[Early B.]

Not sure if this is the right circle for this topic, but here goes...

My system is on the second floor of my house, so I have a wood subfloor. I also have a "floating" wood floor; it gives with every footstep. Regardless of the weight, everything in the room also "floats." For instance, my speakers weigh roughly 175 pounds each and I can push on them quite easily with one finger and they'll move. The issue I want to address is my audio rack which is full of tube gear, hence the need to be more mindful of vibrations. Even with the audio rack full of gear, I can easily get the entire rack to rock back & forth.

How do I mitigate these vibrations??? Since there's not much I can do about the floor, should I focus on isolating each component? Or does that matter if the whole rack is rockin'? If component isolation is the answer, is it as simple as placing IsoAcoustic pucks underneath them?

Thanks.
   

[dpatters]

I have a hardwood rack on Giant Herbies Audio Lab Sliders. Maple platforms on IsoAcoustics pucks with components sitting directly on the platforms. I also have suspended wood floors but they are pretty solid.

Don P

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I have a similar issue.  I can be sitting across the room from my TT and put my foot on the floor and I can hear it through the speakers.  I also have a tube preamp with  tubes.

I have sorbothane feet and a rack with over 220 pounds of gear on it.  The TT is on an isoacoustics isolation platform and it helps slightly.

I am going to put my rack on top of a small rug with rubber backing.  I am also going to try these-
https://www.mnpctech.com/products/audiophile-isolation-anti-vibration-shock-absorbtion-pads-set-of-four

You can also give these a try but you can find them cheaper elsewhere-
https://www.mnpctech.com/products/cork-pads-stop-vibrations-isolation-turntable-record-player-pads?variant=44688377479392

[toocool4]

Oh wow, if you can make a 175 pounds speaker move by using one finger to make them rock back and forth, there is not much you can do. Isolating everything individually may help, but I doubt it very much.

All my kit moves including the 150 pounds speakers, but that is controlled movement. Every component except the turntable sits on Symposium Acoustics Rollerblocks, which are designed to dampen out the little vibrations.

You need to find a way to make the floor firmer, I can see the uncontrolled movement robbing you of resolution.

[Stercom]

Wow! Make sure you decouple the rack from the floor. If you've coupled the rack to the floor with spikes, for instance, take them off.  I would start off with something cheap such as rubber pads often placed under pianos. If that helps then go to something better like some of the Herbies offerings or even Townshend.

[Early B.]

I am going to put my rack on top of a small rug with rubber backing.

I like this idea. It may help a bit with stabilizing the rack.

Oh wow, if you can make a 175 pounds speaker move by using one finger to make them rock back and forth, there is not much you can do. Isolating everything individually may help, but I doubt it very much.

You need to find a way to make the floor firmer, I can see the uncontrolled movement robbing you of resolution.

Yeah, there may not be much I can do. I'd love to pull up the floor and replace it with real hardwood that's nailed to the subfloor, but that's a pretty drastic and costly option, and it may not make much difference.

Wow! Make sure you decouple the rack from the floor. If you've coupled the rack to the floor with spikes, for instance, take them off.  I would start off with something cheap such as rubber pads often placed under pianos. If that helps then go to something better like some of the Herbies offerings or even Townshend.

I have Herbies giant threaded stud gliders that are designed for audio racks and speakers to decouple my rack from the floor. They work great because I can easily move the rack, but if the floor is floating, everything on it is floating, too. 

[nature boy]

Check out Stack Audio's isolation devices. Best I've found under equipment.

NB

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Those MNPCTech Isolators that I posted a link to, look very promising.  There are others that use a similar system with ball bearings that are very effective.  I have some friends that use them.

[Early B.]

Those MNPCTech Isolators that I posted a link to, look very promising.  There are others that use a similar system with ball bearings that are very effective.  I have some friends that use them.

I just pulled the trigger on a used set of Daedalus Audio isolation devices that employ ball bearings. I'm gonna try it under my tube DAC. I also purchased a set of IsoAcoustic pucks for my preamp that should arrive this weekend. My amp already rests on a set of those. I'm aware these are Bandaid approaches, but it may be the best I can do under the circumstances.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I just pulled the trigger on a used set of Daedalus Audio isolation devices that employ ball bearings. I'm gonna try it under my tube DAC. I also purchased a set of IsoAcoustic pucks for my preamp that should arrive this weekend. My amp already rests on a set of those. I'm aware these are Bandaid approaches, but it may be the best I can do under the circumstances.

I just ordered a set of 4 of those ball bearing isolation pucks from MNPCTech.  They are on sale.  A set of 3 is 69 and a set of 4 is 88.
I will let you know how they work on my TT.

[rif]

I am going to put my rack on top of a small rug with rubber backing. 

Would something like those interlocking rubber floor tiles work?  They're usually marketed to home gym people or as a cushion for hard concrete in the garage workshop.  Just a thought, I have no experience.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Those rubber tiles look like they would work.  Aesthetically, a nice rug may look better though.  However, the tiles may work better unless you can get a thick rug with rubber backing or a thick rug pad.

[rif]

Or put a rug over the tiles

[JackD]

Larry

You can buy the same design of footers on Ali Express for a whole lot less.  I've bought several sets in the past and they work the same.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803146953604.html?spm=oneshop.home.dspopularproducts.2.419d7f6bT6p1bu&skuId=12000025263529676&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000025263529676%22%7D&aecmd=true&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803504435527.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.97241802c0Xr8S&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

[Early B.]

Those rubber tiles look like they would work.  Aesthetically, a nice rug may look better though.

Yeah, I was thinking of something like this: https://www.amazon.com/MTOUOCK-Welcome-Outdoor-Non-Slip-Backing/dp/B0BZZ5J6V6/

I haven't ordered it yet because I had second thoughts... would a rug with rubber backing prevent or minimize the rack from wobbling or would it make the problem worse? Since the floor likely isn't perfectly level and the gear is unevenly distributed on the rack, will a rug deal with all these issues?  Or will the rack sink into the rug, thus stabilizing it in addition to dampening the floor vibrations?

[Charles Xavier]

Larry

You can buy the same design of footers on Ali Express for a whole lot less.  I've bought several sets in the past and they work the same.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803146953604.html?spm=oneshop.home.dspopularproducts.2.419d7f6bT6p1bu&skuId=12000025263529676&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000025263529676%22%7D&aecmd=true&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803504435527.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.97241802c0Xr8S&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

Amazon has them and 2 day delivery

[toocool4]

If the floor moves as much as you say, I think you are wasting your time and money till you’ve fixed the floor issue. If you don’t have a good foundation, everything on top of it is useless. You may as well put good isolation on top of a pile of jelly.

[js1955]

You can also give these a try but you can find them cheaper elsewhere-

https://www.mnpctech.com/products/cork-pads-stop-vibrations-isolation-turntable-record-player-pads?variant=44688377479392

Super cheap here:

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-VPRC-200-Rubber-Cork-Anti-Vibration-Pad-2-x-2-x-7-8

Also available in a different material:

https://www.supplyhouse.com/DiversiTech-MP-2E-EVA-Anti-Vibration-Pad-2-x-2-x-7-8

[Early B.]

If the floor moves as much as you say, I think you are wasting your time and money till you’ve fixed the floor issue. If you don’t have a good foundation, everything on top of it is useless. You may as well put good isolation on to of a pile of jelly.

Yeah, the floor is an issue for an ardent audiophile, but it doesn't need to be "fixed" because it's designed to float. The floor was installed about 10-15 years ago, so it's not a new issue. The difference is I have all tube gear now and vibration control is more critical. Besides, I've heard subtle improvements using component isolation devices in the past. I'm merely trying to maximize their effectiveness without spending too much money. For instance, if a $50 rug underneath my rack can help, then it's a no-brainer.

Currently, my preamp doesn't have any isolation and my DAC has some cheap pucks I purchased from ebay. They look nice, but they're ineffective.       

[toocool4]

Here is what i use under my kit https://www.symposiumusa.com/rollerblocks.html