Bad vibrations
Vibration definitely affects audio reproduction—just listen to what happens when you tap on the side of a record player. The notion that solid-state electrical components such as digital-to-analog converters need protection from vibration may be far-fetched, but even the most science-oriented audio writers agree that turntables, tube audio gear, and speakers can benefit from vibration control.
With turntables, any vibration from below will come right up through the platter and make its way into the stylus—and into your speakers. There are lots of products built to isolate turntables, but one of the coolest and most affordable I’ve seen is the $159 Gingko Semi Cloud. It’s basically five pliable rubber balls that fit in an acrylic base and can be repositioned to fit almost any turntable.
I was always skeptical of claims that speakers need vibration control, but even many of the most conservative audio writers and audio production pros have embraced the vibration-isolating speaker stands and supports from IsoAcoustics. The stands seem to tighten up speakers’ bass response and reduce booming, and they also help prevent vibrations from the speakers from traveling into other components. At prices starting around $100 each, they’re quite affordable.
While it’s unlikely any of the products I’ve mentioned will transform the sound of your audio system, they do have a benefit I haven’t mentioned: the sheer joy of experimentation. As long as you keep the expenditure at a reasonable level, there’s no harm in giving any of these tweaks a whirl.
