Need Wood Vibration Control Cones!!!!!!!!!

[Werd]

It makes sense that different footer will effect the sound but have no effect on the airborne microphonics.  If you get a chance find something, anything, that will cover the tubes. Do you have an aquarium laying around the house that will cover the preamp? Cardboard tube?  Anything just to experiment. You will be amazed of what this will do to control airborne vibrations from getting into the glass with no ill effects (no effects at all) on sonics. If you find that works, then you can seek out a permanent, more feasible solution such as an acrylic cover for the tubes.
Don't waste your time trying to put stuff on the tubes or under the chassis to control the airborne stuff.
Just my 2 cents (or is it $2 these days)

My Fender bass amp uses metal covers on the pre amp tubes to help with this. It's probably the best solution for a bass amp. Not sure about home pre though?

[Response Audio]

My Fender bass amp uses metal covers on the pre amp tubes to help with this. It's probably the best solution for a bass amp. Not sure about home pre though?

This would be a perfect solution for a preamp. However, they don't make commercial covers for the 26 tube and even if they did I wouldnt want an ugly metal cover hiding my cool looking DHTs.
This is what I would use With a top of course.

http://www.delviesplastics.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/acrylic_tube_1

[Werd]

Would there need to be a mechanism holding the cover in place too on the preamp?

[Response Audio]

Would there need to be a mechanism holding the cover in place too on the preamp?

No. Just a small hole in the back side for some heat escape. You simply want to deflect airborne vibrations from hiting the glass of the tube.

[goldlizsts]

Would there need to be a mechanism holding the cover in place too on the preamp?

No. Just a small hole in the back side for some heat escape. You simply want to deflect airborne vibrations from hiting the glass of the tube.

Believe it or not, Bill, I picked up a "papaya" packing cardboard box yesterday on the street (they sell lots of fresh fruits on the street in Chinatown here, so I spotted the crate box and measured it before grabbing it from the merchant), (almost) perfect fit on top of the preamp, bright orange color too, with "holes" prepunched for me (good ventilation).  I tidied it up last night, and put it on this morning for a listening session.  Psychology or what, I thought the sound is a little cleaner, better focus/imaging which the 226 tubes deliver very well (why we fell for it in the first place).  

This crazy hobby  .

[tmazz]

Skek, it must be the "quantum vibrations" of the papaya oils deposited in the cardboard during shipping that are counteracting the airborne tube microphonics. I would snatch up as many of those magic papaya boxes as you can. With an audiophile breakthrough like this you can probably get at least $1500 a piece for them on ebay.        


.... Maybe even more if you cryo the boxes first. 

[richidoo]

A friend of mine has been using a fruit box as speaker cabinet for some very expensive full range drivers for several years, and he is a master woodworker! So  there must be something to this fruit box thing!

[tmazz]

A friend of mine has been using a fruit box as speaker cabinet for some very expensive full range drivers for several years, and he is a master woodworker! So  there must be something to this fruit box thing!

I think we have all seen stranger things during our time in this hobby. 

[goldlizsts]

Skek, it must be the "quantum vibrations" of the papaya oils deposited in the cardboard during shipping that are counteracting the airborne tube microphonics. I would snatch up as many of those magic papaya boxes as you can. With an audiophile breakthrough like this you can probably get at least $1500 a piece for them on ebay.        


.... Maybe even more if you cryo the boxes first. 

Darn good idea!!!!!!!!!!   Great way to recoup some of the money I've dumped in audio.  

Here's my motto:  Cryo so you don't cry o'er it!

[Response Audio]

Now if they could only make these fruit/vegetable boxes clear Maybe that could be an available option

[goldlizsts]

Rejoinder!!!!!!!! 

A friend in CA just sent me a set of cones made from Ebony wood (DIY).  I was trying to get a friend of his to make me some....  But, the wood is hard to come by, he said, so he sent me a set in the meantime.  WOW!  What can I say!  WOOD is the only way I suppose.  So far, I've used rubber (Vibrapods), granite squares, etc., etc.  They all sucked.  The main issue was the bad tonality they gave. 

I was very, very pleasantly surprised at these Ebony cones under the preamp.  The bass became firmer, more potent.  There's more shine up there also because of a "cleaner" sound?  Most critically, the musicality was not compromised at all (those other toys did damage, IMO).

[Maxamillion]

The 26 is not microphonic if you build the preamp with anti-vibration mounting for the tube. Mine is dead quiet.



The 26 is mounted on sub assembly of two pieces of 4mm aluminum sandwiching a Soundcoat sheet,  with Deflex bushings mounting the frame to wooden supports which are then mounted to the aluminum chassis. A teflon tube socket completes the mounting scheme. The series of dissimilar materials plus the massive sub-assembly means zero microphonics issues.

Now, if you have a bad tube, no amount of engineering can fix that, it can be microphonic with no provocation at all. Have you tried substituting different tubes? Also ST types have more internal support than balloon types, so using an ST might help if your current tubes are balloons. I prefer the sound of balloons, however (a little warmer).

[goldlizsts]

The 26 is not microphonic if you build the preamp with anti-vibration mounting for the tube. Mine is dead quiet.



The 26 is mounted on sub assembly of two pieces of 4mm aluminum sandwiching a Soundcoat sheet,  with Deflex bushings mounting the frame to wooden supports which are then mounted to the aluminum chassis. A teflon tube socket completes the mounting scheme. The series of dissimilar materials plus the massive sub-assembly means zero microphonics issues.

Now, if you have a bad tube, no amount of engineering can fix that, it can be microphonic with no provocation at all. Have you tried substituting different tubes? Also ST types have more internal support than balloon types, so using an ST might help if your current tubes are balloons. I prefer the sound of balloons, however (a little warmer).

Of course, your set was built like a tank?  I was told the 26 tube is by itself more microphonic, so.... here and there I'd have a "wound" resonant kind of sound.  It would get to moderately loud.  I would shut down the system.  I have no idea, it could be because my building was vibrating.... I'd turn it back on, and most of the time I wouldn't have the resonance anymore.

I actually have another set of 26 tubes I haven't put in (using 226 now).  Will experiment.

I look forward to hear YOUR 26.  I might end up sticking it under my coat and walk out of your house... Or, leave mine there in its stead, so nobody would notice yours is missing....  Nah, NO WAY I'll bring mine there.  It's tooooo damn heavy to lug around to begin with.  It's even heavier than my power amp I think......  The transformers probably have big lead pieces in them.