Vibro-acoustic Technical Certifications

October 31, 2024

Solidsteel after more than thirty years of experience in the production of supports designed to improve the performance of Hi-Fi components, thanks to anti-resonance vibration damping systems appreciated globally, has decided to take a step forward. Supported by countless feedback from customers and professionals in the sector, the company has undertaken a path of scientific validation of the performance of its products.

In collaboration with Prof. Eng. Dario D'Orazio, professor of acoustics at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Bologna, and his research team, in-depth technical studies were conducted. These studies aimed to analyze the vibro-acoustic characterization of the S5-3 and HF-4 electronic tables, representative models of the Solidsteel catalog, together with the iconic SS series speaker stands.

Detailed vibro-acoustic analysis

The analysis was conducted to identify the descriptive parameters of the vibro-acoustic behavior of the systems in real use conditions, with particular attention to the construction materials. This allowed to accurately evaluate the coherence between the quality of the system performance and the cost of the object.

Tables S5-3 and HF-4

The S5-3 and HF-4 tables were positioned inside the listening room of the Department of Electroacoustics of the University of Bologna. The frequency response was measured by a pair of accelerometers placed on the various components of the furniture. To replicate real-life conditions of use, both a mechanical impulsive stress, generated by an instrumented hammer blow, and an aero-acoustic stress, obtained by a frequency sweep emitted by the room's audio system, were applied.

The results showed that both tables ensure correct decoupling between the shelves and between the structure and the floor.

SS Series Speaker Stands

The SS series stands were also subjected to a vibro-acoustic analysis to evaluate their performance, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. A speaker was placed on the stands, reproducing a frequency sweep, while the frequency response was measured via accelerometers placed on different elements of the stands. This setup allowed us to replicate real-world conditions of use.

The results showed that the stands effectively decouple the speaker from the structure, reducing signal transmission by about 10-15 dB, especially at low frequencies. The high structural rigidity, due to both the geometry and the materials of the stands, is the main factor responsible for the excellent performance.