To spike or not to spike, that is the question...

[dave_k]

Good Afternoon All,

Currently my floorstanding speakers are just plonked plinths straight onto the carpet, which is on underlay and is on the first floor, so probably a hollow space beneath. I have the spikes for the speakers, and i'm wondering if it is worthwhile tracking down some stone or other dense material slabs and then using the spikes onto these.

Any thoughts on this, and suggestions of what to use for slabs and where to get them (if they're obscure).

Thanks, hope you're all having a good afternoon

~Dave

 

[True Blue]

I can only advise on what I have found.

I have a suspended wood floor with cellar beneath

1. In my AV setup the sub was "booming" too much. Isolated the sub on a Granite chopping board (Tesco's £10). Tightened up the bass nicely, stopped the booming as effectively decoupled from the structure.

2. In my HIFI setup exactly the same was observed, so my speakers are spiked and sat in spike shoes and then on slate tiles (B&Q).

 

[millerman]

Dave

I had similar problem to true blue in that my suspended wooden floor acted like a giant bass skin. I got flooded with bass.

I tried spiking - it was worse

I tried standing the speakers on a thick rug - Nope

I tried standing speakers on a granite mat - just the same

The answer was to separate the granite mat form the floor with bluetac and then stand the speakers on the granite mat.

I guess it's a matter of trial and error.

 

[chebby]

Try the spikes first (they are designed not to mark carpets.)

If this does not work then try a couple of those stone flags.

If that fails then you can either try and hunt down short stands* for your floorstanders (so long as the total height does not mean the tweeters are above ear level when you are seated) or consider stand mounted/wall mounted bookshelf speakers.

Read what the manufacturer's recommendations are concerning positioning and use those as a starting point to experiment. And keep them well away from corners or 'alcoves' or niches formed by cupboards/racks/chairs etc. no matter how tempting it is to keep things tidy by tucking them into such spaces. Don't plonk the system/DVD etc (or large TV screens/racks/cupboards etc in the middle of the speakers unless the TV is flat screen and wall-mounted well back from the front plane of the speaker baffles. Let them 'breathe'.

* A company called 'Something Solid' do a range called the XF that they will make to order. They will cost £100 + £(Width x Height x Depth in cm) which is a little expensive, so I would advise them as a last resort, and only when you absolutely know these speakers are the ones you are going to use for a very long time.