You have a pretty good grasp of the basics of vibration control. At least in terms of- yes the mass of the speaker is so great compared to the moving mass of the cones, etc the cabinet isn’t going to move hardly at all. So holding it fixed isn’t really relevant. But if we were going to try and hold it fixed the last place we would do it is some dinky spikes way at the extreme far end of a lever arm. So you got that part pretty good.
Nevertheless, if you do try different things and compare you will hear there are indeed real differences. Just about any spike or cone will be better than what you are planning on doing. Will tell you why in a minute. For now just accept that whatever you can imagine, I have done it at one time or another over the last 30+ years and not only with speakers, but everything else from the amp to the conditioner to the freaking step down transformer under the floor.
The best solution of all, and for all of these, is springs. Why? Because: ringing.
No matter what we do, no matter how rigid or massive, no matter if it is wood or concrete or carbon fiber, it is gonna vibrate. Look at my system. That rack is solid concrete, 4" thick cast concrete shelves with 1" of sand and 4" solid granite. The legs are cast concrete. People will say you don’t need this or you don’t need that because: concrete floor. Such people are so full of it they don’t even know. Concrete transmits vibrations just fine. I know from experience. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
Each material has it’s own inherent vibration characteristics, the speed and frequency it vibrates at best or most, and also the ones it vibrates at least or damps. The vast majority of vibration control on the market today (or ever) is nothing more than people played around to find a combination of materials that resulted in a favorable or benign acoustic signature. Hard to explain, maybe even harder to understand. But play around with these things enough you will hear it.
The speaker (or other component, they are all the same) does not need to be held rigid. Quite the opposite. It needs to be free to move, and as independently of the environment as possible.
Why? Because when the component is the only thing vibrating then the vibrations it generates settle down so much faster. Any coupling to the environment, be it a shelf or floor or whatever, and it will set the whole system to vibrating, and those vibrations will take a lot longer to settle down.
This can actually be seen via a seismograph on a speaker. https://youtu.be/BOPXJDdwtk4?t=8
The key element in all of this is that the spatial information that tells us precisely where a sound is coming from is extremely subtle and low level. Ordinarily the ringing created by the speaker/room vibration system smears a tremendous amount of this detail. When something as effective as Townshend Podiums are used they break this ringing feedback cycle resulting in a tremendous improvement in clarity and detail.
I can tell you from actual experience the plan you have will be no better, and maybe even worse, than nothing. Bolting maple to the bottom of the speakers will only add a little mass, but not very well damped mass, so it will mostly add smearing. Putting spikes under it will not help at all. Better in fact to put the spikes on the speaker, and the maple on the floor. You can experiment if you like. Most guys sorry to say come here pretending to ask but really already having their minds made up. Hope that’s not you. I am not kidding. That idea is not good.
Springs are so much better a solution that even dirt cheap Nobsound springs are better than just about anything else you can do. They aren’t perfect. They require a bit of experimentation to determine the correct number of springs to tune the sound to what you want. Then more experimentation and tweaking to get them level. But in terms of price/performance they will beat just about anything.
About the only thing they will not beat, not even close, are Townshend Podiums. These are engineered with just the right amount of damping to tune out the tonal aberrations that would otherwise be a problem with springs.
I tried all this stuff. That was your requirement. I actually did it all. Springs are way better than anything else- except Townshend. Podiums under your speakers will open up the sound stage deep and wide, with so much detail you will wonder if it really is the same speakers. Truth of timbre will be like a whole component upgrade.
Notice the one guy in the video said they had what they thought was a room problem with bass modes. I had the same thing. Was just about convinced I was going to have to break down and try bass traps. Put Podiums under my Moabs, hey where’d that bass resonance go? There is still some room resonance, but it is so much less it is hard to believe. I am now convinced a huge amount of what we consider room acoustic problems are really rooted in the speakers exciting the whole room to vibrate by not being properly isolated on springs.
Nevertheless, if you do try different things and compare you will hear there are indeed real differences. Just about any spike or cone will be better than what you are planning on doing. Will tell you why in a minute. For now just accept that whatever you can imagine, I have done it at one time or another over the last 30+ years and not only with speakers, but everything else from the amp to the conditioner to the freaking step down transformer under the floor.
The best solution of all, and for all of these, is springs. Why? Because: ringing.
No matter what we do, no matter how rigid or massive, no matter if it is wood or concrete or carbon fiber, it is gonna vibrate. Look at my system. That rack is solid concrete, 4" thick cast concrete shelves with 1" of sand and 4" solid granite. The legs are cast concrete. People will say you don’t need this or you don’t need that because: concrete floor. Such people are so full of it they don’t even know. Concrete transmits vibrations just fine. I know from experience. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
Each material has it’s own inherent vibration characteristics, the speed and frequency it vibrates at best or most, and also the ones it vibrates at least or damps. The vast majority of vibration control on the market today (or ever) is nothing more than people played around to find a combination of materials that resulted in a favorable or benign acoustic signature. Hard to explain, maybe even harder to understand. But play around with these things enough you will hear it.
The speaker (or other component, they are all the same) does not need to be held rigid. Quite the opposite. It needs to be free to move, and as independently of the environment as possible.
Why? Because when the component is the only thing vibrating then the vibrations it generates settle down so much faster. Any coupling to the environment, be it a shelf or floor or whatever, and it will set the whole system to vibrating, and those vibrations will take a lot longer to settle down.
This can actually be seen via a seismograph on a speaker. https://youtu.be/BOPXJDdwtk4?t=8
The key element in all of this is that the spatial information that tells us precisely where a sound is coming from is extremely subtle and low level. Ordinarily the ringing created by the speaker/room vibration system smears a tremendous amount of this detail. When something as effective as Townshend Podiums are used they break this ringing feedback cycle resulting in a tremendous improvement in clarity and detail.
I can tell you from actual experience the plan you have will be no better, and maybe even worse, than nothing. Bolting maple to the bottom of the speakers will only add a little mass, but not very well damped mass, so it will mostly add smearing. Putting spikes under it will not help at all. Better in fact to put the spikes on the speaker, and the maple on the floor. You can experiment if you like. Most guys sorry to say come here pretending to ask but really already having their minds made up. Hope that’s not you. I am not kidding. That idea is not good.
Springs are so much better a solution that even dirt cheap Nobsound springs are better than just about anything else you can do. They aren’t perfect. They require a bit of experimentation to determine the correct number of springs to tune the sound to what you want. Then more experimentation and tweaking to get them level. But in terms of price/performance they will beat just about anything.
About the only thing they will not beat, not even close, are Townshend Podiums. These are engineered with just the right amount of damping to tune out the tonal aberrations that would otherwise be a problem with springs.
I tried all this stuff. That was your requirement. I actually did it all. Springs are way better than anything else- except Townshend. Podiums under your speakers will open up the sound stage deep and wide, with so much detail you will wonder if it really is the same speakers. Truth of timbre will be like a whole component upgrade.
Notice the one guy in the video said they had what they thought was a room problem with bass modes. I had the same thing. Was just about convinced I was going to have to break down and try bass traps. Put Podiums under my Moabs, hey where’d that bass resonance go? There is still some room resonance, but it is so much less it is hard to believe. I am now convinced a huge amount of what we consider room acoustic problems are really rooted in the speakers exciting the whole room to vibrate by not being properly isolated on springs.