Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

You are obviously not trying very hard to unearth this evidence? Here are several examples using your preferred method (accelerometers) supporting two of the items I use in my system

au contraire.  I have read exhaustively on this stuff (and regret doing so).  I have a "science" background, have done bench research, and published in peer reviewed journals as have many of my family members.  I know all about the discipline and energy it takes to generate "data" that leads to something new.  Its much easier to make things up or take flights of fancy or do radioshack grade measurements after the fact to provide some proof of concept (aka a "white paper").  Do you realize that John Atkinson was using an accelerometer for speaker testing back in the early 90s?  Not exactly cutting edge....and it certainly tells you nothing about speaker "output" or frequency changes or electrical epiphenomena (which is again the point of this thread).  Sigh....  

It is quite possible we are approaching the real problem the wrong way. What if the real issues are not that electronic signals are being contaminated by vibrations, but that we are hearing our equipment stands resonate? Same for cables. I could see them vibrating on the floor. Maybe we need quilts instead? :)

Touche Erik.  Thus my suggestion of frequency analysis after plopping our speakers on some magic stand.  On a related note, some speakers are voiced a certain way (including using cabinet vibration as part of that voice like Harbeths or AudioNote) and stands can most certainly change that voice.  I know this to be the case....with SS, Stillpoints, etc.

PB: I don’t worry about potential members of the Flat Earth Society who may have a problem with the more advanced aspects of high end audio, and this includes vibration control. Ultimately and unfortunately, it’s their loss. The world has a generous supply of skeptics who seem compelled to mask ignorance with sophistry. The irony is that the usual modus operandi of these types is to accuse the audiophile community of sophistry, but the reverse is usually true: the casual skeptic has not done any research, and we have.

I agree with his sentiment and there can certainly be sophistry on both sides of the aisle.  That being said, it is also self-serving as he is in the industry and the onus is on him to some degree....

Remember that in audio, the FTC sets some standards, but doesn't measure the gear. It's up to the equipment makers to measure and make claims, and occasionally magazines test them to see how close they are to the specifications. 

We are far from any of that I'm afraid. It's up to academia and manufacturers and even interested hobbyists to explore and then define measurement protocols since there is a complete lack of them in audio.  If someday that happens, then maybe down the line we'll have legal standards for labels on racks like food nutrition content.

But for now I can claim my home made rack improves temporal cohesion and reverses digital blur by 40%.

Best,


Erik

@geoffkait

Then please tell me a model to mathematically describe the effects of microphonics and vibration. Lacking that, it IS trial and error and devoid of engineering. Weren’t you a few pages back arguing it was impossible to use basic engineering practices to stands? Perhaps it was another camp. Or we are stuck at trepination and therefore unable to develop even aspirin and ibuprofin for headache relief.

I’m sure there are makers who can test their stands and make them vibrate less. What’s lacking is an explanation and model for what of these characteristics makes an audio system sound better. That’s what I mean about the loop not being closed. You can take a course in loudspeaker driver design, where you would dissect and analyze everything from an AMT to a fan-based woofer and know how to put those numbers together to explain the subjective effects of your choices in materials, magnets and coil geometry. We have no such thing for vibration control in audio. Usually around here some one responds "But we don't need engineering...." and we go all the way back to making holes in customer's heads for pain relief.

They could sell a bazillion "vibration isolators" and it’s no proof to me of anything besides good marketing. Imagine even a light bulb being made today without a thorough understanding and accessibility of the sciences involved. Power, current, efficiency, materials and emitted light spectrum. Forget a light bulb, a chef’s knife has more science behind it than vibration control in audio.

Best,


Erik