Rotel covers/cases - sound deadening worth it?

[kneptune]

Rotel’s equipment covers/cases are fairly well known for being thinner and more flimsy than more higher end brands (cost savings to the consumer). I have a hi-fi dealer in the area who recommends applying sound deadening material to the inside sides and top of the case to minimize micro vibrations and ringing using a product like dyna-mat. Such products are typically used inside automobile doors and trunks to deaden road noise. Crutchfield sells it -- www.crutchfield.com.

Has anyone done this on any of his or her Rotel gear and did it really make a difference? As long as ventilation is unaffected, I would not think that this would affect warranty.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks,
Kevin

[mazuly]

Hi,

I am not sure if these kind of modifications would work or not, but Just a word of caution, the ventilation of the unit will be effected even if you don't block the ventilation holes. HiFi Manufacturers use the actual casing of the product as a heat exchanger to transfer heat out of the casing. For example this is very evident on RSP-1066, since that unit does not have any ventilation holes on top and all the heat is dissipated through the casing. If you use things like dyna-mat, the heat may not dissipate properly and failures might happen due to the unit overheating. That is when Rotel might say that your modification had caused the failure and not offer any warranty.

Good luck,
Maziar

[shuang1234]

I use Dynamat Xtreme to damp the cases on all of my components, including my RSP-1066 and RMB-1095. Do not use the regular Dynamat.

Dynamat Xtreme is a patented, lightweight elastomeric butyl and aluminum constrained-layer vibrational damper. Dynamat Xtreme conforms and fuses easily to sheet metal and other hard substrates. Material performance is optimized for temperature ranges between 14°F and 140°F (-10°C to +60°C). Material can withstand temperature extremes between -65°F and +300°F (-54°C to +149°C) and is highly resistant to aging.

The only thing you need to do is avoid the ventilation holes in the cases. Before applying the cases ring significantly, after applying it is a dull thud sound.

While you are at it, you should apply StillPoints ERS to help absorb EMI/RF generated by these components. You can do a search on the AudioAsylum Tweaks forum to learn more about ERS.

[kneptune]

Thanks for the info! Have you found a good online source for it?

Kevin

[kneptune]

Thanks for the info! Have you found a good online source for it?

Kevin

[Bostonears]

Thanks for the info! Have you found a good online source for it?

Kevin

PartsExpress.com, one of the sponsors of HTGuide Forums, sells this material. I have used their "Lightweight Vinyl Sound Dampening Sheets" inside the cases of numerous pieces of AV gear. They are easy to apply, especially if you warm 'em up with a hair dryer. They definitely deaden cabinet vibrations. The Lightweight Vinyl ones are much better than the less expensive "Sound Deadening Sheets" that PartsExpress sells.