Silence is golden

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Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:13 am

Sunday Life
The Philippine Star

The value of isoloation
AUDIOFILE By Val A. Villanueva
Sunday, August 21, 2011

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Two-level isolation underneath Tristan's turntable

Recently, noted plastic surgeon Dr. Tristan Catindig requested my best buddy and neighbor, electronics engineer John Alegre and me to help him tune and integrate into his stereo system a pair of 12-inch Rythmik (nothing wrong with the spelling) Audio subwoofers.

We had previously tweaked Tristan’s system to accommodate a single sub, and he was already pleased with the results. The single sub had brought a new dimension to the sonic character of his system. It seemed to him like he had just bought an entirely new and better system; it was no longer lacking in dynamics and transient.

Actually, it was not the sub alone that had afforded his system a more open and liquid soundstage. Previously, his system was still wired to a single amplifier with the drivers -- Altec 604-HPLN and JBL 2404 tweeters -- still using passive crossover networks. It was only when Tristan decided to go the multi-amp route that he achieved what he initially wanted his system to sound like. With an active crossover dividing the network into three and with each driver having its own amplifier for power, his system was now operating several notches better than before. The single sub could just be the icing on the cake, but the two subs transformed his system entirely into a new sonic level.

John and I thought that tuning Tristan’s system would again be a walk in the park. But when everything had been wired, checked and double-checked using the appropriate audio tools at our disposal, we were disappointed that we could not just get his system to reproduce sound pleasing enough to our ears. Something was definitely amiss! We had no choice but to start from scratch and re-work the tweaking. There was a low-frequency rumble coming out of the subs that was most annoying. You can even hear thuds when you tap your feet on the wooden floor of his listening room.

By this time, we had concluded that maybe his room could not handle the amount of bass being given out by the two subs. We were already entertaining the thought that, perhaps, the two subs could not be integrated to his system. But if we had been able to help other audiophile friends tune their system, why couldn’t we do the same for a friend like Tristan? So persist, we did.

Alas, we noticed that it was only when playing LPs that the problem kept cropping up. With CDs, everything was just perfect. It had become clear to us that Tristan’s cartridge was picking up the noise of the reverberating floor, thus producing the feedback that manifested itself as a low-frequency rumble.

Eureka! The solution was simple: we simply had his turntable isolated from all these noises. Luckily, Tristan had some spikes left from his other audio projects. We know that isolation footers such as spikes work, but not to the extent of really filtering the level of reverberation that the subs had on the floor of Tristan’s music room. I have always believed that isolation footers alter the sound thereby creating enhancements in your system. Just place them underneath your equipment and they will do the trick. But completely shutting out these annoying noises from coming out of the speakers?

There are many types of isolation footers: air suspension stands, Chinese ceramic tea cups, chunks of wood made from diverse material, floating magnetic feet, wood cones rooted with lead shots, acrylic cones, metal cones, mishmash of wood and graphite, etc.

How do isolation footers work really? Audio gadgets are being considerably repressed from providing their best because of external vibrations. The most harmful are those that arise from the ground that enter the component via its feet. Experts refer to these as seismic vibrations. These vibrations introduce specious signals within the sensitive circuitry of your components, mingle with audio signal and distort them by desensitizing the treble, diminishing the bass, muddying the soundstage and overpowering dynamics.

Isolation footers work in two ways: first, they minimize the vibration getting into the audio equipment via contact with the ledge or table it nestles upon by eating up the energy. Second and most important, they work by expelling the vibration caused by the component itself; wearing out the vibration that emanates, for example, from transformers and/or spinning CD and turntable devices. They also dislocate and ditch chassis resonance adding weighty sonic gains.

Tristan’s system now, with a little help from the isolation technology, exhibits improvements in treble and bass extension; imaging is more focused and the soundstage is much broader. It has likewise displayed life-like dynamic swings and has enhanced the perception of an invisible system leaving the listener and the performers an intimate contact in a virtual stage.

For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit http://www.wiredstate.com or you can tweet audiofiler at http://www.twitter.com for quick answers to your audio concerns.
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby plasticman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:38 am

Thanks Val, first, for allowing my family to see my name in the newspaper mentioned in a "good" article and not because of any crime-related story!

Second, thank you and JAA for having the patience and perseverance to tune the active crossover and multiamp setup and for coming back to integrate the dual Rythmiks!

The entire family is now enjoying the main system because, unlike before, it can now handle ANY TYPE of music that we fancy. It still retains the fleshed-out and lush vocals with the delicate and transparent highs that was its strength when it was driven by just the SET amp. But now, after being multiamped thru an active crossover, it can also deliver the lower register with enough balls and attack to handle live rock and full orchestral music w/ ease!

So, do i miss my "purist" setup w/ the single flea-powered amp? Definitely not. The mids and the highs are still driven by two flea-powered amps anyway. The only BIG disadvantage that i can see w/ this new setup is the guaranteed increased electrical bill!!!
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby desmo » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:47 am

I imagine how 2 heavy subs can propagate vibrations thru the wood floor to the turntable. Glad you were able to fix the problem. How about the subwoofers themselves, they can be isolated from the floor as well can they not?

I use this in my HT room which also has a wood floor.

http://www.auralex.com/c_sound_isolatio ... lation.asp
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby jadis » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:49 am

Thanks for sharing, Val. Great article about isolation. I've always been a believer of isolation of the TT system to the point that I value the old school suspended/isolated TT system very much. Feedback is the killer here and after you've killed it, the silence, as you say, becomes golden. The grunge shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Congrats Doc Tristan for having a new found pair of babies, monstrous subs actually, to spice up your system. Glad to hear positive things happen after this acquisition. I imagine habitual visits by the '3 Musketeers' in Val, John, and Pat is in order. Hindi lang ang Meralco ang natutuwa, si Pat Morita din. :D :D
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:54 am

desmo wrote:I imagine how 2 heavy subs can propagate vibrations thru the wood floor to the turntable. Glad you were able to fix the problem. How about the subwoofers themselves, they can be isolated from the floor as well can they not?

I use this in my HT room which also has a wood floor.

http://www.auralex.com/c_sound_isolatio ... lation.asp


Yup! Doc Tristans's subs are likewise isolated from the floor. They had spikes nestling on a granite and the granite has also spikes underneath separating the subs from the floor :) I guess your isolation tools perform well what they're supposed to do, thanks for sharing :)
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:56 am

jadis wrote:Thanks for sharing, Val. Great article about isolation. I've always been a believer of isolation of the TT system to the point that I value the old school suspended/isolated TT system very much. Feedback is the killer here and after you've killed it, the silence, as you say, becomes golden. The grunge shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Congrats Doc Tristan for having a new found pair of babies, monstrous subs actually, to spice up your system. Glad to hear positive things happen after this acquisition. I imagine habitual visits by the '3 Musketeers' in Val, John, and Pat is in order. Hindi lang ang Meralco ang natutuwa, si Pat Morita din. :D :D


Sigurado yan pare. Sarap ng bulalo kina doc tristan :lol: :lol:
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:04 am

Tristan's system:

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Re: Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:07 am

JAA installing Tristan's 'other new baby": ;)

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Re: Silence is golden

Postby audiostar » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:11 am

Appreciative audience: Seated from left, 'pat morita', jaa, audiostar. Same order at the back, amonv and tristan (plasticman)

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Re: Silence is golden

Postby plasticman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:31 am

desmo wrote:I imagine how 2 heavy subs can propagate vibrations thru the wood floor to the turntable. Glad you were able to fix the problem. How about the subwoofers themselves, they can be isolated from the floor as well can they not?

I use this in my HT room which also has a wood floor.

http://www.auralex.com/c_sound_isolatio ... lation.asp


Hi john/desmo!

I was seriously considering the gramma's to isolate the subs from the wooden floor. However, being the kuripot that i am, i just had to try first using some spare granite slabs and spikes that i had lying around. If that didnt work then i'd go ahead and order the grammas.

As it turned out, all those in attendance during last friday's session were satisfied w/ the spiked granite platforms. Approve din si Pat Morita! So that saved me some precious moolah!
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby TheAnalogSource » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:35 am

bakit d nyo ko sinama :@ :@ :@
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby plasticman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:36 am

audiostar wrote:JAA installing Tristan's 'other new baby": ;)

Image


Oist! Hindi ko pa "new baby" yan!

Although it is undeniably better in my system than the previous cartridge, my head is still spinning in trying to figure out where to pull the money to pay for that!!!!
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby plasticman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:39 am

TAS wrote:bakit d nyo ko sinama :@ :@ :@


Sorry Nols,

Short notice kasi eh. Pat Morita just requested for a session to evaluate the Rythmiks in my system. Dont worry, there will definitely be more sessions to come! Na miss ka nga nung ref ko sa lanai eh !
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby TheAnalogSource » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:41 am

hehe me roadshow din kami nun friday ;) :) pakisabi sa ref mo...namiss ko din sya :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby JAA » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:58 am

A very informative article Val! :clap: I would classify Doc Tristan's room as a good example of the most challenging listening environment among analog lovers. Floor vibration is the least thing you wanted in any audio room especially when you are into vinyl. The experience we had educates us more on how significant is the role of isolating analog components and loudspeakers with piston moving drivers. Countless tweaks proved futile unless the root problem has been identified and addressed correctly.

Unwanted vibrations captured by the cartridge will definitely ruin the entire audio frequency so does our listening pleasure. With proper isolation, everything will be unveiled with much attributes on dynamics, focus, and soundstage.

Congrats Doc Tristan! It is rewarding for us to know that your family is now enjoying more with your multiamp system! :clap:

Congrats also to Dra. Catindig for preparing us an irresistable food for dinner! Hindi ko makalimutan yung bulalo at peppered BBQ! :clap:
Last edited by JAA on Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby plasticman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:04 am

Malas naman kasi eh. Of all the rooms in the house, the only one that had acceptable dimensions for a music room was also the only one that had suspended wooden floors!
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby JAA » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:07 am

plasticman wrote:Malas naman kasi eh. Of all the rooms in the house, the only one that had acceptable dimensions for a music room was also the only one that had suspended wooden floors!


Compromise :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby narayan » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:55 am

Congrats to val and doc tristan :clap: bullet day madidinig ko din yang enhanced set-up mo ;)
Last edited by narayan on Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby Tjaderman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:37 pm

As always, fun and very Informative article, Val! :clap: Wow! Dual Rythmiks! :rock: :rock: Same model as yours, Val? Congratz, Doc Tristan!
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Re: Silence is golden

Postby Superman » Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:01 pm

CONGRATULATIONS, Val! Kudos Doc Tristan and JAA Taruc!! Ibang klase ka talagang manilip! :D :D :D
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