Speaker Stands - To Blu-Tack or Not to Blu-Tack

[admin_exported]

Looking on the forum site for advice on speaker stands... I have a tiled/concrete floor and looking for a decent set of speaker stands for my yet to be delivered B&W 685's. In checking out suitable stands (Partington, Atacama etc) I was wondering what should be used to secure the speakers to the stand's top plates - would Blu-Tack be the answer, or should they be more securely attached (i.e. self tapping screws ??).

Then, once speakers firmly attached to their stands, should I then be using the supplied spikes onto the tiled floor, or utilize rubber cups, or again use good old fashioned Blu-Tack betwen the stand plinths/tiles?

I’d welcome any feedback, along with alternative stands for 685's?

 

[Anonymous]

Looking on the forum site for advice on speaker stands... I have a tiled/concrete floor and looking for a decent set of speaker stands for my yet to be delivered B&W 685's. In checking out suitable stands (Partington, Atacama etc) I was wondering what should be used to secure the speakers to the stand's top plates - would Blu-Tack be the answer, or should they be more securely attached (i.e. self tapping screws ??).

Then, once speakers firmly attached to their stands, should I then be using the supplied spikes onto the tiled floor, or utilize rubber cups, or again use good old fashioned Blu-Tack betwen the stand plinths/tiles?

I’d welcome any feedback, along with alternative stands for 685's?

I've always used blu tak. I think it was made for the job, and holds perfectly securely 🙂

 

[chebby]

Blu-Tack is the best.

A 5mm ball of it near* each corner of the top-plate. Push the speaker down firmly so that the Blu-Tack ends up about 1mm thick.

If removing the speakers, gently 'twist' them off (or risk losing some veneer) or slide a loyalty card - not the type with embossed characters but smooth - between the top plate and speaker base and 'slice' through the Blu-Tack first.

Squidge the Blu-Tack around a bit (to make it flexible again) and form it back into 5mm balls before you put the speakers back on the stands.

*Not right on the corners otherwise - when flattened - some of it will spill out from the gap.

 

[Anonymous]

ok, sold on the Blu-Tack idea between top plate and speaker, what about the plinth - use Blu-Tack again or use spikes on tiles/rubber cups? thanks again...

 

[the record spot]

Mission's Stancettes come with adhesive blobs that act as a support for the speaker between the base and the stand's top-plate. They don't secure it in the same way that blu-tack does, but if you don't have kids or the like running around, then you should be fine. I use the Stancettes as they are with the spikes going into the carpet. No additional isolation, or the like. That's why they provided the spikes in the first place (and they're not particularly sharp either, so no damage to wooden floors would be very likely IMO).

 

[chebby]

ok, sold on the Blu-Tack idea between top plate and speaker, what about the plinth - use Blu-Tack again or use spikes on tiles/rubber cups? thanks again...

Spikes.

To protect the floor get some 2p coins, get your hammer and centre-punch and whack an indentation into the centre of each coin.

On the other side of each coin, affix one of those self-adhesive, circular, felt pads that go on the bottom of chair legs to protect wooden floors from being scratched. B&Q do them in loads of different sizes and they only cost a couple of quid per pack. While you are there, get a centre-punch if you don't already have one. (Why don't you have one?) They are very cheap too.

Locate each coin/pad under each spike. The indentations you have made will stop the spikes from sliding around on the coins.

 

[Anonymous]

Forget spikes. PITA and not worth the effort. I actually removed them from my Dalis (along with the metal spike seats) and put more blutak down there. Far more secure.

And I've had 2 kids running around with standmounts secured top and bottom by BT and never a problem.

 

[Inter_Voice]

I put a granite board on the speaker stand top plate and used blue-Tack for securing. Then place two 2mm thick sorbothane sheets in between the bottom of the speaker and the granite slab 🙂 It effectively absorbs vibrations transmitting to the stands.

See the pic. in my link (as I cannot upload the pic. here)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64195350@N03/6302512089/in/photostream/

 

[chebby]

And I've had 2 kids running around with standmounts secured top and bottom ...

That'll slow 'em down a bit.

 

[the record spot]

:clap:

 

[Anonymous]

And I've had 2 kids running around with standmounts secured top and bottom ...

That'll slow 'em down a bit.

Very good 🙂

 

[John Duncan]

I use three dabs of blu-tak in a triangle to give more stability...;-)

 

[Anonymous]

See the pic. in my link (as I cannot upload the pic. here)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64195350@N03/6302512089/in/photostream/

OK now I won't sleep until I now what's under that black electric tapes to the right... :?

😉

(Nice set up BTW)

 

[subseastu]

Why fill the stands with cat litter granules? Are you having trouble training the cat where to go numbers 2's???

 

[Inter_Voice]

See the pic. in my link (as I cannot upload the pic. here)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64195350@N03/6302512089/in/photostream/

OK now I won't sleep until I now what's under that black electric tapes to the right... :?

😉

(Nice set up BTW)

Well, there are two holes (near the top and near the bottom) in the smaller tube for the speaker cables to pass through. I sealed the holes with elect. tapes after filling them with rice 😉

 

[Inter_Voice]

Why fill the stands with cat litter granules? Are you having trouble training the cat where to go numbers 2's???

According to some reviews on the web, cat litter granules has better effect than using sand to damp the speaker stand tubes from ringing 8) I found the effect is actually very good eventhough I have not tried sand for comparison. The bigger tube is only filled up to about 75% while the smaller tubes are fully filled by rice.

I use rice to fill up the smaller tubes because the holes are too small to allow cat litter granules to pass through. I don't want to use sand as it can be messy and difficult to remove in future if it absorbs moisture.

BTW I also added some weight to the speaker stand's base by this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004O7VAN6

 

[Anonymous]

Filled with rice eh? Wonder whats best Uncle Bens, Long Grain, Basmati?

 

[Anonymous]

I took advice from this thread and used blu tack to secure my 685's to the stands. Work like a charm!

 

[simon3102000]

hehe good old blue-tak... im still finding it hard to swallow that ive spent all this money on a descent hifi and im using bluetak to secure the speakers! My stands did come with speaker spikes but they were digging into the speaker so sod that.

 

[chebby]

hehe good old blue-tak... im still finding it hard to swallow...

You're doing it all wrong.

 

[CnoEvil]

hehe good old blue-tak... im still finding it hard to swallow...

You're doing it all wrong....

...A little mastication is usually advisable first... :shifty:

 

[Covenanter]

hehe good old blue-tak... im still finding it hard to swallow that ive spent all this money on a descent hifi and im using bluetak to secure the speakers! My stands did come with speaker spikes but they were digging into the speaker so sod that.

If you don't want to use bluetak why not try something like:

http://www.audioserenity.co.uk/iso-9h/audioserenity-1-iso-9h-gel-isolation-pad/

They aren't very expensive and are designed for the job (and as far as I am aware they don't need burning in :rofl: ).

Chris

 

[RobinKidderminster]

great but blutak and squash balls are cheaper I recon

 

[simon3102000]

im suprised Russ Andrews hasnt re-barnded it "sound tak" and claiming that it sweetenes the treble and tightens the bass giving a wider soundstage and better acoustics blah blah blah, like he's CD wipes that claim to do this lol.