2. misc-audio
  3. 1284407243

hardwood floors, area rugs, and spiked feet

We're putting in solid oak hardwood floors and have purchased decent quality oriental area rugs, one of which is going into my listening space to cover the flooring between the listening location and the speakers. The rug will extend under the speakers. So the question is, what to do to stabilize the speakers on top of the rug without the spikes damaging the flooring underneath. The carpet is pretty thick and dense; it won't do just to remove the spikes and depend on the speaker feet.

I need a method to somewhat blunt the spikes but still enable them to get down into the backing of the rug. It won't do to just round over the spikes; the weight of the speakers will still damage the flooring. I'm thinking there's got to be some sort of a combination of a disc and shallow spike setup. I looked in several catalogs but came up empty.

Surely one of you folks has run into this problem in the past?
fripp1
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jgiacalo
446 posts
 
Herbies Audio Labs' cone/spike decoupling gliders are designed specifically for this application. I used them on my carpet and will as well on my own recently installed hardwood floors' once the poly finish cures in a few days.
In addition to protecting your floors they also reduce floor-bourne vibrations and bring improved clarity to your speakers. They come with a 90-day money back guarantee so it's a no-brainer.
joeyboynj
621 posts
 
I agree with Jgiacalo, I use Herbie's Audio Labs cone/spike decoupling gliders under my rack spikes and speaker spikes. They are on top of thick carpet over hard wood floors. Floor protection and increased resolution was gained. These are a pretty cheap option and 90 days money back guarantee is a no brainer.
fripp1 OP
54 posts
 
I really like the sheet metal and cork idea a lot...I like cheap fixes. Thanks SR!

And I just went to the Herbie Labs site and those decoupling gliders look like they are perfect... positioning will be a breeze with those. I'll get four for my rack for starters and try them out under a speaker to see about stability before I jump in all the way. Either way, you can't beat the price. I really like the Herbie TT mat I've got too. That was another nice cheap tweak for my Rega. So thanks to Jgiacalo and Joeyboynj on the Herbie suggestions.

But really, thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. I knew I'd find the answers here.
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
I used to use Nylon bolts instead of spikes when I had my speakers on the hardwood floor. No marks, easy levelling, and they slide without scratching if you need to reposition them.
dreadhead
353 posts
 
Put a a coin under each of the sharp points of the spikes.
More to discover