CD / AMP Isolation - Why?

Ok, Just a quick question ...

I can completely understand the point of isolating a turntable, valve amps and speakers.

However, I'm getting a bit confused when it comes to isolating CD players, and solid state amps. What does isolation achieve? How does a 'ringing case' alter the electrical signal heading out of the line-outs?

I guess you could arguably argue (?!) that rattles in a CD player cause the laser mechanism to shake, increasing errors. But, I'd be interested top see if this could be demonstrated (grab digital out via PC perhaps?).

Is isolation meant to somehow improve electrical component performance? If so ... how?

Same goes for blue-tak. Why does 'dampening/padding' a CD player effect sound quality? I can understand copper sheets as they add to the shielding ...

I'm not looking for an in dept explanation ... just some basic pointers


Steve

 

Ok, first point to state is that aside from any theory, isolation DOES have an effect on the sound of these components. I gained a very significant amount in my system when I put my amp and CD (stacked on one another) onto a slab of granite suspended on an inner tube (and now they live in a rack where each shelf is granite on inner tube).

There's all sorts of reasons why this will have an effect. On a CD of course you have to deal with reading data accurately off the CD. Digital cables make a difference, as does the lubrication on the tracking rail as does cutting down vibration to the transport.

As for why it makes a difference to solid-state circuits... you can come up with all sorts of theories... perhaps it could be because there are electric fields in all these components (from the PSU or whateve), vibration causes them to move in this field which induces a current. That's an off-the-top-of-my-head theory, which may or may not be true (although it's a good deal more likely than some of the pixie dust that's peddled!).

Damping the casework of the CD player is to stop it ringing. My 991 induced itself to ring by the vibrations generated by the transport. Blu-tacking it to it's granite, and blu-taking more to the top stopped that. When listening at low volume, late at night, the ringing was quite audible...

 

Ah right - so on the CD player, you blue-tack the thing to death - in order to stop audible resonance/ringing from the case itself?

That makes sense. And yes - I can understand the 'reducing vibration reduces read errors' thing. I suspected that might be it.

As for the isolation of the amp ... fair enough. I know these things can/do make a difference ... but, how much is down to voodoo I don't really know.

Anyone tried getting some pagan types to 'allign the earth energy around their hifi' or similar? hehe... such earth energies or lay lines have been shown to effect all sorts of things ... so I wonder what having your hifi on a 'discrupted energy line' does? Perhaps we should all cover our gear in crystals ... or something ... hehe ...

:Quad:

Steve

 

Damping the casework of the CD player does also improve (or at least change) the sound also, for the same reason as damping out any other vibration does.

As for crystals and lay lines, have you looked at an RA catalogue lately?

 

RA catalogue? When someone says RA I immediatley think 'Radio Authority' ... but I guess that's not what you mean!


Steve

 

It wisnae me guvnar !

 

What do you think is inside a CD player ? its a small turntable ! With all the problems and benifits of the larger variety.

Your mains has a 50hz vibration, the crystal vibrates, the components expand and contract under load [thermal] the whole shebang is gyrating about. So addition of damping helps sink some of the more harmful vibration.