Filling speaker Stands?

A fill of lead shot would be my suggestion. Many use a combo of lead shot and sand. Ringing of the stands will be reduced, and stability for the speakers will be enhanced. Enjoy ! MrD.

here's one that will flip your boat, try kitty litter.

Many use a combo of lead shot and sand

Usually the best combo; if lead shot is too messy, you can survive with sand alone. You might also try blu-tacking the speakers onto the stands as well (instead of the Sorbothane) & check for improvement (or not!). Good luck!

Aquarium pebbles should work fine!
https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Aquarium+Pebbles&query2=Aquarium+Rocks&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI18iM-...

@mboldda1 In the OP's post, he did mention kitty litter. Enjoy ! MrD.

Does anyone know why lead shot is always mentioned, but not BBs? 

Do not use kitty litter unless you are in a very dry climate. It absorbs moisture, will expand and be hard to remove. Go to Home Depot and get a 40lb. bag of small pebbles, make sure they are totally dry before pouring them in the stands. They are easy to pour in, shake the stands to pack them in tight, easy to remove and dispose of if need be.

Sand is the easiest to get through small openings. It is heavy and inert. Lead? Don’t bother. You are looking for speaker stands that don’t resonate, not speaker stands that The Hulk couldn’t pick up.

You don't need it to be heavy, you just need it to stop ringing. Sand does a good job.

dill...I like your suggestion. Haven't been to Home Depot to check out the options but I do have a question....... Like I mentioned, the access from either end of the 2 upright tube supports are small threaded holes probably not more than 1/4" in diameter. Are these "small pebbles" small enough to fit thru such small holes?Thanks for your advice.

If you use sand, only use stands that are welded, stands that have bases or parts that are screwed or bolted together might cause sifting in the cracks.

Silica sand is non-organic, very dry, and is available in many grits. I chose the grit that was the smallest of those most resembling organic sand, but not powder-fine. I believe it was 80.

jrpnde .. I don't think 1/4" is large enough to accept the small pebbles. As long as your bases are welded, sand might be a good option for you (not beach sand). You might also check out steel shot.

Lead.

It does not ring like steel and substantially increases the stand mass over sand, steel, pebbles, etc. Best would be lead filled with sand.

Sorbothane works very well in coupling the speaker and stand. The improvement in mid-bass detail is impressive.

Kitty litter is far too light to be of any use.

As far as disposal, almost any gun club can direct you to a reclamation center. Simply add a label on the back stating the stand is filled with lead shot in the event the owner is not the disposer.

How about a molten lead where you can pour inside the stand which will fill up every small spaces then let it cool down, would that work?

Lead is toxic, no need to use it. You can get steel ball bearings from many industrial suppliers at very low prices. stainless won't rust and is safe to handle and get rid of if u want to latter on. Some of the newer kitty litters are pretty dense and could be used. The steel shot or bearings can be had in small diameters so they pack tight.

One common mistake people make is to fully fill their stands. It can kill the sound totally dead. Far bettter results are usually usually obtained by going 50% to 65% max. Keeps a lower C of G too.

Generally speaking, lead is not a good material for sound. Yes, I know, it’s not too soft and not too hard and seems like the perfect material for audio applications. But in most cases, lead has a toxic effect on the sound, especially the bass, which can get all weird and unnatural sounding. If you want something to address ringing hollow fiber wool works very well, and used sparingly. Isolating the speakers is probably worth considering, too.

S’funny Geoff I have heard some people swear by that foam stuff you get in cylinders to inflate your flat tyres in an emergency when you can’t reach an auto repair shop. Never tried it myself, but may have a similar effect to the wool you are talking about.
Again I expect use in moderation may be preferable.

If you use sand, only use stands that are welded, stands that have bases or parts that are screwed or bolted together might cause sifting in the cracks

I had some steel stands that rang like bells. I filled them with play sand from Home Depot ($6), and sealed the tubes with expanding insulating foam from a spray can to keep the sand in.

As is usual on Audiogon, this thread is full of nonsense: toxic effect on the bass, don’t fill the tubes all the way, it will kill the sound, & etc.

I still am curious why no one mentions the use of BBs?

phomchick
If you use sand, only use stands that are welded, stands that have bases or parts that are screwed or bolted together might cause sifting in the cracks
I had some steel stands that rang like bells. I filled them with play sand from Home Depot ($6), and sealed the tubes with expanding insulating foam from a spray can to keep the sand in.

As is usual on Audiogon, this thread is full of nonsense: toxicm effect on the bass, don’t fill the tubes all the way, it will kill the sound, & etc.

>>>>Prolly best to file that one under WHATEVER. 😬

@geoffkait
Yes, I said I used sand, but I also said I used expanding foam (Gaps and Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant) to seal the tubes and keep the sand where I wanted it.
To add another data point, when Infinity built the IRS V speakers, they filled the midrange/tweeter wings to make certain they were non resonant. They were charging $50,000 in the mid 1980s, and could use almost any material they wanted. Did they use lead shot? BBs? Steel ball bearings? No, they used sand.

How how can a lead be toxic if it’s going to be sealed permanently?

It boils down to cost of the filling material verses the possible difference in sound. Depending on how large the cavity is to be filled, lead can be expensive and I am not sure one can hear the difference between fill material. Some day you may want to empty them to move, sell or ship them.
Lead shot - heavy - expensive - toxic (lead dust when pouring)
Steel shot - not quite as heavy - expensive
BB's - very expensive - heavy
Small pebbles - cheap - somewhat heavy - needs a larger opening
Play Sand - cheapest - easy to pour - might sift if the stands aren't sealed.
Kitty litter - not recomended

I have the same stands you're talking about in the 24" height for my KEF LS50's. I filled mine with 'play sand' from Home Depot. This sand is clean, dry and very fine. 

Regardless of what another poster in the thread suggested, you want to fill the stands completely to the top because you want them to be as acoustically dead and stable as possible. Even though these stands are bolted together, I've found that the base and top fit so well that none of the sand can escape through the joints.

Regardless of what you use and if the stand is not sealed, it might be a good idea to use a plastic bag inside the stand, then nothing comes out for any type of stand construction. It won't be easy finding the right size bag, so you will need to make it. Get a large heavy duty garbage bag. Cut one side off and use packing tape to close the cut seam. A precise measurement is important. Use the other side of the bag to make a 2nd one.

Thanks for all of the suggestions I have received. Like I said in my original post... The open access to both of the upright metal posts are only threaded holes about 1/4" in diameter top and bottom. That would eliminate some of the suggestions for the type of fill used.
I'm sure that many would just suggest for me to get a different type of stand. Stands may come to the cost that many have more than the cost in their entire system if their system is as modest as mine.
I knew that my post would inspire a flood of opinions and suggestions from many. This is an issue that has, probably, provoked conflicting opinions of a lot of folks. That's good since everybody's opinion had some merit based on their own personal experiences.
My original question remains the same.....filling my current stands obviously requires some type of medium that can be poured thru such small holes. If the cost of such a medium outweighs that cost of the stands then what's the point?
Maybe, I'm asking a stupid question? Just trying to make the best with what I have.

Partington have been building top quality stands in the U.K. for decades, have won many awards and really know their stuff.

the Super Dreadnought can be filled to dampen them and improve their sound deadening ability. This also allows you to "adjust" the level of bass in your room where the stands are situated. By filling them fully, maximum bass response is realised from your speakers, so we recommend filling them half way, listening to your speakers where you have them situated and then adjusting the position of the stands and/or filling them incrementally more until you are happy with the level of bass.

If you are a total bass head then just go ahead and fully fill your stands and leave it at that. If you favour a more balanced approach which lets music to breathe and allows other portions of the musical spectrum to bloom and fully play their part, follow their advice and try moving your speakers and balancing fill levels to achieve a good balance instead. You may actually learn a thing or too as well - unless doof doof land is your idea audio of nirvana.

Just one more example. When reviewing Atacama Nexus stands TNT AUDIO had the following to say.

The performance of the Nexus 7 can be easily improved though. Each stand weighs in 6 kgs (13 lbs) but you can make it heavier by just adding some filler into the central column, for example using the Atacama Atabites "delta-chips"...
Adding the filler makes the stand heavier and less prone to resonate. This adds some extra weight (pun not intended) in the bass department, too. You can experiment with different amounts of filling till you get the desired compromise. Don't think that filling the central column completely is the best option. Try 50%, then 75% and finally judge with your own ears at each step.

So use your own initiative guys and don't just succumb to the 'me too - if some is good then more must be better' crowd. Use your own ears and judgement and you will be amply rewarded. I guarantee 

OP, nice post! Posters, lots of good ideas/opinions! I needed this to remind me to go get sand for my stands...

Tom

So did anyone actually AB the system with filled stands and without filled stands? No. How about a blind test? No.

BB’s are too expensive.
I have also used sand blasting gravel.

geoffkait writes:

So did anyone actually AB the system with filled stands and without filled stands? No. How about a blind test? No.

Um, yes. I had some "bookshelf" speakers on undamped stands for several weeks and came to know playback's resonant peaks and quirks. Then I went to Home Depot and got enough sand to fill the upright columns of both stands.

I was astounded by the improvement. The speakers sounded more like panel speakers, where the sound was suspended in space and there was an absence of boxy resonances and resonant peaks.
Trying to figure the reason for the profound improvement, instead of an "A-ha!" moment, I had more of a "Well, DUH!" moment. I was a percussionist for several years including playing chimes. Chimes are usually hollow tubes of aluminum with an unusual complex array of overtones. Hollow tube uprights for speaker stands are *very* similar to the construction of chimes. The speakers sitting on the speaker stands excite the resonant modes of the metal upright tubes. By filling the tubes with sand, you completely quell these modes and resonances and you are left with just the musical signals coming from the recordings without additional resonances.
I prefer sand over any of the other substances. First of all, it's cheap, second, many speaker stands have tiny openings to their tubular uprights. Sand is the only thing that can always be poured in there. It won't pull humidity out of the air and cake up like kitty litter. It's not too heavy to move like lead shot. Best of all, it has superior damping because it makes full contact with the entire inner surfaces of the tubular uprights, unlike pebbles, kitty litter, lead shot (unless it's very tiny), etc.

So did anyone actually AB the system with filled stands and without filled stands? No.

Geoff,
Replacing your medically prescribed lithium regime with Albanian overproof Absinthe does not result in a particularly good look.

Can't say it's been happening all that infrequently here of late.

So did anyone actually AB the system with filled stands and without filled stands?

The question is a typical GK inanity.

Most probably everyone who filled stands listened to their system with unfilled stands, filled them and listened again. Unfilled A -> Filled B.

In some audiodom instances, a change is so obvious, there is no need to ABA.

How about a blind test?

@GK : does listening in the dark count? ~<;-P
 

Look! Two 🍑🎩 just flew by.  Make a wish, Johnny.

Say you spill some and a pet or visiting toddler eats it two month later?

I think elizabeth's point is worth repeating. If the toddler is not the visiting kind, risk increases.

What if aliens come down and abduct the toddler? The chances are higher the toddler will fall out an open window or drink some Draino. You can play the what if game until the cows come home. 🐄 🐄 🐄

This thread was of practical use with a number of good-intended posts until the post above.

No, glupson, it was actually your post that had no bearing on the case. 

Number 8 or 9 lead shot ( can be mixed with sand ) is still the best for both minimal resonance, and stability, ime. Enjoy ! MrD.

The problem is, as is so oft the case, “minimal resonance” is not really the name of the game. It’s sound quality. If you cannot hear the detrimental effects of lead on the sound then you should probably hang up your spurs. With an objective ear, not a presupposing ear, you should be able to hear how the entire base spectrum suffers. I admit lead seems like such a great idea. Not too soft, not too hard. Pierre Sprey of Mapleshade swore by lead and would carry a couple hundred pounds of the stuff out to Las Vegas for his exhibit at CES. Then one day Karakal-boom! ⚡️⚡️He finally realized lead was hurting the sound. Sometimes it takes a while for it to sink in. 😢

Hey, d2girls,

if you meant me, I am far under 60. Not that it matters, but for the record. Otherwise, you are right about bickering, but so am I.