Last year, we brought you the news about British cable manufacturer, Wire On Wire’s new Vibe spacers for their ‘tuneable’ cables. Now they are applying the Vibe technology to tonearms.

Vibration energy in audio components is known to affect the listening experience and Wire On Wire’s Vibe vibration control component is designed to absorb some of that energy.

Wire On Wire’s Vibe vibration control was originally designed for their cables but can be used for turntable tonearms too

Vibe Vibration Control Spacer

The Vibe spacer is made of highly damping TPS, a material that translates vibration into thermal energy. Although originally developed to extend the tuning flexibility of their tunable audio cables Wire On Wire found they could equally be used to fine-tune the performance of a turntable’s cartridge.

Wire On Wire’s Vibe vibration control used on a tonearm

Tonearm Vibration

The Vibe can be used with or without the central insert, which can be removed using a screwdriver. The insert alters the vibration absorbing properties of the Vibe by increasing its rigidity. Wire On Wire say that the Vibe can be placed on any surface on the tonearm assembly although there will be head-shells that can’t accommodate it due to their design.

The Vibe has a slightly sticky quality, which helps it to stay in place but it is not designed to stick firmly to a given surface and can be knocked free. So if you are worried it may fall onto the record and be caught underneath the stylus the brand suggests not using it on the head-shell or applying some adhesive once you have found the optimum position.

Wire On Wire suggest experimenting with different placements for the Vibe

Tracking Force Adjustment

The Vibe can be used on its own or in combination anywhere on the tonearm but remember to re-adjust the required tracking force and anti-skating setting after any addition or removal. Each Vibe weighs 0.8g (with central insert) or 0.6g (without central insert).

Chris Bell of Wire On Wire told us “Used in our range of Experience audio interconnects and speaker cables or with the tonearm of a record deck there are some common features when using the Vibe that has stood out for us when auditioning. With the central insert in place, there is a better sense of solidity to musical images so the space they occupy in the sound stage is more defined. The images also appear better separated with increased depth to the sound stage. Without the central insert, the images are more solid with less emphasis on the spatial cues”.

Wire On Wire’s Vibe vibration control can be used in different ways to reduce unwanted vibration

Experiment

Equipment varies so Wire On Wire say experiment yourself to see what the Vibe can achieve and see how results vary depending on where the Vibe is placed or how many are used.

Price

Wire On Wire Vibe pack of 14, £32 including free UK mainland postage

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