AMPs on the floor?

[Imapo]

I have my Simaudio Moon 700i integrated amp on a Grand Prix Monaco amp stand on Grand Prix Apex “Magic” feet. Huge audio improvement was made getting the amp on a stand with isolation.

[Levitator]

Originally Posted by Imapo

I have my Simaudio Moon 700i integrated amp on a Grand Prix Monaco amp stand on Grand Prix Apex “Magic” feet. Huge audio improvement was made getting the amp on a stand with isolation.

Nice! Have heard good things about the Grand Prix gear...

[Levitator]

Originally Posted by tima

The majority of stands lift your amps off the floor but there are stands that offer isolation and vibration control - the difference can be impressive.



SRA Virginia Class or Ohio Class amp stands

Thanks for the tip!

[JMD]

If they were fine sounding to you sitting on your Quadraspire rack then moving them to the matching amp stands gets you to the same place for reasonable money. If you think you need more isolation then put them on IsoAcoustic Gaia's or Rollerblocks. No need for multi-thousand dollar amp stands in my humble opinion. Especially ones that go for $10,000 a pair and up.

[Levitator]

Originally Posted by JMD

If they were fine sounding to you sitting on your Quadraspire rack then moving them to the matching amp stands gets you to the same place for reasonable money. If you think you need more isolation then put them on IsoAcoustic Gaia's or Rollerblocks. No need for multi-thousand dollar amp stands in my humble opinion. Especially ones that go for $10,000 a pair and up.

Agree! I’ve not used the IsoAcoustic footers but read some positive things about them and will see if I can trial some...the other option is to use some spare stillpoints I have

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Levitator

Hi all

I’ve had to rearrange my rack to better organise things and decided to move my Mac 1.2KW’s out from the bottom shelf so things are not so cramped. I actually don’t mind the look of the Amps sitting beside each speaker and then my Quadraspire rack in the middle.

The big question is whether sitting the amps straight on the floor, given I have a suspended bamboo floor, is the best place for the amp as opposed to putting it on some amp stands. I’m more worried about resonance than dust....

I’d love to hear what others have done or found in terms of placing amps directly on the floor v stands or even footers under the amps.

I've parked my McIntosh gear on the hardwood floor for many years with zero problems. (I would not do it on carpet due to static.)

Actually the advantage of NOT using a rack in that room was that the components were on the right of my listening position, not front and center and the harsh reflections from the McIntosh glass components were much more evident than any benefit from a rack as I later discovered.

The gear being on the floor and down low allowed me to much more successfully treat the first reflection points in the room instead of components with glass being in the way.

There are NO components in audio systems that are proven to be sensitive to vibration in terms of "operational difference". Temperature, YES, Vibration NO. (I'm talking about actual electronic components like transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, etc...)

If the vibration is strong enough to cause "fatigue" and failure, you will have many more problems other than the stereo system.

FWIW and YMMV

[Macuser]

I have my mc1201's sitting on stands 17'' high. Given their 150lb weight it was an easy decision as I move them around by myself. It was much easier for me to load them onto the stands rather than bend all the way to the floor. It's also much easier to hook up the cabling on the backside. Another benefit is earlier this year when I installed Ivan's handles and an led lighting upgrade it made things very easy as all I had to was slide them forward to gain access to the screws on the bottom of the amps. This was much easier than unhooking the amps and flipping them over on their backs.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I've parked my McIntosh gear on the hardwood floor for many years with zero problems. (I would not do it on carpet due to static.)

Actually the advantage of NOT using a rack in that room was that the components were on the right of my listening position, not front and center and the harsh reflections from the McIntosh glass components were much more evident than any benefit from a rack as I later discovered.

The gear being on the floor and down low allowed me to much more successfully treat the first reflection points in the room instead of components with glass being in the way.

There are NO components in audio systems that are proven to be sensitive to vibration in terms of "operational difference". Temperature, YES, Vibration NO. (I'm talking about actual electronic components like transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, etc...)

If the vibration is strong enough to cause "fatigue" and failure, you will have many more problems other than the stereo system.

FWIW and YMMV

Agree. Mine (3 1.25 KW's) are on 3/4" cultured marble slabs on an oriental rug below which is a very solid hardwood floor. I wouldn't dream of elevating them. My other equipment is a minimum of 11' from my speakers well out of my sound field next to my sofa. Stands and racks place the equipment up into the sound field. When I was dong my power conditioners I went with a longer power cord for that express purpose: keep all power conditioners on floor and out of the sound field. Don't stack or place anything in the sound field close to speakers, if possible. Some things are unavoidable but coffee tables etc. are a no no. Bottom line: think out your system carefully and you will have success.

[Levitator]

Thanks Charles - unfortunately it is almost impossible in my room to have my rack and equipment not between, albeit slightly behind, the speakers. I was more concerned about whether the amps on the wooden floor given it is suspended may cause some vibration issues but it appears it may not judging by comments from some other members...

[SCAudiophile]

Originally Posted by Levitator

Thanks Charles - unfortunately it is almost impossible in my room to have my rack and equipment not between, albeit slightly behind, the speakers. I was more concerned about whether the amps on the wooden floor given it is suspended may cause some vibration issues but it appears it may not judging by comments from some other members...

If you have amps on the floor you should based upon what I have found at least put them on Stillpoints of sufficient load-bearing capability or on some other quality footers. Vibrations of some level are part of the equation with wood flooring...