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Re: Q for vibration gurus about cones within racks

Posted by David Aiken (A) on November 9, 2004 at 17:42:07

In Reply to: Q for vibration gurus about cones within racks posted by bartc on November 9, 2004 at 09:24:10:

I think several things are going on, but as always how much of something is going on will depend on how successfully the technique is implemented.

First, w hile cones/spikes most definitely couple, it is my experience that low frequency vibration is more easily "picked up" by a cone or spike at the 'flat end' and that less low frequency vibration is picked up at the high end. I base this on the fact that things definitely sound different if you invert cones and use them facing point up. Which way is best seems to depend a fair bit on circumstances, but using successive point interfaces with the point facing down as in the type of rack you mention should on that basis noticably reduce low frequency vibration to the top shelves. Given that it's much easier to isolate components from high frequency vibration than it is from low, that's a big plus.

Until recently I thought that was probably it, but I'm starting to rethink that view based on my experiences using various things as cone cups under the cones supporting my rack. I now think this approach also provides a little freedom in movement in the horizontal plane, a bit like a roller ball but much more limited/constrained in freedom of motion. Still, it is possible that this additional freedom of movement is beneficial also.

It probably also assists in breaking up the rack into a number of smaller units, each with a higher resonant frequency than would be the case if the interfaces between different shelf layers were eliminated and a single rack frame was used.

As I said at the outset, I think implementation is critical and a bad implementation of this approach may well result in worse results than a good implementation of a much simpler, single frame design so I wouldn't race out to buy a rack just because it's constructed in this manner.

David Aiken

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