Can putting the amplifier on those feet somehow produce weird noice from the transformer (like vibration)? Two feet were on the right side, two on the left? position right next to the amps feet on the inner side? The feet are ISO-PUCK.
They are designed to go under speakers, not amplifiers.
Use a zaZen platform instead.
I donāt see how that would possibly lead to noise or vibration from the transformer.
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but can they cause vibration?
also from the manufacturer; ā¦ isoAcoustics ISO-PUCKās are a great accessory for DJ Gear. Place them under turntables and mixers to isolate ā¦
I have 4 under my ear 912 preamp. Work very well. The Gaia are designed to work under speakers. The Orea under electronics or sources.
If the 4 footers arenāt all in perfect, equal contact with both the amp and its support then there could be some vibration between one footer and the amp case.
Using the 4 diagonal corners try rocking the amp, first between left front/right rear then right front/left rear. If there is any rocking motion WHATSOEVER, it tells you that the amp isnāt in good uniform contact.
If you do find even a tiny amount of rocking motion, take some thin paper and use it to shim the back foot of the loose side until all rocking motion is removed. You obviously have to be careful not to over shim and simply transfer the rocking to the opposite diagonal.
Using only 3 footers will of course remove any rocking as a triangle is inherently stable but it will also change the sound, not always for the better. In my experience, 4 footers in perfect contact works the best with Naim amps.
BTW, this shimming works just as well for amps sitting on their own, rubber feet. An even better way to check is to place a very thin piece of paper under each front foot in turn then try to pull out the paper while applying VERY GENTLE upward pressure to the corner being tested in order to ārockā the amp across the diagonal onto its back foot. The pressure shouldnāt be enough to lift the amp, just enough to rock it onto the back foot in the event thereās any slackness. The best paper is something like a very thin till receipt. If your amp is correctly supported on all 4 feet, the resistance felt when removing the paper should be the same. If you find that on one side thereās no resistance, shim the diagonally opposite back foot and repeat until the resistance is the same for both front feet
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Just to clarify, I know what you are trying to say, but iso acoustics are designed to wobble when you push down on them.
OP I cannot see any way they would increase hum, but if it goes away when you remove them you have your answer!
They cannot cause vibration, but by isolating the amplifier they will alter the way that vibration from the transformer is channeled to ground. As I mentioned above, the Iso-puck is designed to go beneath monitor speakers, not electronics. The design isolates speakers from their supporting surface. By isolating your amplifier the vibration has nowhere to go, so itās quite possible that you will hear it more. Itās worth noting that the amplifier already has isolating feet as part of the design. What makes you believe it needs something different?
I was misguided. Now with its own feet no vibration sound can be heard. And donāt want to investigate anymore. So Iāll just leave it like this.
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Sometimes, things are designed as they are for a reason.
Iām sure thatās for the best.
IMO, and honestly with no intention of being disagreeable to others, you are being misguided in this thread by the tired argument of āmanufacturer knows best, do nothingā, which is of course an argument from authority, the most widely abused formal fallacy.
Ideally you want vibrations to be dissipated, and the stock rubber feet are not really good at it. And yes Iāve heard the romanticized stories of how much R&D Naim has invested into the rubber feetā¦ Unfortunately, they are still quite poor at vibration dissipation.
Vibrations are not to be dismissed as something being channeled to ground, the dynamics are quite different from when electricity is grounded. Vibrations that are not dissipated will end up reaching other gear and/or reflected back to the offending equipment, both less than ideal outcomes.
The ISO-PUCKs are primarily intended for loudspeakers, but can also be used for components without harm. If you like Iso Acoustics products the better choice would be the Orea series. FWIW, Iāve had tremendous results with StackAudio AUVA EQs, but there are plenty of other good options out there.
Try things for yourself and let your ears be the final and sole judge.
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Just to add, I think the elephant in the room is the fact that the amp is humming at all. They really shouldnāt.
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True, but letās keep in mind that all toroidal transformers vibrate. If it is bad enough to cause audible hum, then the question becomes how to mitigate, whether electrically, mechanically, or both.
Well, the OP has reverted to the stock feet and the hum has stopped.
The offending hum inducing source may have receded, and likely will appear again. Hum is never constant, or completely gone for that matter. Nevertheless, the advice that Iām giving is of general application and not unique to the OPās environment, which I obviously have no access to.
No. This is not what happened.
I send the amp back I was told no problem was found and I got the amp back without a repair. But the hum was gone. I realized I forgot to put the puks u der the amp.
IMO and IME here too. Good post and I wouldnāt repeat much on what you have said. Itās very simple. If the stock rubber feet on Naim equipment is good and there isnāt any need to do anything, then there is no purpose with the Naim Fraim. One can choose to place their Naim amps, power supplies and streamers on any rack or furniture that he pleases, and there isnāt any need to do anything if it sounds good. Nevertheless, there will always be room for improvement if the existing rack that is used is poor especially if itās a furniture such as sideboard or table etc. Footers such as Isoacoustics pucks or Orea are available as an option for people who want to improve the sound of their systems but do not want to change their rack. In my limited experience the quality of the rack is more important than isolation footers so my recommendation is to acquire a good rack if possible, rather than going with various isolation products on the market. I use both.
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Good racks are important but they are not going to do much to disspate vibrations from humming transformers, the only exception Iām aware of is the Townshend rack.
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