Re: Really? I never thought of this.

Posted by bdiament (A) on May 4, 2004 at 04:45:34

In Reply to: Really? I never thought of this. posted by chuck55 on May 3, 2004 at 20:32:14:

Hi chuck55,

The reason I likened what you describe to cones with points at both ends is the small contact surfaces and the device not acting as a mechanical low-pass filter.

"All this time I've been wondering why these roller blocks have so much resistance to moving horizontally. So I thought zero resistance would be better. Now I'm confused.
Doesn't the Los Angeles town hall sit on rollers? I wonder if there is curvature.
So would double cups above and below the ball be better still?"

You do want the ball to roll as easily as possible but rather than send the energy into your interconnects, you can use it to do work by making the ball go "up hill". Having a shallow depression for the ball to roll in also ensures its getting re-centered whenever it does roll.

The rollers used under skyscrapers do indeed have curvature. Without it there is the liklihood of the building rolling clear off the supports.

Double cups is a bad idea for two reasons. First, the second cup adds damping to the ball's motion. This is at odds with our desire for the ball to roll as easily as possible and for as long a time as possible. Additional damping decreases the roll-off above resonance, which translates into less effective isolation.

The second reason the cup on top is a bad idea is the larger contact surface with the component being supported. This adds an element of randomness insofar as interaction between the component chassis and the top cup. Often this results in the "brightening" many ascribe to roller bearings in general when it is really a function of the particular design and the implementation. Having only the ball make contact with the component being supported leads to more consistent, repeatable and better sounding results. In those instances where the surface in contact with the ball would be uneven or non-flat, sticking small metal plates onto the component is sonically preferable (in my view) to using a second cup.

Happy Listening!
Barry

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - What's the BEST tweak in your system? - chuck55 22:14:48 05/2/04 (18)

I've got several that are tied for best - Terry P 16:42:11 05/5/04 (0)

Hardwire speaker cables direct to preamp - neergan1216 07:14:34 05/4/04 (1)

Oops! My error - neergan1216 07:24:00 05/4/04 (0)

My 3' Graphix bong.....;-).....nt - Ian Mackenzie 08:29:21 05/3/04 (2)

now THATS funny. ;) nt - snkby 11:47:00 05/3/04 (1)

Wow, I gotta be careful what I ask (nt) - chuck55 22:09:33 05/3/04 (0)

When is a "roller bearing" not a roller bearing? - bdiament 04:27:19 05/3/04 (2)

Really? I never thought of this. - chuck55 20:32:14 05/3/04 (1)

Re: Really? I never thought of this. - bdiament 05/4/0404:45:34 05/4/04 (0)

Ditto on the rollerballs under the CD transport... - MMasztal 03:58:16 05/3/04 (0)

Re: What's the BEST tweak in your system? - Steve Eddy 23:48:40 05/2/04 (2)

What is this? Is it an artificial picture or a real plant? (nt) - Kyu 00:46:34 05/3/04 (1)

Not entirely sure... - Steve Eddy 09:32:47 05/3/04 (0)

Re: What's the BEST tweak in your system? - pburant 22:51:17 05/2/04 (1)

You're right, I forgot the dedicated line / outlet / Speaker cones (nt) - chuck55 20:47:45 05/3/04 (0)

I thought the curve was the point - dave c 22:48:08 05/2/04 (2)

His ICs and PC act as the curve - pburant 23:17:28 05/2/04 (1)

Re: His ICs and PC act as the curve - bdiament 04:38:32 05/3/04 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: Really? I never thought of this. - bdiament 05/4/0404:45:34 05/4/04 (0)

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