speaker stands on wood floors

Warrenh said: "... As far as your "speaker stand coupling"--why don't you tell us a little 'bout what you've got there?"

OK, not sure what you're looking for here, so I'll be complete.

I have an EAD UD 2000 CD player and a Plinius 8200 Mk II integrated sitting on a metal frame component rack with threaded spikes (not currently attached).

I have the Linn Sara speakers sitting on Linn stands. The Sara's are coupled directly to the top of the stands with the stands' "upward" spikes (so this is not the problem). The stands also have threaded spikes at the bottom (also not currently attached).

I would prefer not to spike the wood floor. So I was thinking maybe to use the spikes with these discs I've been hearing about (I know this is old hat to you guys). First I was wondering if this concept is even feasible. Secondly, if it is feasible, suggestions on specifically which discs to use and where to get them (at $5 apiece) would be welcomed. I am concerned about the coupling between the spikes and the discs. Are there many discs with soft metal centers? And thirdly, any other ideas would also be welcomed. I've had the coin idea suggested before, but it doesn't seem like this would provide very good coupling between the floor and the coin itself. Any more thoughts on that?

Thanks
Don

Hi Don,

Your gear is nicer than mine, but I thought I'd share what I did with my Celestion S300's (floorstanders). My goal was to reduce "boominess", so I guess you could say I was after "decouplng". My speakers resonated too much when sitting on the floor.

First I cut a piece of plywood the size of the bottom of each speaker, and set the spikes on that. Didn't do anything for me.

Then I did the penny thing. I used a drill to make a little divot in the center of each penny to keep the spike centered. The coupling between the floor and the coin didn't seem to be a problem -- these speakers are heavy, and they come down hard on those sharp points! This gave me a noticeable improvement in sound.

What I have now is (don't laugh) 2 long pieces of stick-on felt on the bottom of each speaker. Sounds better than having the speakers on the floor, but not quite as good as the pennies. The big advantage is that I can slide the speakers around on the floor without scratching it. This is a big plus, when I really want to listen, I slide the speakers way out into the room. Also I get to tweak toe-in and separation. I could never leave them this way, too much traffic in the house. I gain more from the good speaker positioning than I lose.

Best of luck, I'm curious to hear what you find.

- Eric

Soft chewey centers? What are you guys talking about? If it is lead or sand they are damping components. Lead and sand and rubber are storage devices. These materials do not transfer the resonant energy many of you are voicing, rightfully so, that you want to rid your system of. To rid your system of noise and accoustic glare you must transmit the nasties to ground! If you dampen it or absorb it, it will only come back to stab you in the ear later. This stored energy will come back to haunt you either by robbing your music of lost dynamics or by releasing the nasties at a different time and frequency. If you really want to hear your equipement for the first time and hence the music, you must couple, not isolate or dampen. I use Sistrum APCD coupling discs on top and under all wooden surfaces that I place Sistrum Platforms or Audiopoints. Don... these are devices that I feel are fundamentally correct, beyond any other, and therefore represent a great value. Because they work so well, you will keep them in your system all the while replacing speakers and electronics. Tom

>What I have now is (don't laugh) 2 long pieces of stick-on felt on the bottom of each speaker...

I didn't laugh, but I sure smiled. I have done the same thing to the bottom of my furniture. The normal room set up is not condusive to listening. The listening set-up is not at all appealing for daily living. I am constantly sliding the couch around on the living room floor. 8-)

>Soft chewey centers?...

Now here I laughed! And thanks for your insights. From your post, it's clear that you are a proponant of coupling and I'm with you on that principle. But it was not clear to me whether you agree that the "spikes on discs on wood floors" approach achieves coupling. Please remember, this type of stuff is new to me. At this point, it would just be nice to get affirmation that my "spikes on discs" approach for speakers isn't out in left field in the first place.

I was assuming that the lead was a part of the particular discs I saw to keep cones from sliding off a harder, flat surface. I suppose it's possible that various disc designs have a centered divots to allow pointy things to rest on them safely? I am not at all familiar with the various discs available themselves (I'm tracking these suggestions, but haven't researched them yet).

Thanks
Don

I second the audiopoints advice - the coupling discs are 6.99 per unit but worth it. But be warned, if you slide the discs on a hardwood floor, they can scratch the finish as well, as I learned...