Thixar is a relatively new company, whose exclusive object is the manufacture of support systems for electronic devices. Their founder, Dirk Rüdell, is a chemist and their headquarters is in Düsseldorf. Its product range includes single support surfaces for individual devices, full rack systems, and a range of accessories such as support feet and spikes.
The basic principle of operation of Thixar products is chemical and is based on the properties of a gel used to attenuate vibrations. This gel is used both on the Silence and Silence Plus platforms and the Eliminator block (the latter two, being the products under review in the following pages) as well as on their full rack systems.
The very name of the company (Thixar) is inspired by the thixotropy effect, a property that characterizes certain fluids (either in liquid or in gel form), on which a change in viscosity occurs when an external force is applied to them. This force can be in the form of vibrations or of a shear-like deformation, for instance. Liquids exhibiting thixotropy are generally characterized as non-Newtonian fluids (materials not following the law of viscosity of the same name). The company does not explicitly say whether its name is related to the actual properties of the material they use, but a behavioral material that varies according to the forces exerted on it seems to be a good start for a vibration control and suppression system. In fact, non-Newtonian fluids are used in a wide variety of applications, many of which are particularly demanding, for example in anti-seismic structures and in the suppression of vibrations in space vehicles.
The products under review in the following pages are the Silence Plus platform and the Eliminator damping system. Silence Plus is the top model of Thixar's passive platforms (and, yes, the company offers an active model too), while the Eliminator is a vibration control accessory, designed to control vibrations generated by the audio device itself.

Dimitris Stamatakos

Text Data
Original Publilcation: 2017/05/23	Last Follow Up: 2017/05/23

Previous | Next | More Reviews