I envy you.
For me noise and vibration is still as mysterious as it was a few years ago, although I am happy that we have implementations of digital that sound better than years ago and can enjoy them . Can I ask who are the "others" over the last year? As far as I remember the first to systematically deal with vibration in electronics was Goldmund, long ago.
The noise and vibration subjects were not new to me. I have been hearing about them since the 70's, not necessarily related to audio. I sold CAD/CAM systems in the 80's and the vibration control in the aerospace and automotive industry was a constant discussion.
Somehow I never felt like I had a grasp on it regarding audio, although it has been discussed way before the turn of the century in audio.
I think it was osmosis just listening/reading the converstaions here on WBF specifically, not so much the other forums, about the active vibration control systems and then all of the Stillpoint/footer market that sprung up over the last 10 years.
It all really jelled for me with meeting Emile as he looks at both vibration control, even internal to the Extreme, as well as noise reduction, both internally to the Extreme as well as anything that feeds into or out of the Extreme.
The "others" were some folks not on WBF but had to do with cables. It finally crystalized for me that all you can do to make an audio signal better is to reduce the noise and RF/EMI interferences. The cable guys do it and this last year is the first year that I had open, frank discussions about it.
Understood that silver or copper wire or cable geometries and connectors make a difference, but I think that noise reduction and EMI/RF interference rejetion in cables is what allows a delicate audio signal to pass through the "wires" with the least harm being done to the signal.
Yes, Goldmund has been doing mechanical grounding before anyone even thought about it for audio applications. Evacuating undesirable resonaces via various mechanical grounding techniques both internally with their speakers as well as their circuit boards in their electronics.
SO, I've always been aware of noise reduction and vc, but somehow it was always fuzzy for me.
I really point to Emile as the person that somehow with his clear articulation of both vc and noise reduction made me say to myself, OH YEAH I see that, it's easy. Both noise reduction (electrically and in the signal path) and vibration control are critically important in every little step of the digital chain.
Emile is the only manufacturer that somehow through his vey clear expanations crystalized it all for me.
