Here at Vayta we are serious about audio gear. It must look great, but most importantly it must sound great. That is why we’ve created Vayta audio anti-vibration platforms.
Many audio devices including disc players, turntables, DACs and valve equipment are highly sensitive to vibrations that seriously degrade their performance. The vibration can be generated from your speakers and subwoofers or even passing traffic and noise from the neighbours, especially if you have wooden floors. Our solution is to create an elegant, high performance isolation platform that seamlessly blends into the modern living space.
Using our combined experience of nearly 50 years in the music business as audio engineers, producers, performers and lecturers, we are suitably qualified for the task, but just to make sure we consulted one of the world’s leading vibration experts to ensure we got it right. This set us off a relentless mission to deliver the ultimate anti-vibration platform, and facilitated the development of the patented Vayta ADS™ technology (acoustic damping system).
Vayta has partnered with a visionary design consultancy that has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. They instantly understood our concept and took it to the next level. The designs are sleek and stylish with great functionality, and will be available in a range of colour combinations.
Managing physical vibration transfer in audio systems is a highly complex area, and one full of misinformation and misguidance. Spikes and cones are often cited as an effective means of decreasing physical energy transfer due to the reduced area of contact at their point, but this is actually incorrect. Imagine someone hitting your hand with a hammer; now imagine them holding a nail (or spike) underneath that hammer… you see where this is leading?
Coupling vs Decoupling
Spikes and cones are great at coupling i.e. making a solid connection and are ideal when your equipment is on a firm foundation such a concrete floor or a rigid shelf securely bolted to a solid wall. Any structure that is capable of generating or transferring vibration such as a wooden floor, desk or shelf presents a problem for sensitive equipment and the solution to this is decoupling i.e. breaking the connection between the structure and the equipment to minimise vibration transference.
Absorption
To successfully decouple we need to introduce an effective absorber between the two components to dissipate the vibration. The absorber needs to perform like a spring, and it can take the form of a compressible material such as rubber or open cell foam. To be effective the spring needs to be compressed to its optimal operating range and this is determined by a) the properties of the spring and b) the weight it is supporting. Just like a coiled metal spring if there is too much weight the absorber will fully compress and the vibration will pass straight through. If there is insufficient weight the absorber will not compress into its optimal operating range and no absorption will take place. The aim is to create a shock absorber that works just like those on motor vehicles; when they are loaded with passengers they are partially compressed and can absorb any imperfections from the road surface.
One size fits all?
After an extensive programme of research collating the weight of hundreds of audio devices we came to a conclusion; there is no single configuration that will work for every piece of equipment. When you buy one of our products you will select one of three options for the weight of your specific equipment (spanning from 3.85kg to 51kg), so that you can be certain the absorbers will be in the perfect range for perfect vibration isolation.
When choosing a material to use for our platform surface we observed that many other manufacturers were using mdf, which was coated or painted. After searching for a material that had a higher density, a low resonance point and excellent sonic performance we discovered that some manufacturers of high-end speakers and turntables were using a material under the general classification of ‘Solid Surfaces’. Corian® is the brand name of the version created by DuPont™, and we found the 12mm thickness to be perfect for our platforms. It is visually appealing, the finish runs consistently throughout the material and nicks and scratches can be polished out. It comes in a range of solid and patterned hues, including versions appearing as quartz or granite. The weight of the Corian® is factored into our calculations so you only need to know the weight of your equipment to make the correct purchase.Sorbothane®
Sorbothane®
When it came to choosing the correct absorption material for our system we tried (almost) everything, but in the end there was one clear choice. Sorbothane® is recognized worldwide as the ultimate material for attenuating shock, isolating vibration and damping noise. No synthetic rubber or polymer can dissipate energy as effectively. Sorbothane® is a highly damped, visco-elastic polymeric solid that flows like a liquid under load. Since its introduction in 1982, Sorbothane® has been used in many energy-absorbing product applications. Their engineers partnered with NASA to design a unique Sorbothane® isolator that protects the vital shuttle cameras during launch! Once we were convinced that Sorbothane® was the perfect material for our system, we liaised with their engineers to ensure all our products worked optimally then confirmed their claims with our own extensive test programme.Vayta ADS™ Technology
Vayta ADS™ Technology
The Corian® platforms are supported by beautifully machined aluminium feet, lined with externally visible colour detailing which perfectly compliments your chosen platform configuration. Firstly they deliver on style, and then they deliver on substance by implementing our patented ADS™ (acoustic damping system) technology. Hold the platform up, and you will witness a robust, structurally intact, integrated assembly. Now lay it down and load it up with your sensitive audio equipment. Vayta’s patented technology kicks in as the 2 aluminium components cradling the Sorbothane unlock and disengage, leaving the combined mass of the Corian® and your equipment ‘floating’. This action compresses the Sorbothane into its perfect absorption range, dissipating the vibration, allowing your gear to perform exactly as the manufacturer intended.
