Thoughts on Turntables and Vibration

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nicoff

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Have you guys tried to play very loud music (say rock at 100-105db) when your turntable is in the same room as your speakers?

At normal listening levels I do not hear or notice any induced vibration. But at those levels I do.

Many years ago, I used to have my TT in an adjacent room and never experienced such a thing.

It makes me wonder if having a TT in the same room as the speakers is a compromise. Even if one is using some kind of isolation, I’m thinking that you can’t stop the sound wave from hitting the turntable directly bypassing the isolation system. Thoughts?
 
NekoAudio said:
You could encase your turntable in an acoustically sealed box. :)
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Is there such a thing? Is that something that is practical or is it something similar to a safe (meaning impractical)?

The more I think about it, anyone who has their turntable in the same room with their speakers (and I think most folks do) would be affected by this issue.
 
nicoff said:
Is there such a thing? Is that something that is practical or is it something similar to a safe (meaning impractical)?

The more I think about it, anyone who has their turntable in the same room with their speakers (and I think most folks do) would be affected by this issue.
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Do you think that everyone is playing Rock at over 100dB levels all the time? If so, they are already hearing impaired or are working their way to becoming deaf.
 
mep said:
Do you think that everyone is playing Rock at over 100dB levels all the time? If so, they are already hearing impaired or are working their way to becoming deaf.
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Of course not. Neither do I.
 
mep said:
Then why are you worried about a problem you only hear when you are playing rock at super high levels?
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Simply because it makes listening to an LP at that level impossible. That’s why. I wanted to play the LP but ended up switching to digital with no vibration issues. Make it another point for digital.
 
nicoff said:
Simply because it makes listening to an LP at that level impossible. That’s why. I wanted to play the LP but ended up switching to digital with no vibration issues. Make it another point for digital.
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So what table/arm/cartridge are you using?
 
nicoff said:
Simply because it makes listening to an LP at that level impossible. That’s why. I wanted to play the LP but ended up switching to digital with no vibration issues. Make it another point for digital.
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99.9% of the time I listen at modest levels. I will use my digital if I ever want to crack some old time rock and roll/metal. However I believe my Maggie's are not really adept at this anyway :), although they do surprise me sometimes, especially with the Rythmik subs....

However, if I am really in the mood to rock out I will almost always use my headphones anyways :)... vibration is not an issues there and the Abyss really really rock, especially with the Moon headphone amp!
 
where is your TT located in the room with respect to L/R speakers and corners of room ?
 
Mikado463 said:
where is your TT located in the room with respect to L/R speakers and corners of room ?
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The turntable is located adjacent to a side wall. About 14 feet from the front wall. The nearest speaker is 8’ away; the other speaker is 14 feet away. The room is very large (18 feet wide by ~25 feet long)
 
Mikado463 said:
are the corners of your room 'bass trapped' ?
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No bass traps. Two Subs have been properly positioned in the room to avoid any bass issues.
However, in an enclosed room, if I am playing rock music very loud, I will definitely feel the bass (two subs in the room for music) at the listening position (as it should be).
That sound wave is also hitting the turntable which is what I am referring to. I do not have an isolation platform under the TT but since the sound wave is hitting the TT directly, I am not so sure how effective it would be.
 
Understood, the fact that you are 'feeling' the bass is no doubt the issue with your vinyl rig. I suspect isolation (out of the room) might be the only real answer for loud playback
 
nicoff said:
Is there such a thing? Is that something that is practical or is it something similar to a safe (meaning impractical)?
Click to expand...

I've never seen it done, but it should be practical. Something similar to a projector hushbox but with more significant acoustic absorption and no gaps when the door/lid is closed. Pre-made, you could maybe go with a home recording booth for a few thousand dollars, most of which would be large enough to accommodate your entire turntable setup. Maybe add a bit more absorption for the mid-bass and bass frequencies if needed. The cables could thread through a hole that is airtight.

I suppose you could go even more extreme and add a vacuum pump system to remove any air inside during playback, and then to let air back in when you need to open it. Some sound isolation units are already designed to connect ductwork to them.

The most I know of someone doing is cutting a hole into their floor in order to mount their turntable on a pole going straight into the ground, completely decoupling it from their house.
 
When I had my Nottingham turntable, I bought a wall mount that I screwed into wall studs. Had to use a good size lag to hold the weight but it fixed the vibration problem.


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