Coulping or Decoulping your Gear, Racks and Speakers

[rollo]

   Which one applies to what is the question. What are your experiences ? Another easy way to make all sound better but you gotta know where and what to do for each component.
   Room construction especially the floor determines mucho. Suspended wood floor, concrete slab with carpet require different methods for speakers and racks. Suspended TT vs non suspended TT. CDP, DACs like decoupling. Amps like coupling. Speakers decoupled from floor if suspended and coupled if not.
    Experiment !


charles

[Werd]

In my concrete basement everything gets coupled. Speakers, amp racks, and front end platforms. I've even considered spiking my listening chair....lol

Makes it easier to get it right with cabling too.

[chrisa]

I have a suspended floor and I get the best results decoupling speakers. Other components are coupled, but I've not experimented.

Chris

[rollo]

I have a suspended floor and I get the best results decoupling speakers. Other components are coupled, but I've not experimented.

Chris

   Agreed. Try decoupling the CDP, DAC and rack or stand.


charles

[rollo]

In my concrete basement everything gets coupled. Speakers, amp racks, and front end platforms. I've even considered spiking my listening chair....lol

Makes it easier to get it right with cabling too.

  Do you decouple your front end ? Carpet over concrete or just concrete ?


charles


charles

[Werd]

I got laminate over concrete. My front end sits on a pair of Symposium ultra platforms originally custom built for a pair of little mono blocks. 
When you push them together they fit under my bda/bdp. Each platform has three legs and a spike kit. Its slick. Those sit right on the floor and my front end on top.

Can't seem to get a photo up.

[DaveC]

Suspended floor w/everything decoupled except my SET amp.

I have some beefy speaker stands that are decoupled with the speakers coupled to them, kind... one spike that acts as a tilt-back device too.

TV stand/equip rack is decoupled, components sitting on it (DAC, preamp and power dist/surge supressor) are also decoupled from it.

Amp is sitting on 16 oz brass spikes on wood floor.

[rollo]

Suspended floor w/everything decoupled except my SET amp.

I have some beefy speaker stands that are decoupled with the speakers coupled to them, kind... one spike that acts as a tilt-back device too.

TV stand/equip rack is decoupled, components sitting on it (DAC, preamp and power dist/surge suppressor) are also decoupled from it.

Amp is sitting on 16 oz brass spikes on wood floor.

   Dave you want to consider trying decoupling amp stands with the amps coupled to the stand. Just love the stands Arron Hoffman makes. Or if you find some used Arcicci air bladder amp stands yo and Herbies Tenderfeet your in like Flynn. Very affective with my SET amps.


charles

[Werd]

Lol i meant decoupled. 

[Werd]

I remember a conversation I had with Danny from GR research about coupling. He gave my assumptions I had about coupling and decoupling a 180 degrees.. If I recall he basically explained decoupling as coupling.

I've been confused somewhat ever since it jarred my understanding of coupling or de coupling. Maybe Rollo if you just refer what each means so I can be on the same page.

[rollo]

  Decoupling is when you separate the surface below to the component or speaker. Spikes couple the floor to the speaker. Now if you insert something in between the spike and the floor say a Herbie's carpet sliders they decouple spike from floor.
   Coupling is when you use cones under the component or other similar devices. In effect the cone draws the resonance from the component into a plinth of some sort a la Mapleshade.
  IMO Herbie's products are the most linear sounding thingies we have used.
   


charles