Video Asylum

Posted by Jim Bookhard on January 29, 2000 at 12:51:59:

In Reply to: I'm unfamiliar with how an amp reacts with shelving, please enlighten me, Thanks! posted by WSB on January 27, 2000 at 15:32:59:

Interestingly, both Michael Green of MGD and J. Biclewicz of Symposium Acoustics (RollerBlock fame) both advocate the removal of feet from components. I cite these two individuals because both have component setup recommendations that include this and lend credibility to my statements below, since I am just an audiophile of 30+ years and not a manufacturer. I have also used this procedure for about 15 years. Any factory feet made of "rubber", will add unwanted and extra mass to the component and affect the "sound" of the audio signal passing through internal components on the circuit board(s) of the chassis. In effect, "rubber" type factory installed feet change the resonant frequency of the chassis cabinet and actually absorb some of the harmonic structures in the audio signal passing through the component (an audio signal is composed of "vbrations" just as all forms of energy are).

Since everything is connected (there is no such thing as total isolation, at least here on earth), the component shelves' resonant frequency will affect the resonant frequency of the component chassis cabinet and vice versa. Everything affects everything else. What you want to achieve is a "synergistic" relationship between the component resonant characteristics and the shelving resonant characteristics. Every (shelf) material will interreact differently with any given component, and even with its own support rod materials. You cannot create an "inert" shelf because everything in the Universe vibrates to some degree. Acutally, if you go to Mike VansEvers website at www.vansevers.com, he has an interesting article there on why "resonances" are necessary to create good sound. This may sound contrary to many things you will read in this forum, but it is true. The trick is to find the "complementary" resonances which will work synergistically in your system.