Ceramic ball decoupling!

[steenoe]

Okay, a new whim (or not) the said Ceramic balls have indefinte advantages? Kind of like when the spikes invaded us or?
http://www.finite-elemente.de/en/products/ceraball
What do you think, a new pour of snake oil or not?

[apassgear]

Originally posted by steenoe

What do you think, a new pour of snake oil or not?

You bet!!!

[badman]

Proper control of vibration in hifi is critical. Many electric parts are microphonic, so controlling vibrational noise in electronics chassis keep the tubes, capacitors, yadda yadda, from singing along with the music. In the case of digital componentry, it's less clear-cut, but in a laser-based reader, reducing vibrations keeps the read clean and uses less error-correction, not to mention, it still has capacitors! Clocks may have some issues to be addressed on this front, many people have reported good results from damping their clocks in digital gear.)

Overpriced maybe, but easy to experiment on your own with various supports, dampeners, yadda yadda

[analog_sa]

Originally posted by steenoe
What do you think, a new pour of snake oil or not?

This would depend largely on your hearing acuity.

Personally, i find mechanical support more important than cabling and have been using a steel ball version for many years. Much preferable than cones but the components tend to sway a bit.

[Eva]

The descriptions and explanations given in the web site can be put in two words: snake oil.

[DECKY999]

They are more effective then cones - simply because every time energy that is entring your system has to cross a boundary between disimilar materials it is disipated and transformed to heat. Ceramics are very good in doing this.

If you want I have a bunch of spare aluminium oxide and silicone nitride balls - 3/8" diameter (~9.5mm).

Drop me a mail if you are interested.

decky999@gmail.com

[steenoe]

Decky, thanks a lot for the offer. I have send you an email.
The reviews are really enthusiastic about this product, so it could be interesting to try something similar.
The company also makes this Resonator:
http://www.finite-elemente.de/en/products/resonator
Thats a new concept for me and seems even more "snake-like" to me The price is a bit scary too.
Good or not, the feet looks pretty cool.

[philpoole]

Ceramic ball decoupling...
Well. Its easy to investigate. My kids have got loads of those ceramic balls. I doubt they'd miss a few marbles.
Thinking about it, I'd be happy to part with some, due to the snake oiliness of it all - £50 a marble. Sorry, ceramic decoupling ball.

[Nordic]

HAhah I have some solid brass round knob door handles I use for feet in my amp... (well it weighs a tonne and would just destroy most plastic feet.)

Can't say it does anything... to get my box vibrateing is going to take some serious sound energy, case sides 4cm thick aluminium sinks, case front 3.5cm thick solid meranti...

[decky]

It is not only the balls. Finite elemente have good ideas but their implementation is not the best. I was planning to build something different (that is why I bought the balls in the first place). To save some words please see the attached drawing. I can go in details why in theory ceramic balls are better then steel but in this geometry even steel balls have a considerable effect.

As you can see - the lateral stability very low but the balls cannot roll-out because of the spherical seat.