Hi Seasonsdownfall, I suspect the poles you are referring to on the speaker stands which have a hole at the top and at the bottom are so you can feed in your speaker wire to keep it tidy and so should be one of these on each speaker stand.
Thank you Steve D, that makes sense! Don't need to use them at the minute because my cable runs are so short! 
& Camcroft, thank you for being ever so helpful..!
& Camcroft, thank you for being ever so helpful..!
Hi all
I just saw the blu tack….ology topic. My speakers (Q300) are on blue tack (actually its white and is from an other brand but it does de job). I just bought them so I don’t know their potential.
I saw that its mentioned that MUST be 5mm balls at max 11mm from the corners. I think that on those specifications I went to far. I made 4 balls of almost 20mm each and placed them like 30mm from the corners. After pressing the speakers to the stand the blu tack (white) almost reached the corners.
Should I change them to 5mm to 11mm?
Is it really such a big difference, trust me, they are very well attached to the stands.
Consider that removing them is difficult (a lot of blue tack)
Thanks
I just saw the blu tack….ology topic. My speakers (Q300) are on blue tack (actually its white and is from an other brand but it does de job). I just bought them so I don’t know their potential.
I saw that its mentioned that MUST be 5mm balls at max 11mm from the corners. I think that on those specifications I went to far. I made 4 balls of almost 20mm each and placed them like 30mm from the corners. After pressing the speakers to the stand the blu tack (white) almost reached the corners.
Should I change them to 5mm to 11mm?
Is it really such a big difference, trust me, they are very well attached to the stands.
Consider that removing them is difficult (a lot of blue tack)
Thanks
Am I right in understanding that there's a specification for the amount of Blu-tac to use...? The mind boggles. You'll be fine with what you've got. Don't sweat the small stuff and just stick with what's there (pardon the pun!). Changing stuff like this won't make one iota of difference.
Fiveblobs of 6.5g each. Arranged in pentagon (as per Yamaha A series) with c.o.g compensation. Dont it stick tho afterfew months. Been through this a few times. However, first, to remove speakers stuck with Blu-Tack, twist them around their vertical axis, they come off quite easily.
Size of the blob can be important . . . a very small pea in each corner, with the speaker well!!!! pushed down, distance in, less important but the 'BT' spreads, you dont want it to come to the edge, looks ugly.
Those that say blob size dont make any difference, nine times out of ten, it does, too much and the base often goes soggy, the image gets vague, the speakers can sound generaly wooly . . . Try it, if you cant hear any difference you have lost nothing have you . . . IMHO, over many years of making and selling stands, its as important as getting the filling right. That may be a problem, getting the filling right . . . took me a long time to arrive at the right formula.
CJSF
Size of the blob can be important . . . a very small pea in each corner, with the speaker well!!!! pushed down, distance in, less important but the 'BT' spreads, you dont want it to come to the edge, looks ugly.
Those that say blob size dont make any difference, nine times out of ten, it does, too much and the base often goes soggy, the image gets vague, the speakers can sound generaly wooly . . . Try it, if you cant hear any difference you have lost nothing have you . . . IMHO, over many years of making and selling stands, its as important as getting the filling right. That may be a problem, getting the filling right . . . took me a long time to arrive at the right formula.
CJSF
CJSF you can refer to me directly y'know...
Of the amounts we're talking here then suggesting there's a difference is a nonsense. If we were talking a kilo or two then maybe. Otherwise - no difference. And here's me thinking that this was one area where hifi obssession would remain in check...
Of the amounts we're talking here then suggesting there's a difference is a nonsense. If we were talking a kilo or two then maybe. Otherwise - no difference. And here's me thinking that this was one area where hifi obssession would remain in check...
the record spot said:
Totally agree RS. I've found that most stand makers include spikes for the upper plates!!. good way to de-value a brand new pair of speakers by putting pin holes in the bottoms!.
On one hand, you could calculate the calorific value of the interossiter and divide by the square root of the ambient humidity in the room or, ( let's get real now ) get 4 blobs of blu tac, don't give a **** about the size and put them over the spike holes in the top plate where the spikes go. slight pressure on the speaker when in situ and job done. Only thing to remember is to twist the loudspeaker to the left or right before lifting off the stands. Have seen veneer removed from cabinets in the past coz the blu tac was stronger than the veneer/glue combo.
If I made stands ( now there's an idea!!!) I would include a pack of blu tac with em as standard.
What a thread!!!.
Mmm . . . should I bother :?
. . . I made some of the best stands in the 80's and 90's, receiving an industry award for my 'Foundation Classic model' in 1985. We used to supply 'Blu-Tack' as standard and never offered the option of inverted spikes.
The problem today; in some cases, the designs have overstepped the mark . . . and without exception our 'filling' was the best and has never been repeated. Sand, cat litter, gravel, baby oil/sand, lead, can all have an effect of a sort???? but there is a 'formula' arrived at by hours of mixing, testing and listening. The design of the stands were carefully worked out, incorporating features that were unseen by the end user. We worked with well-known speaker manufacturers of the time to good effect, and the amount of stands we used to supply to the hotel demo rooms at show times . . . :cheer:
So, laugh as you will, its still a question often put forward . . . and never understood or properly answered???
CJSF
. . . I made some of the best stands in the 80's and 90's, receiving an industry award for my 'Foundation Classic model' in 1985. We used to supply 'Blu-Tack' as standard and never offered the option of inverted spikes.
The problem today; in some cases, the designs have overstepped the mark . . . and without exception our 'filling' was the best and has never been repeated. Sand, cat litter, gravel, baby oil/sand, lead, can all have an effect of a sort???? but there is a 'formula' arrived at by hours of mixing, testing and listening. The design of the stands were carefully worked out, incorporating features that were unseen by the end user. We worked with well-known speaker manufacturers of the time to good effect, and the amount of stands we used to supply to the hotel demo rooms at show times . . . :cheer:
So, laugh as you will, its still a question often put forward . . . and never understood or properly answered???
CJSF
No Laughing going on here CJSF, simply that on it's own, 5mm of Blu-tack against 11mm of Blu-tack will make no audible difference. Whatever else you had going on in your designs in terms of ballast for a stand's internal hollow is another matter, but we're talking about the blu-tack in isolation here - pardon the pun.
the record spot said:
True, a small pea size blob of Blu-Tack + proper fill is important and the most effective, . . . However my listening experiments over many years indicate that a small pea is 'usually' better than a large blob with any kind of stand/speaker combination. The bass in particular gets muddy as can the midrange if there is too much. Of course if the system has no bass and is a bit vague in the first place, it can introduce colouration that might be liked???
Less Blu-Tack = less colouration = a better window on what your speakers/system is actually doing. Whichever way you cut it 'the Record Spot', its going to have some affect, good or bad to a lesser or greater degree.
The way things are these days, this 'it has no effect' philosophy suggests that any old stuff can be thrown together and it will sound OK, especially the passive add-ons, like cable and stands, we might even see recommended to use orange boxes and bell wire next . . . :O
Mmm . . . I have actually heard such items used to good effect in an emergency . . . even on a whim of fancy, for the hell of it 8) . . .
CJSF
Differing views CJSF - I tend to go with McIntosh's ex-engineer, Roger Russell's views on these things. I suppose if we're getting down to such accurate descriptions as "a large blob", maybe you are talking about half-a-kilo's worth after all...
Otherwise though, no difference, or at least, no audible one. And hold hard on counting me in on the "no effect at all" membership. Some folks would have you believe a £30 supermarket player doesn't present any differences in playback from the players I used most recently. My own experience suggest differently. However, I only put credence into that I believe makes a difference for my own ends - blobs of blu-tack don't come within the range of that particular radar. Call me reactionary...you're right about the bell-wire though. I'm sure it probably did a fine job and I refer you again to Mr. Russell's site.
Happy reading. :read:
Otherwise though, no difference, or at least, no audible one. And hold hard on counting me in on the "no effect at all" membership. Some folks would have you believe a £30 supermarket player doesn't present any differences in playback from the players I used most recently. My own experience suggest differently. However, I only put credence into that I believe makes a difference for my own ends - blobs of blu-tack don't come within the range of that particular radar. Call me reactionary...you're right about the bell-wire though. I'm sure it probably did a fine job and I refer you again to Mr. Russell's site.
Happy reading. :read:
the record spot said:
Each to his own 'the Record Spot' . . . ? I'll trust my ears and almost 20 years of designing, making, selling, advising and supply to major speaker manufacturers.
CJSF
PS, Record Spot, have you actualy tried verious amounts of Blu-Tack or are you relying on a third parties opinion? . . . Just a thought . . .
Just my own experience CJSF, a few blobs here and there, but 5mm here or 11mm there? Life's too short to muck about with inconsequentials like that for me. And really, there was no difference. None. Zero, zilch, nada. The amounts involved were just too small. I can see why you'd notice a difference if you're playing around with different support platforms, but the blu-tack in and of itself as distinct from anything else? No, sorry. Foo talk. Much as I hate that term.
the record spot said:
I appreciate your view the record spot. However, it has been mentioned in this thread the use of a whole packet per stand, 5 blobs etc! So one has to be a bit more accurate for the uninitiated. To me a blob is something the size of a Mint Imperial, a small pea . . . is a small garden pea of the Birds-Eye variety, they are particularly small and sweet, frozen within 2 hours of picking too . . . :rofl:
CJSF
Anybody - anybody - using a whole pack of blu-tack to stick a domestic standmount speaker down should be under a court supervision order!
the record spot said:
Thats exactly what i did, i cut the blu-tac in half then half again & put each piece in each corner & stuck down my speaker, one blu-tac pack per speaker My SL6's were stuck down with three small blobs of Blu-tack on Something Solid stands for years until it deteriorated. I then used small clear dome shaped self-adhesive synthetic rubber feet stuck to the underside of the speakers - worked a treat!
BenLaw said:
The more weight, the better I always found, ie the thinner the Blue -Tack became the better the synergy between speaker and stand . . . this is of course, in 'Foundation' terms, good energy transfer allowing the filling to work . . . However as 'Foundation filling' is not used these days, (I have never disclosed the formula or method in the UK) the synergy/energy transfer is less affective. Hens, the thinking, Blu-Tack size, stand fillings are not so important . . . basic fillings recommended these days just dont work very well.
Yes, so if you see the point, the compression (thickness) of the Blu-Tack is very important, the smaller the blob the thinner it extrudes. As there is little weight in small speakers, I always use as much of my body weight to spread the Blu-Tack. However, it has to be agreed, modern day stands have, IMHO, taken a step backwards and dont work as well as they could?
CJSF
the record spot said:
Ups, I thik that i used more than 1 pack :wall: And its coming out from the edges!!
Ok so this is what I will do
First I have to fix my stands, I just notticed that the top plate is bent. I couldn’t find original brand stands in my country so I asked a welder to made them for me and the heat bent the top plate 1mm. in some corners. They look like the soundstyle Z2 but everything is welded, the bottom plate is 10mm thick solid iron and the top plate is around 3mm thick they must weight like 7kg each.
They are filled 3/4 with sand from the golf of mexico, near Veracruz to be more precise.
After that y will give the Q300s some time to run in (they must have around 15 hrs of light use)
Then I will try with less blutack.
Thank you all for your comments.
First I have to fix my stands, I just notticed that the top plate is bent. I couldn’t find original brand stands in my country so I asked a welder to made them for me and the heat bent the top plate 1mm. in some corners. They look like the soundstyle Z2 but everything is welded, the bottom plate is 10mm thick solid iron and the top plate is around 3mm thick they must weight like 7kg each.
They are filled 3/4 with sand from the golf of mexico, near Veracruz to be more precise.
After that y will give the Q300s some time to run in (they must have around 15 hrs of light use)
Then I will try with less blutack.
Thank you all for your comments.
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