How can an equipment stand make a difference?

[phurst]

I'll make no excuses if I'm being controversial but how can a HiFi or AV stand make any difference to the sound quality of the sound being produced by modern HiFi systems

After all, it's just a set of shelves for your equipment to sit on and your equipment has its own rubber feet to isolate it from vibration.

Yes, you need to ensure there's sufficient clearance for ventilation to stop things overheating but apart from this, what difference ca it possibly make?

Someone please explain

Phil

[phils_wicked]

I think I have read that it boils down to two things:

Firstly that a good support reduces/prevents/counteracts/ vibrations, thus allowing the equipment to work in a nice uninterupted way.

Secondly, that supports made from different materials can affect the overall sound of the equipment. I have read that some glass supports can make the sound brighter, whilst wooden supports have a fuller more mellow sound....and all that.

I can understand the vibrations part to a point, especially where vinyl is concerned, but overall I personaly think its all a bit suss. As for changing the sound of the equipment based on the supports material.........well Im not subscribing to that at all.

The only time this may happen IMO is when the support it'self begins to vibrate and produce a "ringing" sound, I have heard this on a cheaper metal speaker stands (easily solved with some sand etc in the stand).

To me all a stand needs to do is support the equipment in a secure way, be well built (cos its costing me cash) and allow for good ventilation.

How some of these "hifi" company's justify the costs of their supports is a mystery to me, granted some of them are very well made and good looking, but the prices!!!

anyway i'll shut up now

[Daddy k]

yeah im in the dont buy into it category, i agree with the vibrations etc, but changing the sound slightly???

no.

[Alan Mac]

Originally Posted by phurst

how can a HiFi or AV stand make any difference to the sound quality of the sound being produced by modern HiFi systems

Phil

The stand does not make any difference to the sound quality. If it did, it would make a difference to the frequency response of the system and / or the non-linear distortion, both of which can easily be measured to a far greater accuracy than the human ear can detect. No-one has ever demonstrated any measurable change.

Vinyl records are a different matter of course but your term “modern” should exclude them.


Alan

[phurst]

Vinyl records are a different matter of course but your term “modern” should exclude them

I accept that vinyl records are sensitive to vibrations but suspect most turnatbles have inbuilt damping and/or you can use an isolation platform.

It seems as if people are saying 'if it's solid and sturdy then there's no difference from one make to another', which is good news for us, the consumer.

Phil

[Knightshade]

Some materials as has been stated resonate, glass, metal etc. I can't see how this can possibly improve the sound.
Some woods (and I'm biased here) and other natural materials (Slates etc) absorb vibrations exceptionally well. This I suppose could alter the sound slightly with certain electronics. I think that aesthetics come in to the equation more than anything. If something looks nice and is built to do the job your minds going to fill in the rest and it probably will sound better.
I'm honestly not sure what to think about sound being altered by a rack. As the volume goes up then the amount of energy transmitted into the floor from speakers increases, the amount of racks that seem to amplify this rather than eliminate it is quite surprising (these are usually the glass and metal offerings). This is then transmitted to the equipment, now this is all OK up till this point but does it actually effect the equipment? A lot of amps, cd's etc are built so well I can't really see how (short of dropping a bomb on them) you could effect the electronics inside. Some are so flimsy that a good cough could alter the internal circuitry. But does vibration affect the sound along a solid state component? There's certainly no evidence to prove that it does.
So I guess it really comes back IMHO to the look of the rack.
To be safe, buy a rack that doesn't ring, looks good and (just in case it's true) doesn't transmit too much vibration.

[phurst]

So I guess it really comes back IMHO to the look of the rack.

Nightshade, I really love the look of your wooden racks but unfortunately the budget won't stretch that far so I'll need to make do with one of the better quality metal and glass jobbies.

Phil

[mhuk05]

Ask the same question in the hi-fi section and see if you get a different response...

[Kenny Glasgow]

If were talking about certain materials improving the sound well that is argueable, but certain materials can alter the sound

I personally shy away from glass and metal but people swear by their Mana stands

Isolation is a good idea wheteher it be spikes, sorbothane feet or wooden cones. I'm sure in blind testing most people wouldn't be able to tell which form the other

It is not only turntables that can be effected by vibration, everything is suseptable to different degrees. If you have a suspended wooden floor it will have natural "bounce" and that energy can be transferred to your equipment. Vibrations could cause a laser to skip or re-focus (seen/heard it happening) and make the error correction work harder in CD/DVD players

[Knightshade]

Originally Posted by phurst

Nightshade, I really love the look of your wooden racks but unfortunately the budget won't stretch that far so I'll need to make do with one of the better quality metal and glass jobbies.

Phil

Cheers Phurst,
Best of luck with the rack hunt.