To Couple or Decouple Bookshelf Speakers to Stands?

One answer was to couple with Blue-tack - the second was to use Sorbothane to isolate the speakers and the third (and the most confusing) was to use a combination of the two. As I said, this is one of those questions everyone seems to have a strong opinion on. The stands are filled with sand, they have spikes with rubber shoes to protect the floor. I'm going the Blue-Tack route to begin - it makes the most sense to me.  I'll post results. 

Blu-Tak is the cheapest, but not the best. Please do not use Sorbothane, it sucks the life out of everything audio, only  to be used as shoe insoles. Herbies is not cheap, but are the best IMO.

You get a lot of answers because there is no such thing as decoupling. There is only vibration control. This being the case every bookshelf/speaker combination vibrates differently and so there is no one universal answer. If decoupling was a thing then it would always work. So you can be sure its not a thing.

Coupling usually works, because mass is one of the easiest ways of controlling vibration. This is also why sand boxes and massive stands tend to work so well. You could even sandwich a speaker between two books, a thin one under and a thick heavy one on top. Not saying this will be great, but it is something cheap and easy you can try just to see what I mean. Ultimately it all comes down to trying a few things and going with whatever works best in your situation.

millercarbon4,901 posts06-21-2020 9:13pm

You get a lot of answers because there is no such thing as decoupling.

Really? Coupling / decoupling, refers to harmonics, thus adding to the ROOM vibration, not the speaker. To decouple from a shaky wooden structure is almost always better. If you have a tip up structure, (all concrete except the lid), that is different again.

Vibration control, and coupling / decoupling are different things.
YET one laps into the other. Walking across a room, or simi going by, the floor shaking, is different than a speaker introducing bass harmonics. Both shake, both vibrate, both are bad, but they are not the same.

You say there is no such thing, then you explain how to decouple the speaker, with books. (partially). I guess that’s when it’s not a thing.

As you explained, there are degrees. It is true (the third answer from OP), the speaker may be PARTIALLY, coupled. So the answer is to add weight, and try to couple it. CHEAP BOX.. OK.. Thick boxes are never an issue.. MDF or HDF. That weight will couple to a room, and shake it....

I decouple completely, I don’t use the bass system at all in any of my monitors...and use decoupling mat. Silicone is always the best, there is nothing better, for the money....

I say if the cabinet is thick enough, (built right to begin with) I don’t need to kill the harmonics by adding weight, It’s already dead.. If a dead cabinet, is coupled to a DEAD stick, (the stand with sand), then it CAN’T be coupled to the floor.. THINK...One way to tell for sure, an accelerometer.

The tap test will tell the story.. does the stand sound like green concrete, NO NOISE.. If it does..Your already decoupled, like I said.. Add all the sticky stuff you can find....It’s already decoupled..Why would you want to
ADD vibration to a room...????? By coupling it.. Unless your on concrete, I still decouple...

In a book shelf, it’s alway the same thing, bass verses, Imaging. Coupling and decoupling is just not an issue with them.. Can’t be. The lack of a wide baffle and a very short one to boot, there just can’t be heart pounding bass, midbass yes. 60-80 hz if your real lucky. More like 80-100 is the lowest they will measure. If you want more bass add a beard. If you don’t like that. Gatling gun a bass system.. DBA..LOL

The reason why so many of floor sanders baffle are narrow NOW. They Image better but they lack in bass response. Answer, add a bass driver to the side of the structure. Problem, cabinet wobble.
Answer, separate cabinets, COLUMNS...Nothing better...

Regards

dill.
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