Wool Felt Footers?


I am curious whether any of you have tried using thick wool felt as footers, or as a vibration damping layer under equipment.  I view the material as performing a similar function as the Owens Corning 703/704 material that AV Room Services, Ltd. uses in their Equipment Vibration Protectors, or EVP footers (link).

According to AI:

"Yes, wool felt is an effective vibration damping material due to its unique structure and properties. It absorbs vibrations, reduces noise, and is suitable for various applications, including automotive and industrial uses. 

Wool felt’s porous structure and the way its fibers interlock allow it to absorb and dissipate vibration energy, converting it into heat.  The same properties that make it a good vibration damper also make it a good sound insulator. It can effectively reduce noise transmission..."

What I have tried so far is placing a one-inch thick layer of dense wool felt completely beneath the platforms that are supporting a heavy Aries Cerat Helene DAC (90+ lbs. including the brass damping discs on the top) .  The one-inch thick felt is attached to and positioned directly beneath a Zoethecus Z-slab (constrained layer platform), which supports a Black Diamond Racing shelf (carbon fiber) on which the Helene DAC sits.  Right now the footers supporting the DAC are platinum silicone hemispheres but I may try other options, including footers made from the one-inch thick felt.

mitch2

Showing 2 responses by signaforce

I asked both ChatGPT & google Gemini about the effectiveness of wool felt, as I am in the process of isolating my components. Both agree. Attached is the response from chatGBT. 

 

Benefits of Wool Felt Isolation:

 

 

  1. Gentle Damping:
    Wool felt provides light mechanical damping, especially for mid-to-high frequency microvibrations. It’s soft and compressible, helping absorb some surface-born energy.
  2. Surface Protection:
    Prevents scratching and can act as a barrier between metal, glass, or wood surfaces.
  3. Non-Resonant:
    Wool doesn’t “ring” like rubber or plastics can. It has a natural absorptive quality.

 

 

 

 

 

⚠️

Limitations in Your System:

 

 

  1. Poor Low-Frequency Isolation:
    Wool is not effective at isolating against bass-born vibrations (e.g., from your subwoofer or room modes), which are most problematic in audio gear.
  2. No Load Handling or Decoupling:
    Wool doesn’t decouple components from shelves. It compresses too easily under weight, especially heavy gear like the BHK or 330A, and doesn’t return to shape predictably.
  3. No Layered Damping or Directionality:
    Unlike Herbie’s, IsoAcoustics, or Symposium products, wool lacks engineered damping layers, so its effect is subtle and not optimized for audio bandwidth.

 

I also asked about cork (my Aurender has cork footers). 
 

Material

High-Freq Damping

Bass Isolation

Load Handling

Lifespan

Cork

Good

Fair

Moderate

Moderate

Wool Felt

Good

Poor

Weak

Good

Herbie’s Fat Dots

Excellent

Good

Moderate

Excellent

IsoAcoustics OREA

Excellent

Excellent

Very High

Excellent