Stillpoints - snake oil?

@ethiessen1  
Depending on how well the system, at the audio shop, was set up in the first place, I would say you would hear a difference between, without and with the Stillpoints. Most likely, with the Stillpoints, the stage would seem slightly larger, with a bit more clarity and definition through the upper and mid range and possibly a tighter bass. A smooth sales person - with a customer having deep pockets and a willingness to spend any amount to get the slightest bit better sound - may well swing a quick $2K - $5K sale on a box of fancy goods (not counting anything for speakers).
The thing is - for a small fraction of that cost (probably less than $100.00 per component) you could accomplish the same difference, using iso mats, brass tip-toes, a roll of rubber no-skid drawer liner and a thin sheet of dense felt. For a few hundred dollars more, you can add in a couple of 3" or 4" maple butcher blocks. When used in conjunction with iso pads and tip-toes, they do help - especially with TTs, CDPs, transports and DACs.
Also, I've found that small bags filled with sand or shot, can work well for dampening.
Wither in the audio shop, or in your home, taking steps to eliminate vibration and resonance, almost always has a sonic pay off...Jim

I had a customer once that had the brackets with speakers just sitting on the shag carpet. I drilled and tapped two holes in each bracket, each near the ends. Then screwed in long carpet piercing spikes that where long enough so the speakers looked like they where hovering just over the top of the carpet. It really tightened up the bass and looked good too!

@elizabeth Aside from drilling and installing 1/4-20 T nuts, or threaded inserts, to accommodate threaded spikes - my first inclination would be to try a set of leather, shot bags. Make ea. bag long enough to go across the width of the base and maybe 4" or 5" wide and a couple of inches thick. Lay one across the front and one across the back of ea. speaker base.
I'm using some small (about 6" x 3" x 1.5") leather shot bags from my shop, laid across the metal feet of my Maggie 1.7s. Not only did it solve the problem of the speakers migrating on the carpet (only a quarter of an in. or so per mo. but enough to affect their off axis imaging) but also made an overall improvement in detail and air. I'm happy with the results, but now have to make some that are a bit more decorative and a little  higher on the WAF scale...Jim   

I am a Stillpoints user. 

Stillpoints recommends placing the Ultra SS or the more expensive Ultra 5’s under speakers first. 

I ignored this and isolated first with Ultra Mini (least expensive) under the components, but not the amps. I then added Ultra SS under a pair of Focal 1038be I had at the time resting on carpet over concrete - the difference was not subtle, the sound became more controlled across the range, down side is it took 4 each, plus adapters between Stillpoints and the speaker.

At this time, I got in new amps and waiting for new speakers, costing 5X that of the Focal while still playing the Focals - it sounded very good, enough where I wish I pocketed the difference but addiction prevailed and the new speakers were on their way.

The new speakera were on manufacture spikes and I then tried Ansuz Dark DTC followed by Stillpoints Ultra SS - again realizing a more controlled sound emitting from the speaker. I will be moving to the Ultra 5s under the speakers as budget presents itself as the SS did their job and now can assume the 5’s will get me better than 5% more result. At 5% the purchase has to be in the buy, meaning a deal.

All other gear floats on Ultra SS, and soon 6 under the DAC and server, again the 6 need to be had at a deal. 

Afternarket is such that it is an industry in to itself. Componet and Speaker companies leave these tweaks out as it’s a personal choice as they don’t know what the entire system looks like or the environment it resides in. Cost also becomes the factor, they would have to up charge 25% plus for manufacture and carrying costs. There are a lot of examples in auto, boats and even homes. Why does kitchens in new homes not include a SubZero refrigerator, it’s only $10K on a six figure house?


Isolation works, as does treatment and a solid power foundation - these items can help shape a moderately priced system into a great sounding system and stupid priced systems like I am running question the amount of money spent where I did not have to go all in so to speak even after following the disciplines of power, isolation and treatment. My falling off a few times to from the discipline resulted in buys of uber priced gear that sometimes I remorse of course until I hit play :-)