- Thread Author
- #1
Hi All,
As many of you know, I have been spending a LOT of time in the last several months on isolation/grounding after getting all my primary electronics finalized. I have posted substantially on the following elements below, and now would like to add one for you all to peruse: Entreq Vibb Eater.
Takeaway: For those who have Wilsons with modules, I feel that the Entreq Vibb Eater is just as worthwhile investigating as the Ultra 5s are. Placing a finger to the inner/back sides of the modules during heavy bass/transients/volume and I can feel vibration...if other owners do as well, try these. I started a thread about Ultra 5s and Wilsons for a reason...I felt they are that good. I feel nearly as strongly on the Entreq Vibb Eaters.
Background
In my system, I have 11 different 'isolation sandwiches' which is comprised of mass damping/damping plates on top of each component and isolation underneath. Because I care most about tonal qualities, I have had to do each sandwich separately and differently because each piece of isolation had some kind of effect on the tone of the system. Here are the isolation sandwiches:
- Under: Combination of Auralex, Ultra 5s/HRS Nimbus, HRS M3/Nimbus
- Top: Ultra 5, HRS Damping Plates, Artesania Damping Plates and 154 pounds of solid brass weights
- These combinations apply to every single box plus the Velodyne Sub
They now also apply to the X1s which is where the Vibb Eaters come in.
I have a thread here dedicated to the Ultra 5s underneath my X1s...plenty of largely positive ink has been spilled about Ultra 5s. 'nuff said.
Wilson Upper Modules & Vibration
What I realized though is that the upper 3 modules of the Wilson X1s vibrate a LOT from internal vibration, not just from the floor. The outer cabinetry does not vibrated, but placing fingers across the backs of the modules or deeper down inside the back...and its surprisingly strong. Having recognized that there is a haze/shimmer/'weakness or dissipation' of signal from vibration, I got experimenting.
Various weights and Ultra 5s helped still the images, but also often deadened the sound. Too much metal/hard surfaces that inadvertently were causing problems to show up elsewhere (ie, transfer of vibration?)...perhaps.
Enter the Entreq Vibb Eater
I asked my local Entreq dealer to bring the Vibb Eaters...these silly leather pouches (in the shape of a mouse)...filled with heavy copper shot and other metals which also apparently absorb EMI/RFI? (I have no idea). What mattered to me is each one weight nearly 15lbs (6.5kg) and while very stiff...was still malleable like hard clay.
In the end plunking them down on the back of the modules did very, very little. But eventually, I started pounding away at the Vibb eaters to literally mould them around the back corners of the upper modeules to REALLY sink them into the space there and try to absorb more vibration.
After about 5-10 minutes of solid 'clay moulding', I could hear a 'snap' of the image even from the back of the speaker where slightly blurred notes became very very solid. No change in tonal quality.
But Glenn Gould's rapid fire fingerwork on Bach Goldberg Variations (Track 5) is crystal clear, with syncopation, alternating rhythms...and I realize his fingerwork was not blurring in the speed...the SPEAKER WAS...his fingerwork is actually perfect. I can hear every single note despite all the rapid fire work there...every single note. It is tremendous. I also played Daft Punk (RAM)...and for the first time, I got a glimpse of the opening of Track 3 that reminded me of listening to the mighty Arrakis, an image so solid and still it added tremendously to the believability and enjoyment. (NO! I am not saying Vibb Eaters turned my X1s into Arrakis'...but they DID still the ever-critical upper modules which produces the mids/treble.)
Conclusions (for now)
Final word...I have never tried them on other speaker, particularly ones with flat surfaces where you just plunk them down. What I can say is that on the back of the Wilson modules where (on mine) I found a lot of vibration and where you can really wedge/work these into that space to grip the back of the modules and absorb that vibration...these did something tremendously positive.
They are staying. My two cents.
As many of you know, I have been spending a LOT of time in the last several months on isolation/grounding after getting all my primary electronics finalized. I have posted substantially on the following elements below, and now would like to add one for you all to peruse: Entreq Vibb Eater.
Takeaway: For those who have Wilsons with modules, I feel that the Entreq Vibb Eater is just as worthwhile investigating as the Ultra 5s are. Placing a finger to the inner/back sides of the modules during heavy bass/transients/volume and I can feel vibration...if other owners do as well, try these. I started a thread about Ultra 5s and Wilsons for a reason...I felt they are that good. I feel nearly as strongly on the Entreq Vibb Eaters.
Background
In my system, I have 11 different 'isolation sandwiches' which is comprised of mass damping/damping plates on top of each component and isolation underneath. Because I care most about tonal qualities, I have had to do each sandwich separately and differently because each piece of isolation had some kind of effect on the tone of the system. Here are the isolation sandwiches:
- Under: Combination of Auralex, Ultra 5s/HRS Nimbus, HRS M3/Nimbus
- Top: Ultra 5, HRS Damping Plates, Artesania Damping Plates and 154 pounds of solid brass weights
- These combinations apply to every single box plus the Velodyne Sub
They now also apply to the X1s which is where the Vibb Eaters come in.
I have a thread here dedicated to the Ultra 5s underneath my X1s...plenty of largely positive ink has been spilled about Ultra 5s. 'nuff said.
Wilson Upper Modules & Vibration
What I realized though is that the upper 3 modules of the Wilson X1s vibrate a LOT from internal vibration, not just from the floor. The outer cabinetry does not vibrated, but placing fingers across the backs of the modules or deeper down inside the back...and its surprisingly strong. Having recognized that there is a haze/shimmer/'weakness or dissipation' of signal from vibration, I got experimenting.
Various weights and Ultra 5s helped still the images, but also often deadened the sound. Too much metal/hard surfaces that inadvertently were causing problems to show up elsewhere (ie, transfer of vibration?)...perhaps.
Enter the Entreq Vibb Eater
I asked my local Entreq dealer to bring the Vibb Eaters...these silly leather pouches (in the shape of a mouse)...filled with heavy copper shot and other metals which also apparently absorb EMI/RFI? (I have no idea). What mattered to me is each one weight nearly 15lbs (6.5kg) and while very stiff...was still malleable like hard clay.
In the end plunking them down on the back of the modules did very, very little. But eventually, I started pounding away at the Vibb eaters to literally mould them around the back corners of the upper modeules to REALLY sink them into the space there and try to absorb more vibration.
After about 5-10 minutes of solid 'clay moulding', I could hear a 'snap' of the image even from the back of the speaker where slightly blurred notes became very very solid. No change in tonal quality.
But Glenn Gould's rapid fire fingerwork on Bach Goldberg Variations (Track 5) is crystal clear, with syncopation, alternating rhythms...and I realize his fingerwork was not blurring in the speed...the SPEAKER WAS...his fingerwork is actually perfect. I can hear every single note despite all the rapid fire work there...every single note. It is tremendous. I also played Daft Punk (RAM)...and for the first time, I got a glimpse of the opening of Track 3 that reminded me of listening to the mighty Arrakis, an image so solid and still it added tremendously to the believability and enjoyment. (NO! I am not saying Vibb Eaters turned my X1s into Arrakis'...but they DID still the ever-critical upper modules which produces the mids/treble.)
Conclusions (for now)
Final word...I have never tried them on other speaker, particularly ones with flat surfaces where you just plunk them down. What I can say is that on the back of the Wilson modules where (on mine) I found a lot of vibration and where you can really wedge/work these into that space to grip the back of the modules and absorb that vibration...these did something tremendously positive.
They are staying. My two cents.
