Speaker stand spikes - necessary?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Porkpie, Nov 8, 2018.

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  1. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    Well both theories and measurements made the past 20 years has proven that the Newton physics applies to both. I don't want to go into a discussion about this since those discussion has been there since internet started. There is a lot to search and find for those who want to.
     
    missan likes this.
  2. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Gotcha
     
  3. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    I already posted a link to everything one would want to know about speaker spikes written by a expert, have you read it?
     
  4. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    I've read it and there is no data in that. What happens is that the speaker will wobble at a certain resonance frequency given the motion of the speaker driver. A free floating speaker cabinet with a mass difference of cone/cabinet of 1:1000 will move that fraction of cone movement. Not so at resonance where it will be amplified many times, and with spikes that happens somewhere in the audible bass region. It works with theories and measurement using accelerometers done the 20 years or more. It is simple physics.
     
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  5. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Simple physics will tell you that a speaker cabinet moving as a result of driver movement will not produce the clearest sound reproduction.
     
  6. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    And therefore you should avoid spiking speakers and keep resonance outside the audible spectrum.
     
    missan likes this.
  7. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Cabinets cannot move when spiked, but they sure can when sitting on something soft.
     
  8. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    Oh yes they move. Do you think that the spikes couple the speakers >20,000 Hz? They don't. Coupling occurs somewhere in the bass region including an amplifying resonance where the speakers rock much more than when free floating.
     
    missan likes this.
  9. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    This is getting ridiculous. Go push on the front of a spiked speaker and one sitting on soft pads. The spiked speaker will not rock back (unless you push very hard) while the one on soft pads will easily rock back.
     
  10. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    As I mentioned before, this is Newton physics proven with theories and measurements more than 20 years for speaker spikes and soft feet. You can do the research before we discuss any more. I've met your arguments many before and those that made the research admit they were wrong. Otherwise we go around in circles, and Steve H will most likely close this thread.

    Preference is another thing.
     
    missan likes this.
  11. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    I've done my research and more importantly, put into practice. We'll have to agree to disagree.
     
  12. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    Ódoligie likes this.
  13. Tom Littlefield

    Tom Littlefield Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    A 50 cent coin is actually bigger than the current $1 coins. I have a 50 cent piece on top of the adhesive side of a round 1 1/2" felt pad that you can buy at Home Depot. I have one under each spike of my Dynaudio Excite X38's and sounds real good.

    Tat way the spike is decoupled on the metal and the felt makes it easy to slide around t re-position the speakers
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.
  14. Josquin des Prez

    Josquin des Prez I have spoken!

    Location:
    U.S.
    I use the isoAcoustic Gaia II under my speakers. They sound much better than using spikes with floor protectors, providing improved, more refined bass reponse and better image/soundstage.

    I also use three Gaia III in the place of spikes under my turntable.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    chipcalzada, MGW, Done A Ton and 3 others like this.
  15. thegage

    thegage Forum Currency Nerd

    So you would think, but I went from spikes on my speakers to the Gaia footers and everything improved: bass definition, midrange clarity, soundstage. I don't have the physics to back it up, but it does sound better to me.

    John K.
     
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  16. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    I’m still not clear whether my setup (picture in my previous post) has any implications for the bass or whether coupling the stands to the wooden floor, as recommended in the article I shared, has no negative implications.
     
  17. Josquin des Prez

    Josquin des Prez I have spoken!

    Location:
    U.S.
    It may just be that the lack of proper isolation (feedback from the floor back into the speaker) is worse than a miniscule rocking of the speaker cabinets. When my speakers were on spikes they did not rock, or rather maybe ever so slightly (due to the tall height and mass). On the Gaia II they have a very sutble back and forth give, but I find the the Gaia make all the same improvements you noted. In addition, as the Gaia II break in they settle in somewhat and the movement is reduced.
     
  18. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    Put me in the disagree column as well. My Rs3 were more stable on rubber feet than spikes. And my hardwood floors were much happier.[​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018
    timind likes this.
  19. ayrehead

    ayrehead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mid South
    Good suggestion. I may try the dots under my turntable.
     
  20. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Reading through this thread, it seems a lot of people are using the term speakers to refer to their speaker stands.
     
    timind likes this.
  21. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    I would get some cheap rubber feet with adhesive to place under your stands to protect the floor. I'm not saying what audible effect they would have, if any.
    [​IMG]
     
  22. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    Both count where they contact the floor.
     
  23. Josquin des Prez

    Josquin des Prez I have spoken!

    Location:
    U.S.
    Yeah, it doesn't matter whether they are monitors on stands, or large floorstanding speakers. Both will benefit from proper isolation.
     
  24. jeffmackwood

    jeffmackwood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ottawa
    Intuitively you would think so, however that's not always the case.

    It depends on the weight of the speaker, weight of the stand, weight of the added mass (either half filled or full) and the relative heights of the stands and speakers.

    It's easy to choose some simply distances / weights, vary them, and show that fully loading the stand will reduce the centre of gravity more than half filling it. With the floor as your datum, and with a relatively heavy speaker on top of the stand, it is better to fully fill the stand - if the goal is to lower the centre of gravity. With a relatively light speaker on top it might be better to fill only half the stand as you suggested.

    But there's no simple singular answer that's good in all cases. You need to do the calculations to determine which will be best.

    Jeff
     
  25. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    No implications. If you use blu tac or soft feet (e.g. cut pieces mouse mats) with double adhesive tape between the speaker and stand is a matter of taste.
     
    Porkpie likes this.
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