[henrylr]

I've read that components, like preamps and amps, should not be stacked over each other because their power supplies can have an effect on each other. Wouldn't a sheet of, RFI/EMI shielding material or, lead between them solve that problem?

Thanks,
henrylr

[Letitroll98]

Vibration and heat dissipation are other issues.  Buy or build a good equipment rack, your music reproduction and components will thank you for it.

[charmerci]

... preamps and amps, should not be stacked over each other because their power supplies can have an effect on each other.

(Not directed at you, just a general question.)


What effects? And how would that affect the sound?

[JLM]

Yeah, that what all the cool kids do.  Of course the really good racks cost $$$$.  But I'm not an accessory guy.

(I'm currently using a piece of 43" x 12" x 3/4" shelving that i spiked to the carpet/padded concrete slab floor.  Prior I was using a small $30 Ikea night stand that offered 3 17" wide shelves and a 20" wide top.  Note that I have simple/smallish systems.)

Ideally your rack will sit low (so as to not interfere with the soundstage), between the speakers (to keep cabling as short as possible), and away from the front wall (where vibrational pressures build up).


In theory:

Two kinds of vibrations: heavy (like foot falls on old wooden floors); and micro (airborne from speakers). 

Match rack type to floor type:

Rigid racks, spiked/secured to a rigid floor (concrete slab) with spiked/secured components would drain airborne and motor (CDP/turntable) vibrations.

Spongy racks on spongy (wooden) floors with soft (compliant) footers would allow the components to float but would have to absorb airborne vibrations.

[henrylr]

My equipment cabinet is 26.5" wide X 15" deep X 19" tall. It has a fixed bottom shelf of 3/4" thick MFD with four casters, on the bottom, one at each corner. It has two height adjustable shelves above the baseshelf. The front has a hinged glass door with about a 1/4' gap all around it, MDF panels on each side and the back is completely open. Equipment only gets slightly warm after hours of listening at realistically loud levels.

The amp is on the bottom, the preamp about 2" above it and the CD player about 2" above the preamp. All three items are on sorbothane pads and there are thicker sorbothane pads between the casters and the floor.

As mentioned, my concern was more of potential problems due to the power sources being in, vertical, close proximity. What is the best way to reduce or eliminate any electrical interaction?

[Speedskater]

a] Big power transformers, SMPS's and DSP processor can occasionally be problematic.
b] For magnetic field shielding a sheet of soft mild steel would be better, but don't expect a lot of help.
c] If I had a component (other than a turntable) that was sensitive to micro vibrations (airborne from speakers), I would quietly sell it on e-bay.

[henrylr]

The top of the Mccormack is 3" below the bottom of the preamp. Could the Mccormack transformer effect the preamp? Should I put a sheet of something under the preamp?

The top of the preamp is 1 1/4" below the bottom of the CD player. The preamp has a separate power supply that is not in the cabinet. Could the preamp still effect the CD player? Could the CD player effect the preamp?

In either case I could put a sheet of something under the CD player.

[henrylr]

Hi all,
Just thought I would post my system info in the hope of getting some simple tweak ideas.

I don't think I'm having any problems. Sound is, to me, exceptional. Jack Dejohnette's wood sticks on cymbals sound almost in the room. The trumpet opening in Mahler's 5th is great in location and sound. I was just looking for some, easy to implement, tweaks. Bybees and other complex changes are not on my wish list.

I don't recall if I posted the equipment. They are, Meridian 506.20 CDP, Aragon 18K MkII pre, Mccormack Deluxe Edtion DNA 0.5 and Sound Dynamics 300Ti speakers.

The mids and woofers have new surrounds. The internal crossovers and connectors have been removed and replaced with DIY outboard xovers. The drivers are individually hard wired to the xovers. The xovers have Mcap Supreme caps, Jantzen air cores and hi-end non-inductive resistors on heatsinks. All is, shortest length, hard wired with silver bearing solder and OFHC copper, in PTFE, wire. All inductors are optimally spaced and oriented.

The speaker and IC cables are all DIY upocc solid silver, almost floating, in PTFE tubing. Interconnects are 10 inches long and terminated with Eichmann silver bullets. Speaker wire is about 5 feet long and bare wire connected.

As mentioned, in earlier posts, I thought some sheet material between components might be a simple tweak. I prefer to keep the cabinet, which puts components over each other and only a few inches apart. All recommendations will be greatly appreciated

[macrojack]

Your system is in the 99th percentile of sound systems owned by normal people worldwide. Pour yourself a drink and get back into the music. In every system, the biggest variable is the listener. Keep yourself in a good mood and just enjoy the music without another thought about what you might be missing. There is always better. Acknowledge that and then return to stubborn enjoyment.
If you want the most effective tweak, move to Colorado and light up.

[smk]

henrylr

Aside from the obvious; your components sharing vibrations, heat & potential AC problems, cable "dressing' problems, etc. The components probably weren't designed that way. Besides, they just plain look better.

[henrylr]

Thanks for the reply. All the components rest on sorbothane pads and the cabinet casters rest on larger thicker sorbothane pads.
What do you mean by "The components probably weren't designed that way. Besides, they just plain look better"?

Thanks,
henrylr

[smk]

I'm sure the manufacturer didn't stack for maximum specification measurement/testing.

IMHO, components look better on separate equipment shelves. However, YMMV.

[henrylr]

I'm not looking for a good looking system. I like to hide components whenever possible. The three components in the small cabinet can't really be seen because the glass door is darkened glass. Only the power lights can, barely, be seen.

I also thought shortest possible ICs and speaker cables were best and spreading the components out would be a compromise to that idea. My other system has all components, except the very hot running amp, in a ventilated closet and they are at least a foot apart vertically. If I didn't have to see the speakers that would be icing on the cake for me. At night I do turn off the lights to listen....speakers gone.

Thanks,
henrylr

[henrylr]

After doing some research on mumetal and other shielding sheets I found the usual, contradictory, answers on several sites. Some said putting a sheet of mumetal or other material under a component can make things worse by causing the RFI or whatever is emitted from the component, under the sheet, to be affected by bounce back of the waves, magnetic field, whatever.

This brings me to a question. When all my components are on, the volume is turned up to about 9 and nothing is playing, and I put my ear right next to the drivers, I hear dead silence. Does that mean I probably shouldn't do, change or add anything?

Thanks,
henrylr

[JLM]

9 typically isn't much of a challenge, try turning it up to 3 (or whatever the maximum setting you use).

[henrylr]

Haven't tried cranking up the volume. The system is down for relocation. However I feel strongly about the following.

I believe most of the audiophile stuff is snake oil with ads raving about fantastic properties. I also think price mark-ups are likely in the 100 if not up to 1,000 percent range. Magic, cork, glue, rubber, audiophile fuses, garden hose size speaker cable, ect. ect...gimme a break. Some of that cable is comparable awg to the power line, from the street to my house, which is 300 feet long.  Does anyone else have this feeling?

Thanks,
henrylr

[henrylr]

The system is running again. As I mentioned, on the preamp knob, no sound is at 7 O'clock and loudest is at 5 O'clock. It does turn out that it sounds realistically and plenty loud between 9 and 10 O'clock.

I did crank it up to 3 O'clock with every thing on but no music playing. When I get my ears within 1" to 2" from the drivers I hear the very same , very, very faint hum that I hear at 9 O'clock. Is this considered normal and acceptable or should they be dead quiet? If so how can that be accomplished?

Thanks,
henrylr

[vonnie123]

I only have two components stacked, both of which being media players.  My other components are stacked on their own shelves.  Use good quality vibration support feet, and insulation materials, and it should not be a big issue.  Herbie's Audio Labs make some good products for this.

[werd]

Yeah, that what all the cool kids do.  Of course the really good racks cost $$$$.  But I'm not an accessory guy.

(I'm currently using a piece of 43" x 12" x 3/4" shelving that i spiked to the carpet/padded concrete slab floor.  Prior I was using a small $30 Ikea night stand that offered 3 17" wide shelves and a 20" wide top.  Note that I have simple/smallish systems.)

Ideally your rack will sit low (so as to not interfere with the soundstage), between the speakers (to keep cabling as short as possible), and away from the front wall (where vibrational pressures build up).


In theory:

Two kinds of vibrations: heavy (like foot falls on old wooden floors); and micro (airborne from speakers). 

Match rack type to floor type:

Rigid racks, spiked/secured to a rigid floor (concrete slab) with spiked/secured components would drain airborne and motor (CDP/turntable) vibrations.

Spongy racks on spongy (wooden) floors with soft (compliant) footers would allow the components to float but would have to absorb airborne vibrations.

None of which (by in large) effect audio gear. The only time I have seen exterior born vibration effect gear is with a TT and it was obvious. There is vibration effect on components but not from your subwoofer making its way to the components (tt excluded) The source of vibration comes from the electricity itself. The sinewave pattern is vibration. You can feel it off a 120v mains. This vibration even in millivolts will resonate the internal device ( on the components) it is dropping on. Made worse by the chassis and screwing everthing down to the chassis. This is easily remedied by releasing the screws to the devices attached (screwed down)  to the chassis.

I have never been able to replicate resonance on my gear. I can not get the thing to sound different by shaking or vibrating any components. The only time I have heard any difference (and this is dramatic) is by releasing the internal devices from the chassis. Especially transformer.!