Speaker isolation/damping
Discussion
I think the answer is too experiment
Does putting speakers on a pillow make any difference? If not, probably isolation by more expensive means won't either. Not suggesting pillows as long term solution!
I remember my Dad finding that a pair of dining chairs with padded seats made better stands for his particular speakers than the expensive ones he had bought!
Does putting speakers on a pillow make any difference? If not, probably isolation by more expensive means won't either. Not suggesting pillows as long term solution!
I remember my Dad finding that a pair of dining chairs with padded seats made better stands for his particular speakers than the expensive ones he had bought!
Sometimes you want to fix the speaker to the mass of the thing it's sat on.
So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
OutInTheShed said:
Sometimes you want to fix the speaker to the mass of the thing it's sat on.
So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
I agree with all that, but a word of warning about blutak. Left in place for a long time, it will pull veneer off the base of the speaker when speaker pulled off stand. As I discovered with substantial irritation !So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
mac96 said:
OutInTheShed said:
Sometimes you want to fix the speaker to the mass of the thing it's sat on.
So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
I agree with all that, but a word of warning about blutak. Left in place for a long time, it will pull veneer off the base of the speaker when speaker pulled off stand. As I discovered with substantial irritation !So the speaker can push the air better, it's got the furniture to push against.
Other times you want to isolate the speaker, to avoid it rattling the furniture.
Sometimes there may be more subtle things going on, you want some low frequency coupling for the speaker to react against, but isolate high frequencies to avoid impulses or something. One case in point, a speaker on a bookcase could make the glass doors ring.
Blu Tak is useful as it absorbs a lot of energy quickly, whereas foam rubber allows more movement and absorbs less energy.
Play around and find an answer you like.
Large, domed, ( thick ) self adhesive 'Bump On' feet are a good compromise between coupling and decoupling. The synthetic rubber ( elastomer ) is compliant and damps vibrations very well; on a couple of occasions I've used three in a triangle rather than one at each corner because the surface the speaker was on was not completely flat.
They cost buttons
and work extremely well...........a couple of pounds buys enough for all your speakers with enough left over to fix cupboard doors, chopping boards etc etc 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adhesive-Bumpers-Dampenin...
They cost buttons
and work extremely well...........a couple of pounds buys enough for all your speakers with enough left over to fix cupboard doors, chopping boards etc etc https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adhesive-Bumpers-Dampenin...
If you have threaded inserts for spikes then perhaps something these:
https://amzn.eu/d/aQP0aLF
I bought some for a pair of floorstanders on my wooden floor but should work ok on a bookshelf.
Trouble is, all rubbers or similar tend to outgass and are oily so are a pain on furniture, unless they're slightly domed to reduce contact area.
https://amzn.eu/d/aQP0aLF
I bought some for a pair of floorstanders on my wooden floor but should work ok on a bookshelf.
Trouble is, all rubbers or similar tend to outgass and are oily so are a pain on furniture, unless they're slightly domed to reduce contact area.
I used some felt pads bought on amazon to isolate my turntable (sat on top of the amp and CD player) on my living room cabinet, from my speakers also sitting on the cabinet. They are sold for crafty type stuff and have a sticky glue on one side with peel off layer, which never got peeled off.
Worked well. Cost very little.
Most vibration dampers are lossy across the frequency range, i.e convert incoming vibrations into heat.
But nearly all will be way better at damping at some frequnecies compared to others.
So if you find felt pads don't do it for you, try the tennis balls, try the foam pads, try loads of things. Chances are one will solve your prblem.
There are some quiet expensive solutions sold to audiophiles, which I'm not sure are really that much better.
Worked well. Cost very little.
Most vibration dampers are lossy across the frequency range, i.e convert incoming vibrations into heat.
But nearly all will be way better at damping at some frequnecies compared to others.
So if you find felt pads don't do it for you, try the tennis balls, try the foam pads, try loads of things. Chances are one will solve your prblem.
There are some quiet expensive solutions sold to audiophiles, which I'm not sure are really that much better.
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