Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

---

[ Follow Ups ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Tweakers' Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Granite is not a desireable vibration control material...

Posted by Barry Kohan (M) on June 7, 2004 at 12:15:53

In Reply to: Do granite slabs work because they're granite, or because they're heavy? posted by MTZ on June 7, 2004 at 11:37:08:

Hi MTZ,

In general, granite is not an appropriate vibration control matreial because it (and most other hard, rigid materials such as stone, Corian, glass, steel, etc.) ring when excited by vibration. In addition, many other materials (such as natural wood, wood cutting boards, plexiglass, acrylic, plastic, etc) are resonant and are also not the best choices for vibration control. When materials ring or are resonant they will impart those characteristics on the signal that is flowing through the component and aletr the sound (or the picture in a video system). The objectiove is to minimize or eliminate vibration and resonance so that we can faithfully play back the signal that is contained in the recording - not alter it by adding undue negative effects.

Some people will sometimes confuse the negative effects of the above materials. Granite will many times make the upper midrange and highs more prominant and some people may mistakenly describe the sonic result as "having more detail". This is a false presentation but that person may like the result because their system (or particular comoponents within their system) lack true transparency. In this case, two wrongs don't make a right because it would be MUCH more appropriate to assemble the components in the system to be innately transparent instead of adding a false effect of brightness that gives onlt the sense of more detail (but will actually be fatiguing over time).

Granite is massive but mass alone is not sufficient for proper vibration control. The mass must also be absorptive to be effective. Granite, and most other hard, rigid materials, do not dissipate vibration. The do transmit vibration and if they are coupled to the floor will allow flor-borne vibration to make its way into the component and compromise the signal.

Best Regards,

Barry Kohan

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

The Cable Cooker

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---