What Speaker Stands for Spendor SA1?

[Inter_Voice]

Folks may be aware that I have made a lot of enhancement to my hifi system including the fitting of room acoustics, reducing power line noises and upgrading of the amplifier from Leema Pulse to Tucana II etc. What I can say now is I am really happy with the performance of my system. Every time when I switch on my hifi I am really enjoying the music that it produces. I can listen to my beloved music continuously for hours without any sense of fatigue. The same feeling is also shared by Mrs. IV. 🙂

At the moment my speakers are placed on the wall cabinet and the separation is only about 6 ft apart which will have certain constraints to soundstaging of the music reproduction. As the SQ of my system is so good that I can now convince Mr. IV to agree putting a pair of speaker stands beside the wall cabinet :bounce: (who previously raised objection as it would be inconvenient for her to clean up the room and obstruct movement).

Now my question is what kind of speaker stands should I use? Naturally I can order a pair of original Stands for Spendor SA1 which costs 500 ponds but are there other cheaper alternatives with similar performance? I hope someone with on the hand experience can advise.

 

[CnoEvil]

I think the general consensus is that they sound best on their own stands; but whether this is worth paying for is too individual to comment on.

Your dealer may be able to help you out with a loan, or even advice.

If it is your intention to upgrade to another standmount at a later date, it may be worth getting something else.

 

[Inter_Voice]

Spending 500 pounds just on a pair of Stands will be hard for me to justify to Mrs. IV. I also have the feeling 500 pounds is too much even though the match stands can produce slightly better SQ with its own branded product.

What I have in mind is to buy a pair of WHF 5 stars rated Atacama Nexus 6i speaker stands costing about 70 pound and have a trial first. I go for A6i as it looks not that strong and it might provide certain degree of flexibility as that of the original Spendor Stands. I may also consider adding an Atacama loading plate which costs about 30 pounds at the bottom of the stand to increase its weight for better stability.

 

[CJSF]

Spending 500 pounds just on a pair of Stands will be hard for me to justify to Mrs. IV. I also have the feeling 500 pounds is too much even though the match stands can produce slightly better SQ with its own branded product.

What I have in mind is to buy a pair of WHF 5 stars rated Atacama Nexus 6i speaker stands costing about 70 pound and have a trial first. I go for A6i as it looks not that strong and it might provide certain degree of flexibility as that of the original Spendor Stands. I may also consider adding an Atacama loading plate which costs about 30 pounds at the bottom of the stand to increase its weight for better stability.

Good god, you spend megabucks on your system, hours in listening demos, and then only want to spend pennies on one of the most important items in the system . . . its like suggesting wire is wire, is wire . . . and connecting the speakers to the amplifier with bell wire . . . !

Speakers move, they breath, they all but live, we treat their support as insignificant ironmongery, speakers are the window to the music, most hifi systems are let down by poor concept of supports, floor mounted speakers can be really bad . . . The only link our ear and overall perception of whats going on? We dont have enough respect for the final link in our music experience.

. . . rant over . . . CJSF

 

[chebby]

Speakers move, they breath, they all but live...

Yeah, some nights I've caught them raiding the fridge.

Gotta be careful about those floor spikes when they get all sulky and don't want to be dragged of out some dark corner to perform. (Never mention 'breaking in' or 'speaker upgrade' when in the same room.)

Ever noticed how the tweeters seem to be 'watching' you wherever you are in the room? (I keep their grilles on otherwise it's unsettling.)

 

[Inter_Voice]

Spending 500 pounds just on a pair of Stands will be hard for me to justify to Mrs. IV. I also have the feeling 500 pounds is too much even though the match stands can produce slightly better SQ with its own branded product.

What I have in mind is to buy a pair of WHF 5 stars rated Atacama Nexus 6i speaker stands costing about 70 pound and have a trial first. I go for A6i as it looks not that strong and it might provide certain degree of flexibility as that of the original Spendor Stands. I may also consider adding an Atacama loading plate which costs about 30 pounds at the bottom of the stand to increase its weight for better stability.

Good god, you spend megabucks on your system, hours in listening demos, and then only want to spend pennies on one of the most important items in the system . . . its like suggesting wire is wire, is wire . . . and connecting the speakers to the amplifier with bell wire . . . !

Speakers move, they breath, they all but live, we treat their support as insignificant ironmongery, speakers are the window to the music, most hifi systems are let down by poor concept of supports, floor mounted speakers can be really bad . . . The only link our ear and overall perception of whats going on? We dont have enough respect for the final link in our music experience.

. . . rant over . . . CJSF

Yes, I fully understand your point CJSF. Actually I have been struggling in my mind for some time whether I should go for Spendor's own stand or to purchase other brand. A difficult decision indeed. However I am a practical person and I need to be convinced that a 500 pounds stand is better than its counterpart less than a hundred pound. That is why I intend to go for a cheap option as a start and see how much the SQ or soundstaging of the music reproduction can be improved on a stand in comparing with my speakers on top of the wall cabinet. May be at the end of the day I need to change the cheap stand with Spendor's own stand, who knows.

I am awaiting more views from speaker stand owners :help:

 

[CnoEvil]

Given their own stands aren't metal, you should also consider non metal/wooden stands.

 

[CJSF]

I did say we spend a lot of time listening to out hifi items, yet we ignore the stands . . . I have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt. Wood stands are suspect IMHO, simply 'smearing' potential problems. Making and tuning stands is a black art . . . However tuning an Atacama type might work, although most modern stands are screw together DIY types, not ideal . . . In my day, it was welded or nothing.

These are my own 'Foundation Designer stands', this pair were originally designed and tuned to LS35's . . . they work wonderfully well with the PMC LB1's, yes they are 24" high. Height is not as critical as you would be led to believe. Although my listening positing is more upright than the normal couch potato slouch . . . :

CJSF

 

[Inter_Voice]

CJSF, you got a nice pair of hand made stands 😉 .

One of the reasons why I try the Atacama first is beacause I can fine tune it by putting in fillers in the tubes apart from its low cost. IMHO it is worth trying at this stage.

BTW I have doubt that Spendor's own stand is partly made of wood.

 

[chebby]

BTW I have doubt that Spendor's own stand is partly made of wood.

Layered MDF and plastic from what I can find. (And a strip of matching veneer.)

This is the best description I have found so far...

"MDF/polymer constrained layer sandwiches top and bottom are coupled by a light, stiff four-part central column to create a low-mass, non-resonant structure."

 

[CnoEvil]

CJSF, you got a nice pair of hand made stands 😉 .

One of the reasons why I try the Atacama first is beacause I can fine tune it by putting in fillers in the tubes apart from its low cost. IMHO it is worth trying at this stage.

BTW I have doubt that Spendor's own stand is partly made of wood.

Check WHF review here: http://www.whathifi.com/review/sa1

They are made of wood with built-in damping - apparently "worth every penny" with "most rival designs sounding closed in and mechanical in comparison".... Though that was at a price of £400.

Another review said, "We consider it a vital part of the SA1 package"

 

[Inter_Voice]

Thanks to all for the additopnal information about Spendor's stand material. It appears that Spendor should sit on flexible stands rather than on dead solid steel ones. I have also checked that nowadays the cost of a pair of Spendor own stand is £500 and not £400 anymore.

I still have the desire to try the Atacama and fine tune it with the help of my ears. I am sure whatever stand I use will have better SQ than putting the speakers on top of my wall cabinet.

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

HI I_V

I've got Atacama Naxus 7i (the ones with gell pads, not spikes on top plate). I can't really tell you much about them because they are my first stands so I had nothing to compare. I can at least report that those gell pad are really nice idea. speakers don't slide and seem to even stick to them under own weight. central column can be mass filled, but that you probably already know. however, stay clear from Atabytes. one bag for some GBP 30? instead go to Argos and get yourself a bag of pure sand for a few quid. works just as well. I remember it was pain in the a.. to fill up this column because there's a piece of steel slab welded on top. serves to hold the screw that you attach the top plate. so even though the column is quite thick the opening on top is quite narrow.

I know from the pictures you posted that you like isolating everything from each other 🙂 so maybe this suggestion would be of any value to you. there's Dynaudio Stand 4 for about Euro 350 (I know, pricey too, but not as much as Spendor stand) which bottom and top plates are not mere steel slabs but a sandwich of two slabs with a damping material in between. columns can be (and should be) filled too with sand.

http://www.dynaudio.com/int/home_loudspeaker_systems/accessories/stand_4.php

 

[CJSF]

You only have to look at the 'stand threads', pictures and recommendations of manufacturers . . . it quickly becomes obvious, most are simply flapping around, not knowing where to go. Foundation Audio pointed the way back in the 80's, receiving 'Accessory of the year' award in 1985 for the 'Foundation Classic' design.

The Spendor stand works 'well enough' because of the upward facing isolation spikes, originally I think, a Linn innovation for Kans stands, a one size fit all approach, better for some than others, the down side, mullers the veneer after a while of on/off use.

The sand filling popular to day, is called 'Kiln dried', its dried by hot air in a kiln and flows like water . . . making the filling process like pouring water (hour glass?).

Foundation fillings were a 'hybrid/cocktail', the proportions and method being a well kept secret. Originally applied to Proac Tablets, and then refined with Rogers LS35a's. Understanding how the filling worked allowed the concept of mass loading to be applied to almost any speaker . . . witnessed by respected manufactures of the day commonly using Foundation stands for demonstrations at the hifi shows.

The secrets died with the company when it closed in 1995 with the death of one of its principals.

These days, as indicated above, mass fill/tuning is a general purpose affair, working well enough, but with out that final focus achieved so often by 'Foundation'.

CJSF

 

[chebby]

Foundation fillings were a 'hybrid/cocktail', the proportions and method being a well kept secret. Originally applied to Proac Tablets, and then refined with Rogers LS35a's. Understanding how the filling worked allowed the concept of mass loading to be applied to almost any speaker . . . witnessed by respected manufactures of the day commonly using Foundation stands for demonstrations at the hifi shows.

The secrets died with the company when it closed in 1995 with the death of one of its principals.

Are you Cliff Stone of Foundation Audio?

The URL of the photo you posted above is from 'CliffStone' and you know a heck of a lot about Foundation Audio stands.

Who else, but a speaker stand designer, would "have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt".

 

[CnoEvil]

Are you Cliff Stone of Foundation Audio?

The URL of the photo you posted above is from 'CliffStone' and you know a heck of a lot about Foundation Audio stands.

Who else, but a speaker stand designer, would "have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt".

...the plot thickens! :O 🙂

 

[Singslinger]

I own a pair of SA1s. I've tried them on their own stands as well as heavy metal stands. To be honest, after 3 months I found no difference so my conclusion is that as long as the support is firm, the SA1s will perform well. Good luck!

 

[Inter_Voice]

I own a pair of SA1s. I've tried them on their own stands as well as heavy metal stands. To be honest, after 3 months I found no difference so my conclusion is that as long as the support is firm, the SA1s will perform well. Good luck!

Good to hear from your personal experience which also confirmed with my thinking. From my limited engineering knowledge I cannot be convinced that stand materials have a big bearing in affecting the SQ of a speaker as long as any stands that can get rid of induced resonance from speaker vibrations can produce good SQ. This theory is always in my mind.

 

[CJSF]

I own a pair of SA1s. I've tried them on their own stands as well as heavy metal stands. To be honest, after 3 months I found no difference so my conclusion is that as long as the support is firm, the SA1s will perform well. Good luck!

Spendors stands use inverted spikes, this isolates them and works OK'ish I suspect? Modern heavy stands equally work after a fashion, however I have experienced the 'no change scenario' as well as the 'negative heavy stand effect' . . . 8 out of 10 times the effects are positive which ever rout you take . . . the two time with a question mark over them, who knows?? . . . especially these days with new technology, materials and designs, on the other hand, loaded stands and stands in general are not understood very well, so with all due respect, its very hit and miss . . . 'if' you get it right, more power to your elbow . . . thats IMHO of course.

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

Foundation fillings were a 'hybrid/cocktail', the proportions and method being a well kept secret. Originally applied to Proac Tablets, and then refined with Rogers LS35a's. Understanding how the filling worked allowed the concept of mass loading to be applied to almost any speaker . . . witnessed by respected manufactures of the day commonly using Foundation stands for demonstrations at the hifi shows.

The secrets died with the company when it closed in 1995 with the death of one of its principals.

Are you Cliff Stone of Foundation Audio?

The URL of the photo you posted above is from 'CliffStone' and you know a heck of a lot about Foundation Audio stands.

Who else, but a speaker stand designer, would "have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt".

Mmm very sore point, the Canadian company did not honour their end of the deal . . . ? So the Company died in my humble opinion, the modifications alluded to were not approved by Cliff Stone. I have been seriously mentally ill since 1996, only beginning to improve since the beginning of this year. Heavily scared by the events of the 90's . . . I'm trying to get things into perspective?

CJSF

 

[nopiano]

Cliff J Stone Foundation? How intriguing!

Back to I_V's question, however. I may be a bit gullible, but I tend to think the manufacturer knows best. They will never be the cheapest, but why would you provide a stand that didn't make your speakers sound at their best?

Not to say someone somewhere might not do better/differently, but I think it best to see stand and speaker as a 'system'. No-one asks about fitting a SME arm to a Rega TT, do they?

 

[Inter_Voice]

... I may be a bit gullible, but I tend to think the manufacturer knows best. They will never be the cheapest, but why would you provide a stand that didn't make your speakers sound at their best?

Not to say someone somewhere might not do better/differently, but I think it best to see stand and speaker as a 'system'. No-one asks about fitting a SME arm to a Rega TT, do they?

IMHO "system" approach might not always get the best result. Using Leema product as an example. If system approach is always worked then I should have bought the CDP, the amp and the speakers as a set to get the best from it. But in real life it will not always the case. I think system approach only sometimes works on certain products. As to Spendor they are mainly speaker manufacturers and not experts in stands making. I believe it is some third party provides the design for them. I strongly belive someone expertised in a particular field such as in speaker stand manufacturing should have better say.

 

[CJSF]

How it is in the real world these days, I dont have much idea, as said, I've been out of the loop for a looooong time. But in the hay-day, one was consulted on a regular basis, asked to supply dem stands, samples, there were contracts, the boxes may have said "Stands for ABC Speakers" but Foundation did the design and/or building.

Looking at modern designs, they are so often about 'visual appearance' over designed, a concept even? So much these days is the product of 'over design' for its own sake, to many curves and bits, what happened to simple classic appearance . . . 'less is usually more', and thats without considering whats going on as harmonics, stresses and strains etc, . . .

To admit that a passive piece of engineering and sideways thinking improves a boffins speaker design . . . might be good with amps and ohms but the physical boxes and how they react? . . . if you see my point. Some have open minds, and then again some . . . ????????????????? can't win em all. Not significant to me any more . . . simple music; less is more . . .

Picked up my P5 this afternoon, off now until Monday, get the music room set up and 'tuned up' . . . :dance:

. . . 'do not disturb' . . . CJSF

 

[CJSF]

Are you Cliff Stone of Foundation Audio?

The URL of the photo you posted above is from 'CliffStone' and you know a heck of a lot about Foundation Audio stands.

Who else, but a speaker stand designer, would "have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt".

...the plot thickens! :O 🙂

No plot ConEvil . . . that was a previous life. I have to put the pieces back together, very confusing sometimes, but the regression has helped a lot, bad and hard to face memories, but the mist is clearing, slowly.

CJSF

 

[CnoEvil]

Are you Cliff Stone of Foundation Audio?

The URL of the photo you posted above is from 'CliffStone' and you know a heck of a lot about Foundation Audio stands.

Who else, but a speaker stand designer, would "have hundreds . . . even thousands??? of stand listening hours under the belt".

...the plot thickens! :O 🙂

No plot ConEvil . . . that was a previous life. I have to put the pieces back together, very confusing sometimes, but the regression has helped a lot, bad and hard to face memories, but the mist is clearing, slowly.

CJSF

I am delighted you have come out the other side intact (I'm all too well aware the effect that mental illness and depression can have), and it's great to have someone with your knowledge and background on here.