Cool! Getting closer...

Mike

I was looking at the isoblocks on the mapleshades site.
Could be what I need under my rack if all the components
and shelves are stuck down with sorbathane. They are a
gimme price. Might do for my speakers as well. Sittting on
spikes which go into the old wood flooring I cant help
thinking there might be a sounding board effect which could
be cleaned up. ..Syd

This has probably been mentioned here, but bear with me, please:  Don't you want to dissipate vibration(s) from components and speakers?... That is, conduct them in a controlled way into some other medium?... I know that is what sorbothane does... Turns vibration into heat, right?...   (m.)

That's what I thought initially too.  Apparently, the isolation is against incoming vibration generated by the actual sound waves generated by the speakers as these reflect from the surrounding structures, especially the floor, and not those inherently created inside the components.

So, the isolation is usually aimed at creating a vibration barrier, not a vibration drainage, with the exception, I think, of microphonic vibration generated by the tubes, which are mitigated by those rings at the upper mica edge.

I'm just learning here, don't take my word for it ... I think Lon's link (we crossed messages, sorry), may explain it much better.

I'm going to chime in here again:  When I tried tube dampers, I perceived a certain deadening of the sound, and removed them... I can only surmise that some of the errant energy reaching the amp and tubes was actually adding something that was aesthetically pleasing to the sound... Just like second order harmonics generated by single ended circuit topology enhance the sound somehow...

We all know that certain woods like those in a violin are critical to the overall sound presentation... So why not the woods chosen for your audio equipment to sit on?... Also, can the wood itself be responsible for producing its own sound when excited by acoustical energy?...

We don't seem to want a speaker cabinet adding artifacts to the room, but what if they were pleasing artifacts?... Like a good violin?... (m.)

I agree that wood can be euphonic, I use maple platforms, and one myrtlewood one. Each system is different, there's a balance that can be obtained different ways, and we all have different tastes.

I used to be more "scientific" in my youth but now I guess I care less about how or why things work than I do the results of their action. I find playing about with isolation/coupling to be as much fun, maybe more so than tube rolling. I like the tube dampers, in my system I don't hear deadening so much as . . .focusing? A clarity, less fuzziness. But that's in MY system, all I can really talk about with any credulity or sincerity.

Okay...Mr Herbies grungebuster dots
With sobathane ;
Track1 side 1 G.Deads `Terrapin Station`-
As I`d popped in the RCA 5R4GY into the ZP3 I was wallowing
in the room filling sound. Bass was radiating into centre stage,
guitars chopping rythms both sides of stage with nice presence
This was the main focus of my attention. What was that playing
the solo break ? Electric moogy synth ? It was floating right to
front centre. The engineer had done a great job.

With Grungebuster dots.
I removed all the sorbathane from tt su ph p/p and 2 platforms,
top platform spiked. Replaced all with G/dots, and doubled up
on the tt with the 3 pieces left over. Replayed track.
The radiating bass was now more focused to where the player
stood and not spilling into the middle ( bloated?) There was also
more power shifts to be felt (moving air) More natural. Guitars
now had the ability to extend more back to front so that some
notes were heard a la head phones. More focused. That solo
instrument was now definately an alto sax ( I hope )  :)

Considering these are Herbies entry level product I was pleased.
Getting rid of the sorbathane and replacing it with G/dots was a
+ve. I could have been stuck with that c*** for some time without
this thread. Bodes well for Herbies in Spring after my new D/Ware
gear is firmly seated and I stop buying tubes.  8-)