Why are speaker stands so expensive?!

Mitch:  You use sound anchors and are the rep for them in the USA. I’ve always recommended them over the years a solution for most people. Very popular in pro, less so in Consumer but should be.

Not sure I understand your comment above? Are you saying a listener doesn’t need to buy Sound anchors and can do this themselves?

@lonemountain

I am not a rep for anything.

Regarding my comment about not having to spend thousands of dollars,

@audiopoint had stated,

The company I represent does not manufacture speaker stands for less than a few thousand dollars per pair

IMO, good speaker stands do not need to cost anywhere near that amount. Sound Anchors stands are less money, and a person who is somewhat talented in wood or metal working could probably put together something acceptable for even less. Solid wood end tables or a cinder block set-up with a wood or metal plinth could even work. Some folks have built forms and cast stands out of concrete. Good stand mount speakers, with the right footers, should sound good on just about any solid support. If you want spring footers, there are much less expensive options than Townshend. Elastomers are even less money. A person can spend as much as they want, but it doesn’t have to be a lot.

@mitch2 

"IMO, good speaker stands do not need to cost anywhere near that amount."

No, they don't, but his are worth it because they allow any speakers that they are used with to sound their best, and you can only know that by trying them. I cant afford them either for the standmount speakers that I own, but I own the Sistrum Stands for my floorstanders, and the difference and improvement is something that could never be duplicated by wood or concrete.

@mitch2

Can’t argue with any of your statements. Sound anchors run around $1200-$1500 for bookshelves, and more for larger monitor type speakers but still under $2000. It is a challenge for some to add this amount to the speaker, but it can be a bigger positive difference than some speaker cable IMHO. There are some users that add pucks of various sorts to the speaker "plate" and this can make a difference (up to you if its better or just different).  I’ve seen larger wooden (MDF) boxes filled with sand that sounded good, a good mastering client built some for his ATC 150s. I have found NO version of wood only or cinder block that sound as good as that or stock sound anchors. I am not a fan of the foam speaker squares that are commonly promoted in pro. Isoacoustics has received some good support in pro and consumer, Ive used them myself under towers at trade shows to positive result. I know a few people that use them on sound anchors.

It is fortunate that I do shows and demos and get to try lots of variations in the same environment- so it’s easy to hear the results of A vs B.

Brad

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time out to respond! This has been an informative discussion to follow.