Speakers on laminate floor?

[hybridauth_Facebook_10203552373284939]

What should be best for improving (increasing) the bass on my floor standing speakers.

Spikes directly onto floor

Spikes onto the Tannoy supplied discs / floor protectors

speakers directly on the floor (perhaps with blue tack or similar)

note. The speakers sit on heavy plinths which are bolted onto to speaker.

 

[SteveR750]

I think more is to be gained with your bass from experimenting with positioning of the speakers with regard to corners, adjacent walls, furnishings etc.

What you rest the spikes on will have little or no effect in comparison and is more if a cosmetic consideration to do with protecting your floor.

+1 I've got mine on granite work top plinths, using the supplied cones not spikes. Both make a mess of a wooden floor, and made no sonic difference.

 

[chebby]

I think more is to be gained with your bass from experimenting with positioning of the speakers with regard to corners, adjacent walls, furnishings etc.

What you rest the spikes on will have little or no effect in comparison and is more if a cosmetic consideration to do with protecting your floor.

If you already have the speakers in their best position but still need more bass then you have the wrong speakers and not just the wrong spike/floor interface.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10203552373284939]

I have experimented with the positioning and have them pretty much settled now. Some people mention placing speakers on granite plinths improves bass. Hence the question about placing them directly on the floor as they have plinths built in.

 

[chebby]

Going at this from the other direction a moment ... what is wrong with the bass?

 

[Andrewjvt]

I think more is to be gained with your bass from experimenting with positioning of the speakers with regard to corners, adjacent walls, furnishings etc.

What you rest the spikes on will have little or no effect in comparison and is more if a cosmetic consideration to do with protecting your floor.

+1 I've got mine on granite work top plinths, using the supplied cones not spikes. Both make a mess of a wooden floor, and made no sonic difference.

Could you take close up picture for me?

 

[Al ears]

Going at this from the other direction a moment ... what is wrong with the bass?

Good point.

The OP could try playing with plugs in the rear port (don't think you'll be able to do anything about the small port underneath).

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10203552373284939]

There's not enough of it. In addition to the floor there is glass all round the room: too many reflective surfaces suck the lower freq and magnify the mids and highs. So trying to what little I can to improve the situation. I guess another question - do I want to couple or isolate the speakers from the floor?

 

[CnoEvil]

IME. You generally want to couple the speakers to the floor, unless there is something to resonate ie. In the case of a suspended wooden floor.

A Laminate floor is very hard and slippery (ooh mrs) and doesn't look good when scratched, so some sort of spike shoes (and Granite, if you like) would be wise.

It seems to me that the biggest gains will come from trying to deaden your room ie. With rugs, drapes, bookshelves, potted plants etc...otherwise it will be like playing your system in a cloakroom.

 

[andyjm]

There's not enough of it. In addition to the floor there is glass all round the room: too many reflective surfaces suck the lower freq and magnify the mids and highs. So trying to what little I can to improve the situation. I guess another question - do I want to couple or isolate the speakers from the floor?

David,

The argument goes that when the cone is pushing outward against a column of air, an equal and opposite force pushes the enclosure backward. This force results in a small backward movement of the enclosure which in turn reduces the effect of the forward cone motion, reducing bass performance. There are holes in this argument, but as a general rule, speakers want to be firmly supported and the stand should be coupled to the floor to provide a solid support.

The only time you may want to go against this advice is if you have a suspended floor which could be 'excited' by vibrations coming down the speaker stand - in which case isolating the stand may make sense.

I take it from your note you are still wrestling with your conservatory. My guess is that poor bass is caused by standing wave room effects, which no amount of fiddling with the stand will improve. Try moving the speakers or your listening position - that may help. Also try opening all the conservatory windows, that will reduce boundary reflections - if this makes a big difference then it is definitely reflections causing your problems.

I think it has been suggested in the past to try room equalisation of one type or another. That can certainly tighten up bass in a reflective room.