Fun and frolics with a stethoscope

Someone mentioned using a stethoscope to listen to equipment vibrations a while ago. At the time I grinned and filed it under 'I'll have a go if the opportunity ever arises'. Courtesy of the great British taxpayer I had a loan of one for an hour last night (don't ask) Perhaps someone could offer advice on the best course of treatment following my investigation (it wasn't easy getting the 250 to cough or say 'aah' I can tell you)

So, I fired up Dido on the system at normal listening levels, and set about it with the stethoscope. This is what I found.

The sound from the Epos14's side and top panels was far less than I expected, but near the port it would make a good soundtrack for a film about demonic bowel perversions.

The equipment shelves produced a low level but heavily distorted version of the music as did the 72 & hi-cap but quieter. The 250 buzzed away through the stethoscope - not noticable to the naked ear.

The Karik was as silent as the grave, I thought I might have heard the mechanism/disc spinning as well as the sound vibrating through the case, but - nothing.

The walls, windows, and my collection of framed pre-raphaelite prints were silent, but the radiator lived up to it's name. I didn't bother with the floor as I can feel that vibrating, (and almost see it when Phil Lesh is on).

The sand filled atacama speaker stands were quite noisy at the back, not so much at the front, I had expected these to be quieter than they were.

The worst villain was the TV. The plastic case was doing a reasonable impersonation of a cheap radio. It was louder than that produced by putting the stethoscope directly on the Epos enclosures.

[This message was edited by Jez Quigley on WEDNESDAY 18 April 2001 at 06:03.]