Vibration isolation in pro amp / equipment rack??? Processor rattles!

[gordonmenninger]

Due to my room restraints and design, most of my equipment is in an amp Rack with rack mounts in front corner of my room. I simply cut a hole into the existing wall and framed it so the rack mounts could screw on.
I like to listen to music / concerts loud. I have 2 JL Audio Fathom 113's stacked in the opposite corner and when playing at high volume, i placed my hand on my processor (Krell S-1200 u) and the top of it was rattling! I have it sitting on a wood shelf with a Krell KAV 250/3 multi channel amp that was also rattling! I have both pieces of equipment sitting on metal cones but it seems that bass waves are causing the rattling. No i will not turn down my subs, so what is the best solution here?

thanks!

 

[twich54]

isolation and improved room acoustical treatments............all else fails......move !

 

[gordonmenninger]

Room is treated with bass traps and acoustical panels so that is not really the issue. What is the best method to isolate these 2 pices sitting on top of one another? Does it really matter that much???

What would be more effective - something like Vibrapods or Brass cones?

 

[twich54]

Room is treated with bass traps and acoustical panels so that is not really the issue.

if improperly placed it could be, besides your system link does not appear to work so I can not see you set up

 

[gordonmenninger]

I just noticed that my link is not working also. Hmmm will need to investigate that.

I am thinking of getting some sorbothane feet underneath each component as they seem to be better suited at absorbing some of the vibrations. Any input?

 

[McMo]

A picture of your system would be helpfull...
My rack is placed on Anti Spikes, the top deck is isolated by sorbothanepucks and each component is placed on SSC pucks - this works pretty good! (Can post pictures if you like)
Dampening the top of your Krell's with Dynamat or something similar might also be a good idea. Did this with my Cambridge equipment - they're acoustically dead right now.

 

[amey01]

Yeah, move might be your best bet. And make sure you take your stereo and "listen" to all the possible alternatives before signing any sale contracts!

 

[Brad225]

Though it sounds like you have gone to some effort to place your equipment where it is that may be the problem. If it's in a corner it's subject to all of the bass energy being produced in the room. This is the reason you have bass traps in any corner intersection on the room.

Though it might be a pain try moving the equipment to a new location. I would guess you will spend more time trying to isolate it there successfully than moving it.
I will surprised if you can have it in a corner and completely isolate it from the amount of low end present in the room at levels that loud.

 

[Speedskater]

Is it rattling because the shelf and wall framing are vibrating or because of air pressure from the sub-woofer?

 

[zaphod]

I just noticed that my link is not working also. Hmmm will need to investigate that.

you have the IP in your link replace 67.19.167.226 with www.martinloganowners.com and it will work. ie: http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=7914

 

[Gordon Gray]

Gordon,

Assuming the JL's are the culprit, try to isolate those.

They make platforms (subdude) that should help attenuate energy transmission and will hopefully decrease that energy at the equipment rack.

I trust you know that equipment vibrations have a significant negative impact on your sound.

Best option, if the sub isolation doesn't work, is to move your gear onto a high quality rack (with accompanying iso devices under your gear) somewhere else in the room.

Good luck.

GG

PS: Subdude platform available through Amazon for $61 plus ship. And you probably can return the product for a full refund if you don't like.

 

[Bernard]

The cages of my monoblocks are rather flimsy, so I have VPI Bricks on top of them, but VPI Bricks are rarer than hens' teeth these days.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Bernard,

Gordon can try placing weights on top of his components as long as it doesn't impact ventilation. Don't need to be VPI bricks per se.

That with some cones might address the issue.

GG

 

[Dan Osib]

Due to my room restraints and design, most of my equipment is in an amp Rack with rack mounts in front corner of my room. I simply cut a hole into the existing wall and framed it so the rack mounts could screw on.
I like to listen to music / concerts loud. I have 2 JL Audio Fathom 113's stacked in the opposite corner and when playing at high volume, i placed my hand on my processor (Krell S-1200 u) and the top of it was rattling! I have it sitting on a wood shelf with a Krell KAV 250/3 multi channel amp that was also rattling! I have both pieces of equipment sitting on metal cones but it seems that bass waves are causing the rattling. No i will not turn down my subs, so what is the best solution here?

thanks!

So your hifi Equipment Rack is screwed to the wall? No wonder your Krell processor is vibrating. Bass vibrates/shakes the walls of your listening room which is then travelling directly into your hifi. No offence, but why would someone want to attach their Hifi Rack to a reverberating brick wall?

 

[Brad225]

So your hifi Equipment Rack is screwed to the wall? No wonder your Krell processor is vibrating. Bass vibrates/shakes the walls of your listening room which is then travelling directly into your hifi. No offence, but why would someone want to attach their Hifi Rack to a reverberating brick wall?

I read it as a rack system that was not free standing so it would need to be attached to some structure. If it is just screwed to the wall I would agree that is a big problem. Poor little transistors must think they live in an earthquake zone.

 

[gordonmenninger]

Thanks for the help on fixing the link and also vibration issues. Yes the rack is attached right to the wall framing and yes those JL's in the opposite corner tend to rattle anything that is not tied down! My room is in the basement with concrete floors (carpeted) and my son who is on the third floor told me that last weekend all his markers rolled off his desk during one of my listening sessions!
So yes the JL's are definitely the culprit. Not sure if putting all equipment on a rack would help as I think it is almost more airborne than structural rattling (probably a combination of both). Also I think that an equipment rack would interfer with my left front speakers and would stick too far out into the room. Then you have the issues of alot of the cables etc being too short. I may try out some sorbothane to see if that does anything to tame the rattles. I cannot really put anything on top of the Krell units as they get very hot! For some reason, my massive Krell KSA 300S that I built a platform for last year does not rattle at all. It is sitting on a slab of granite that is spiked to the concrete and there is some sorbothane and hocky pucks between amp and granite. It has absolutely no vibrations...:rocker:

 

[Gordon Gray]

Gordon,

Why not try the "subdude" under your JL's? $60 plus ship from Amazon with a total return / refund option.

GG

 

[Dan Osib]

Thanks for the help on fixing the link and also vibration issues. Yes the rack is attached right to the wall framing and yes those JL's in the opposite corner tend to rattle anything that is not tied down! My room is in the basement with concrete floors (carpeted) and my son who is on the third floor told me that last weekend all his markers rolled off his desk during one of my listening sessions!
So yes the JL's are definitely the culprit. Not sure if putting all equipment on a rack would help as I think it is almost more airborne than structural rattling (probably a combination of both). Also I think that an equipment rack would interfer with my left front speakers and would stick too far out into the room. Then you have the issues of alot of the cables etc being too short. I may try out some sorbothane to see if that does anything to tame the rattles. I cannot really put anything on top of the Krell units as they get very hot! For some reason, my massive Krell KSA 300S that I built a platform for last year does not rattle at all. It is sitting on a slab of granite that is spiked to the concrete and there is some sorbothane and hocky pucks between amp and granite. It has absolutely no vibrations...:rocker:

Sorry but you're wrong, I've already experienced this situation previously in my own home. The rattling is not airborne, it's structural. I'll prove my point - move your Krell Processor onto the top of your granite floor platform that you refer to. Now play your music loud. Rest your hand on top of the Processor - No Vibrations! MAGIC! Point proven.

 

[gordonmenninger]

Sorry but you're wrong, I've already experienced this situation previously in my own home. The rattling is not airborne, it's structural. I'll prove my point - move your Krell Processor onto the top of your granite floor platform that you refer to. Now play your music loud. Rest your hand on top of the Processor - No Vibrations! MAGIC! Point proven.

Dan, yup you may be on to something there! I was just trying to take the easy way out! haha
The thought of having to unhook everything and relocate it doesn't play very well with me although that is a project I may have take on one of these days. It is just a tough call because I think the rack may interfere with my front speakers because they are only about 20" away from the wall due to the 120" between them.

Gordon: You always have excellent advice when it comes to vibrations! Will these subdudes not take any sound/output away from the fathoms? I do like the very low, subterranean bass they put out that you can feel in your chest... Quite frankly having to move each one of these 125lb monsters out of the tight corner wasn't a project i was really looking for but I may have to look into that!

I have not really understood though how vibrations can hurt the sound quality in a processor or amp... I can see how it could affect something with moving parts (DVD/CD player) but I stream all of my tunes through my Squeezebox.

 

[Dan Osib]

Dan, yup you may be on to something there! I was just trying to take the easy way out! haha
The thought of having to unhook everything and relocate it doesn't play very well with me although that is a project I may have take on one of these days. It is just a tough call because I think the rack may interfere with my front speakers because they are only about 20" away from the wall due to the 120" between them.

Gordon: You always have excellent advice when it comes to vibrations! Will these subdudes not take any sound/output away from the fathoms? I do like the very low, subterranean bass they put out that you can feel in your chest... Quite frankly having to move each one of these 125lb monsters out of the tight corner wasn't a project i was really looking for but I may have to look into that!

I have not really understood though how vibrations can hurt the sound quality in a processor or amp... I can see how it could affect something with moving parts (DVD/CD player) but I stream all of my tunes through my Squeezebox.

The Krell processor is basically a sophisticated computer and exposing it to constant significant-vibrations will eventually upset or damage it internally.