube to whistle loudly through my speakers.)

Solution? I use a pair of ankle sandbag weights (the kind people attach to their ankles to work out) and I flatten them out and place them underneath the Zanden.

The combination of sand tightly bound in a heavy duty, extra tick nylon ankle band means you get both:a) vibration insulation from the sand b) fairly firm foundation because the ankle band keeps the sand from continuously shifting.

Nothing else I have tried keeps the tube from whistling thru the speaker. Hope that helps someone else out there!

Lloyd

Hi Musicfile. The best solution I've found for vibration control for transformers is to use two 2 mm black Marigo Audio VTS dots. These dots are very powerful. I was skeptical at first, but I now use these dots throughout all of my gear,. Best regards, Jeff Lazicki

Rx8man do you have a link where you bought these from

Sea Pearls soft diving weights, I use the black five pounders on top of each NuForce amp.

Has anyone tried Silent Running Audio's Isodomes?

Yoby
Do you think the Bright Star rock would work well on my tube amps. I would be placing these on my transformers to reduce vibration

I use an HRS damping plate (for CD player) and a Bright Star Audio Little Rock (a large one to cover 2 NuForce amps). Excellent products.

Tvad
Maybe with brass cones I don't need such a heavy weight
I can look at the heavy hats or would something like Hrs plates

Any further opinions appreciated

Rubber-coated three-pound handweights work very well!

I tried various weights on the transformers and what sounded best to me within this range

I was looking at mapleshade but it doesn't look like they are heavy enough for my needs I need 8-10 pounds

How about something like the HRS dampening plates on top of my transformers would this work just as well

Most (if not all) of those in the vibration control business seem to advocate NOT stacking components w/o some kind of vibration control between them because (they say) this would cause the stacked components to share all the vibration.

go to a scrap metal shop. you may be able to purchase lead, copper and brass. i bought lead weights several years ago. i have a number of lead objects varying in weight.

if anyone is interested in purchasing any, let me know.

I just keep piling one component on top of the other. Depending mood,
sometimes its better on top, for a change....

Interesting way to control that vibration.

musicfile, you might want to check the Mapleshade website as they have some choices of brass weights (2 sizes) . I actually use them right now like them quite a bit and am considering upgrading to their micropoint brass weights. One interesting thing about the Mapleshade weights is that they have tiny points to minimize contact with the components to lessen reflection/interaction of resonance I think.

I still have a couple of VPI magic bricks. They are very well made, and look kind of sexy. I remember when they came out, a buddy and I were trying to tell by AB comparisons whether they made any difference. We decided it was important to be able to see them on the equipment in order to get the full effect. (But that was in the dark ages of the 80's; equipment is much more sensitive now.)

We developed on our own "magic towels," thereafter. You covered the top 1/3 of your dynamic speakers with them whenever the speakers seemed too bright. They were amazingly effective.

interesting Tvad Where did you get the brass weights from ?

Important to note the weight doesn't sit directly on top of the transformer I have a blue circle puc in between the two surfaces

I checked Palmetto audio for the carbon blocks it doesn't look like they carrry these any longer.

I use the KISS theory
Normal 15lb dumbells on top of each transformer ..works for me

A scrap of Corian countertop or marble works well on unvented gear. I use a slab of corian on top of my
CDP.

I use coated solid scuba weight belt weights. Completely dead with no resonance.

Walker Audio Resonance Control Discs work well. Also, Marigo Audio Lab's Black 6mm VTS Tuning Dots--although they don't, actually, go on top of the component--are effective at dampening resonances. Small pieces of granite glued to wood (and not necessarily just maple) with the granite side down are effective, as well, for a "home-brewed" solution.
And, of course, VPI Magic Bricks are great on transformers, usually.
The danger with the use of any resonance control devices is overdoing it and over dampening the component in question, killing the life of the music. I'm an "ubertweak" and have tried just about everything over the years. . .
But, occasionally, I have run across a product that sounds best with absolutely nothing at all (like my Viva Solista) no matter what I've tried.
I completely agree with a comment I read posted once by someone I apologetically can't remember that, if one gets the acoustics, resonance control and AC delivery right, any halfway decent complement of components that interact well with each other can be very musical.

I've got a pair of the VPI Magic Bricks also. Placed atop the power transformers of my main amps the result is an instant and profound improvement in overall focus. The Bricks contain a grain oriented iron that perhaps redirects the x-former's flux away from the rest of the electronics, or suppresses eddy currents within the x-former(or both). I'm certain the weight helps dampen vibrations too. Atop the output x-formers there is no difference at all. These were the first "tweaks" of their type that I tried(years back), and was astonished. I wouldn't think of parting with them.

Viridian, that's not the cat howling. That's the brothel next door to your house.

I use solid carbon blocks, which I discovered at my dealer. There not only for vibration but they absorb heat. Placing on and off on my cd transport and dac and amps (over the transformer) blew me away. Only downside is there slightly pricey- around $80 for a half block and $160 for a cube. Check out Palmetto audio (an advertiser on agon)

Viridian.

What does a person use if they own a CAT amp?

A 12 pound dog?

I have several of the now discontinued VPI bricks (HW5), these come up every so often for sale used. I also use a few different models of the BrightStar Audio "Little Rocks" & "IsoPods", which are still available.

Any weights work - solid brass and iron work best. Save yourself some money - be creative and look for something inexpensive, decorative. Check out Ross or TJ Maxx for brass nicknacks, or use solid brass bathroom hardware; use your imagination. Also, go to a local metal fabricator and have them cut 2" length of 2" thick round brass rod - should cost you about $25. apiece