Protect audio components from external vibrations

Hi-Fi Corner
1

I am optimizing my Naim 282 + HICAPDR + 250DR + NDS + 555PSDR system.

I would like to protect the audio components from external vibrations.

These vibrations are caused by the music being played.

I know these vibrations are deleterious right?

In addition to the excellent and beautiful Naim Fraim what could be used further?

What can be done to limit these vibrations ?

I had thought of inserting 3mm plastic-lead (STP) anti-vibration sheets. These sheets are used to isolate automobile sheet metal.

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Is it a bad idea?

It would be easy to put under and over each Naim component (the components that don’t produce too much heat).

Even without resting the sheet on the metal frame but gluing it in the upper part of the unpacked in the rack.

Do the Naim component frames have counterframes?

Because in this case the frame resonance frequency would have changed and this could be deleterious.

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I wouldn’t. Mainly because on any piece of kit with amplification, the case is a heatsink as well as part of the thermal protection. Sticking anything else to the casework will affect this.

It’s worth recalling that when Naim fitted dampers to the rear panel, that could be used to damp the ringing you can get, most found that applying the dampers generally seemed to impair performance - it seems the casework ring in some way protected the circuitry and components within from microphonic vibrations, the critical circuitry itself being decoupled (or even suspended) from the chassis and case.

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You could have the electronics in a different room to the speakers if you want to reduce airborne vibrations. Many believe that the support is beneficial in the absence of airborne vibrations - e.g with a headphone amp.

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My electronics are in a different room and I found a noticeable improvement in sound quality.

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Is the electronic circuitry inside Naim equipment already treated against vibrations?

I know that for example the Naim NDS or 552 are protected inside with beautiful brass sub-chassis.

But are other Naim equipment protected inside from external vibrations?

6

Yes, the circuit boards are on decoupled compliant mounts - the socketry, if PCB mounted, does not touch the casework (and if not PCB mounted then it’s wired to the PCB which stays physically decoupled from the case), the IEC inlet is also decoupled from the casework.

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It’s a very worthwhile thing to do, I was impressed when I moved my gear to my basement and ran the speaker wire in conduits though the walls to the speakers a floor above.
Everything being on the network.

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Absolutely. Once you’ve done mechanical isolation via Fraim, the only realistic next step is to put the electronics in another room. Preferably one of the rooms (either the one with speakers or the one with the gear) is soundproofed to reduce airborne vibrations.

But the cost of that is likely to have more positive impact used as component upgrades.

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Difficult with active speakers however!

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With active speakers you choose them as they are, and then you have them - and once the drivers have ‘burnt in’ the only thing you have to worry about is whether after a few decades any capacitors may benefit from changing!

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What about using isolation feet on the fraim like people do on speakers? They isolate the speakers so maybe on a fraim they would be quite beneficial? I know sole people have put them under components but what about on the Fraim base and then everything ‘possibly’ benefits?

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