1. What are the different types of vibrations?
2. What causes these vibrations?
3. What components are most susceptible to these vibrations?
4. What is the best way to manage these vibrations?
5. Can we measure the distortions caused by these vibrations?
6. Can we determine through science how effective our solutions to these vibrations really are?
I don't have much of a technical background, but I will try to answer some of these questions. Please correct any mistaken or incorrect information.
1. Types of Vibrations:
A. Air borne vibrations.
B. Floor borne vibrations.
C. Internal mechanical vibrations.
2. Causes of Vibrations:
A. Air borne vibrations - primarily speaker output, sound wave pressure
B. Floor borne vibrations - earth/ground structural movement, foot falls, movement over springy floors.
C. Internal mechanical vibrations - speaker drivers, current running through wires, transformer hum, tube filament movement
3. Components, in order, most susceptible to vibrations:
Turntables, speakers, tube electronics, SS electronics, cables
4. Vibrations management solutions:
A. Air borne - isolation in a different room, lower profile/surface area, mass loading
B. Floor borne - isolation from source: rubber, air bladder, active servo, different room location
C. Internal mechanical - damping, isolation, mass loading, mechanical energy drainage path
5. Can we measure the distortions? Probably, though I have no idea how.
6. Can science help us? Certainly, but I don't see much discussion about specific solutions.
One solution that I use is a multi-tiered approach. My turntable has a thin profile to address airborne vibrations. It has a mechanical separation between the motor and platter/armboard. It has a soft, scrolled platter surface for better contact and vibration dissipation with the vinyl. It has a mass loaded and energy drainage path for mechanical vibrations to exit the armboard and the entire system via steel ball bearing footers. These rest on a floating 280 lbs steel mass above isolation air bladder footers. So, energy entering the system is addressed, and energy created within the system is routed out through mechanical means.
The rest of my electronics are isolated on air bladder supports and I am considering ways to drain internal mechanical vibrations from these components. My speakers are highly engineered to address vibrations and I have added supports to my wooden suspended floor to reduce its movement.