I think we could learn something from the analogue turntable guys here. They have been bothered by vibrations and resonances (into even feedback loops!) for decades and can hear very clearly and immediately the effects of isolating the record player. When one doesn’t have a high mass turntable, a shelf screwed in the concrete wall has always been a very good solution. It’s always a matter of mass, spring and damping. And the concrete wall has the highest mass of anything around that doesn’t support the speakers (except for maybe the ceiling). What picks up vibrations is mostly the shelf (air vibrations).
There is a difference though with digital equipment: a mechanical device like a turntable needs support, so floating the record player is not a good idea. To me the Vibrapods work well under speakers and turntable.
I have also had good experience with ‘constrained layer damped’ shelves. 18mm wood+ 5 mm bituminous material+ 6 mm wood glued together. The bituminous stuff doesn’t like to be deformed in the horizontal plane (the force that wants the wood boards to slide), something that happens with vibrations. Probably it will turn vibration into heat. That is a lot cheaper and maybe more effective tweak than the stillpoints.
I wonder what these stillpoints do, do they act like a spike (coupling on a very small surface that one hopes locally vibrates less)?
(Micro) vibration can be rather complex to control. You have to know what is causing it and if it has an audible effect. To quote Stillpoints: STILLPOINTS ELIMINATE THE INAUDIBLE TO PERFECT THE AUDIBLE.
It depends what you try to achieve. Stop vibration coming from the outside? Or evacuating vibration that is coming from the device by directing it away or absorbing it for example? Or both?
By now you should have googled Still points I guess 
: (…)Our patented design provides complete isolation of audio components from the surface on which they rest (…) This combats the mechanical energy and vibration inherent in audio equipment, lowering the noise floor, radically improving the sound reproduced and allowing you to get closer to the music (…). Stillpoints are state-of-the-art audio component feet that reduce mechanical vibrations and decouple components from surfaces. Stillpoints are the only bidirectional isolation device that has no direct vertical path through them. (…)
Good to point out both parts of that. Solutions that address both can be real difference-makers.
The following search brings back the patents filed by the owner of Stillpoints. They provide some insight into the inner workings of these devices.
Isolating or being isolated, that seems the question if indeed each is contributing significantly to network isolation.
It seems we have acces to a vast choice of good switches (with low-noise, stable oscillator for the main clock), good power supplies , good cables and good network cards for optimizing signal routes, minimizing reflections, interference, and crosstalk. Add to that some strategies to isolate the hi-fi network from the home network that can improve sound quality. Finally we are awaiting modem/routers that need to be improved or developed according to these specs.
Do keep in mind that playing (only) local files vs. streaming is less demanding on the network (isolation). But that could all change in the near future when they will sound the same ; -)
image : Stillpoint isolation
Hi kennyb123,
Thanks for the link, I think I get it, it is not a spike but a ball. I guess vibration in one plane will be transformed in a movement in another plane, at least that is how someone explained something that looked like this on an old dutch DIY forum. With the Stillpoints they also focus on coatings on the balls so there is less friction and the absorbers will work better than just any diy steel ball.
As far as I am aware, there is only Waversa WRouter (which is also a player).
The next best is SFP+/10Gbe. I am using Mikrotik CRS 305 but you’d need to be brave and patient configuring the RouterOS, which I think is worth it because it is easily and improvement over the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X which is already quite good.
I use the CRS 305 as a hub for fibre to create an isolation point in my network.
Hi and thank you @dbastin2605. I do not know how that quote seems to come from me (PaulW) since the OP was asking this. Apparently he already knew everything he needed so I stopped coming back here. But I am curious about your experience.
When you set up the MikroTik - CRS305- as a router how exactly did you make physical connections? You have a modem coming in at the Ethernet port and audio- and the home network connected to two sfp ports?
To better understand where the sound improvement came from and for general ‘‘isolation’’ interest I have a few questions if you don’t mind:
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Any DC power supply (DC1 & DC2) or Ethernet/ dc cable recommendations you would like to share?
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In your setup MikroTik - CRS305- made an improvement over the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X. Did you compare both with standard or better LPS and better DC cables? Could the improvement only be due to better isolation by changing to SFP ports? What sfp modules did you install (same at both ends?).
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Edgerouter X can be used in exclusive switch mode or router/switch mode. Does MikroTik have those options as well? If so, could installing MikroTik as switch only still be beneficial w/o configuring it’s ROUTER OS and give the advantage of better fiber isolation and isolation of audio and home network streams resulting in better sound quality?
Thank you for sharing!
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MikroTik - CRS305-1G-4S+in
Oh, it was in a post by you but I looked back and realise it was originally @RDG on 29 Jan.
Now to answer some questions, and these are about isolation from noise rather than vibrations.
For context, the beginning of my home network is a national broadband network termination device (NTD). It terminates fibre to the premises and outputs via rj45. It is effectively a modem.
Also, I had discovered wifi connection to my Devialet Pro is quite exceptional compared to daisy chains of EtherRegens and Gigafoils (although some if that was probably compromised by unwise use of cable shields and sharing PSU … history now). So basically the Devialet is floating/disconnected from source (it is only connected to the speakers, power and ground block). In short, it is a hellofva test bed, very revealing!!
Also my WAP is powered by battery for further power isolation. And the WAP is only accessed by the Devialet … it is dedicated to this task only.
Initially I had …
NTD > Afterdark Cat 7 > FMC > SM fibre > CRS 305 > fancy audiophile cable > Antipodes EX > fancy cable > WAP
Since then I have swapped FMC with EtherRegen and changed all ethernet cables in light of the new found benefit of CRS 305 and focussing more on what cable sheilds are doing - connected at one end or both ends.
I intend to insert a 2nd ER as per …
NTD > commercial Cat 6a UTP > ER 1 > SM fibre > CRS 305 > fibre > ER 2 > fancy audiophile cable > Antipodes EX > fancy cable > WAP
From CRS 305 I run fibre to FMC to another WAP for the household. More isolation.
Phew!
No ‘recommendations’. Ifi powerX is OK, but is easily surpassed by other solutions, including the AC cables which seem to matter more than the LPS.
I simply swapped EdgeRouter X with CRS 305 and kept the same power (W4S PS1 and Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 3 AC). I have not compared DC cables yet. Have been researching though.
It was Edgerouter X SFP so direct swap and comparison. Both scenarios were SFP in and ethernet out.
Afterdark Cisco SFP both ends … I think it was Afterdark’s 1st SFP offerring, they have had many since then.
CRS 305 is a switch that can be comfigured as a router, but its router caoacity is not like a dedicated router. I believe even as a switch it is better than a 1G switch, but I was aiming to improve the router.
My aim was also to isolate the router from other noise sources to minimise impacts on its performance as it relates to audio. And not passing noise to the server (EX).
I have a CRS 106 I was going to try first. It is very similar to 305 but not SFP+, plastic case which I could not ooen up to insert a Synergistic Research ECT which I did do with 305 (on the switch chip, the CPU is covered by a heatsink so that was not an option as usual).
I think I’ve covered it all for you.
Hi @dbastin2605 ,
Yep, you more than covered it. You gave your network isolation quite some thinking, I am impressed. AND very tempted now to choose the MikroTik full SFP instead the Ubiquity ERX-sfp that would provide a different isolation setup and possibly less sound improvement. I will give it some good thinking while re-reading your reply a few times! Thank you.