Townshend Springs under Speakers

To the people who follow vibration management solutions in audio, this may be of interest to you and contains no “word salad”.

Millercarbon, this speaker ringing thing has me perplexed and word has it that you appear to be or are about to become a dealer or their new US representative for the English spring-based company, so I have a couple of questions for you.

Without springs the cabinet causes the floor to vibrate. This vibration manifests as ringing that can be seen on a seismograph. It also manifests as a blurring of image focus and harmonic coloring that can be heard.

Are we to believe speakers ring in the sub-hertz regions and this noise actually transcends into audible noise that the human ear easily detects?

I have always led the understanding that Sound Pressure Levels were the culprit that vibrates flooring and not speaker systems. This can easily be proven by taking a pair of subwoofers, putting some volume behind them, and standing in front, sides, or rear of the cabinet and you will experience some floor vibration. Now place any quality product of ours or yours under them and put your toes anywhere on the floor or directly under the speakers and like magic, the floor no longer is active other than a sense of limited energy formed by residual, variable, and constant Sound Pressure Levels.

Supporting Documentation: http://starsoundtechnologies.com/reviewsDetail.php?37 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAoJ_-Bl2Ig

When Sound Pressure Levels are present and speakers build resonance on all smooth surfaces to the point at which the drivers no longer fire the way they were designed (360° dispersion patterns being the majority) and without a mechanical exit to reduce resonance build-up, how do springs compensate for this problem?

Not too sure what is meant by image blurring either. If the image begins to distort, is that not a problem related to resonance build-up on the speaker drivers? We know that resonance is attracted to metals making speaker frameworks an ideal collection point so how do springs compensate for this problem?

Our theorem is very different in comparison to spring isolation.

We strongly believe there is far more noise generated by ELECTRICITY in comparison to the inaudible sub-harmonic vibrations you claim to be the primary issue affecting racks, electronics, and speakers.

Noise from the power source is very audible. We have all heard electrical panels hum, transformers buzzing, and felt the heat generated by tubes and power supplies. 

Until listeners deal with the noise and resonance in their components and chassis, no one can convince us that the major problems and operational inefficiencies are caused by vibrations coming from the inaudible frequencies located in flooring. Seismographs are required to prove it exists but my ears still have to be convinced. If there is noise in the original signal, there is a continuous source of noise throughout the system.  

If your primary electronics equipment racking cannot manage resonance efficiently, what you hear from your speakers may be problems related back to the equipment rack - itself.

That said, our Company has been working on solutions for resonance build-up on loudspeakers. We are currently listening to Rosso Fiorentino Siena Series 2 loudspeakers and have used PBN, Eggleston Works Custom Ivy Signature, Caravelle, Revel Studio, Wilson Max, Magico Q3, vintage B&W Matrix3, Dunlavy, YG Acoustics Sonja, and a pair of Dual 18” Custom Subwoofers by McCauley Sound.

I have never experienced ringing or heard image blurring or harmonic coloring resulting from floor noise on any of these systems. What speakers are you using where these highly descriptive problems appear? I will get a set in so we can also hear this phenomenon for ourselves.

I am not here for an argument, just more knowledge. Springs do function as we have used and tested them in the past. We found their primary issues are weight capacity, fatigue life, minimal surface contact area, and multiple-use limitations.

This new Resonance Energy Transfer model delivers on weight capacity and parts longevity, is a scalable technology with far more applications in both audio and other industries.

On a negative note: Sound tests that require jumping up and down in a sonic environment are new to us.

Comparing a premium isolation device costing "thousands of dollars" to another part costing just “two dollars” is meaningless and questions one’s level of intelligence. Your videos do prove how vulnerable humans are to the age-old idiom that “seeing is believing”.

I am not a marketing specialist but from a sound engineer’s point of view, the fix is in before the video even begins.

We wish you well in your new audio career, but when challenged to the point when your eyes have to tell your ears what they hear via marketing nonsense, we will respond accordingly. Any answers to the questions are greatly appreciated.

Any questions will be answered based on our experience as well.

Best regards,

Robert, SST

@audiopoint

Millercarbon, this speaker ringing thing has me perplexed and word has it that you appear to be or are about to become a dealer or their new US representative for the English spring-based company

This is quite an assertion and you’d better make sure it’s actually true before committing that to type. Even MC’s ethics I believe are above pumping a product for many months shortly before he becomes a dealer. This would be quite disappointing if true so I wouldn’t speculate if that’s what you mean by "word has it".

Hopefully MC can simply set the record straight and deny this is true.

Hello, grannyring,

You are one of a few here on this forum who experienced listening in our Energy Room, so your opinions are always appreciated.

I remember, some five years back when you sold the platforms and moved from the great north to the southern side of the country, I thought we might have lost another good one to life’s changes as it was tough enough when we lost The Audiophile’s Wife. Glad to see you never really left.

Since your system went through many changes and you are now listening in a different environment, would you be willing to take a second listen now that your new system is in place?

However due to the virus coupled with the raw material markets going ‘nuts’, we are experiencing backorders on some model numbers. Foundries are working round the clock to fill their orders, but the demand is outweighing everyone’s capability to deliver timely. We would be willing to offer up some inventory for a listen as we are beginning to close in on a full recovery.

You can EM me and we will make those arrangements.

Sincerely,

Robert

It is more than just inert cabinet…i will chose my words carefully, time and phase correct drivers with same filters, inert cabinet that converts vibration to heat, pistonic drivers. Think thru what a spring does to a system like that. IF your ear/brain not sensitive to some of the above, spring away !

So no doubt, many speakers will benefit from a variety of schemes, Townsend hardly has a monopoly….

@roxy54 You are one of the few here who can measure RT60, try harder on the previous posters well thought out possible test method.

Finally, Apogee Stages on Sound Anchors….

@three_easy_payments,

Was not meant in a negative way and apologize in advance for any misconceptions with regard to his personal goals and/or personal ethics in life.

Rumors exist in every business model and from a manufacturer’s perspective, the Audio Industry is an extremely small world where scuttlebutt travels like wildfire and the unimaginable does exist and takes place all the time. No big deal - OK?

I have personally been insulted by the man many times and could have a few of his posts removed but what does that make me? I take good with bad and take no offense to other’s opinions. Been on this forum since 2000, so there is not a lot I have not seen or names been called. As long as someone benefits and learns more about their system and music - that is the importance that drives discovery.

If Miller has the opportunity to work in the Audio Industry, he has obviously earned it through personal effort and passion and we would cheerfully welcome him aboard in any capacity.

Best regards,

Robert