Will the placement of casters on speaker stands degrade the performance

The only reasonable solution is to dampen the floor with water, freeze it, and attach ice skates to your speakers. 

boing boing Miller, they said you would pop up.

If castors (sic, in the UK at least) have rubber wheels then they will behave similarly to your beloved far more costly Podiums - boing boing.

If you have a solid floor that it's a no-brainer - spikes or some other rigid interface will prevent your speakers moving.  If you have a suspended wooden floor then there is no set-up that will stop your speakers moving and smearing the SQ.

Not ’easy’ movement, ’just possible’ movement. Mine are well over 100 lbs. I have to pull/push pretty hard. They stay solidly where I put them.

Solution for movement needs to be made relative to the speaker’s weight and bottom surface area, and the floor material and solidity. Sitting solidly, so the woofer can’t rock the boat is the goal. Mine are 37 lb 15" woofers, on 3 hard plastic casters with tight axels, they stay put, Donna’s stuff stays put on the slanted top, and I can readily adjust toe-in to maintain imaging.

As I said, for ’just possible’ movement potential, forget spikes, they are a done deal for a single precise location, and any ’earth’ vibrations can/will go ’up’ to the speakers.

If you have lightweight speakers, they are small, and need to be up for tweeter height at seated ear level, thus stands. Fill the stands with lead, sand, make them out of steel beams, HEAVY, and firmly attach the speakers to the stand, now you own a unified heavy sucker. Now, a solution for ’just possible’ movement based on the weight and bottom surface area, and solve tipping potential.

Any bottom mounted material or wheel, I recommend 3, not 4, (more weight per contact area, self leveling). If tipping is possible during relocation, a skirt or rear corner blocks to prevent that.

Slip sheet on carpet; felt pads on hard floor; hard plastic casters slightly softer poly wheels; a bit softer rubber wheels.

Suppose an infinitesimal difference between spikes and your method of firm but possible movement could be measured by a scientific instrument. Lack of movement would negate improved ’situational imaging’ for the sake of an infinitesimal measurement, that’s a bad bargain. Further back, way back out of the way for table extension for family dinners is FAR more important, let’s get real, solve your life needs, the music will be more enjoyable.

Reading ’Townsend’s ’block earth’s vibration going ’up’, I recently tried to find softer surfaced casters. I tried, returned 3 different sets as each one’s ’soft rubber’ was far from soft. Finally I got some, switched them, the wheels axels were too loose, they wobbled: so the softer surface was achieved, but the big woofers could rock the boat because of the loose axels. Hard plastic with tight axels back on!

Mine are dual wheel, plate mounted (not post pushed into sockets) high quality furniture grade (moved from the Infinite Slope speakers (they found good ones). Some have optional brakes, not mine. If you need brakes, they move too easily.

OP,

I suggest considering MC’s idea. You could also try it out inexpensively with a butcher block platform and some Nobsound springs. If you like it, you could consider upgrading to the Podiums later. My speakers are on butcher block and Nobsound springs, and it’s done wonders for bass, imaging, clarity of highs, and soundstage.


@tsushima1

How many of MC’s recommendations have you actually tried? I’ve tried 9 now, working on the 10th, and my modest system sounds shockingly good because of his recommendations. I’m going to post on all of it after I set up the DBA, again following MC’s recommendations. Just got the first sub, I’m going to add one a month to really experience how a DBA affects sound.

Acolyte? Sycophant? You bet, because his ideas work, and work brilliantly, and I know because I’ve tried them myself.

Finally, placebo effect… Here’s the thing… this stuff has delivered amazing sound for myself, my wife, and all of my friends who come listen and are blown away. That’s a pretty dang good placebo effect, I’ll take it!

a bag of concrete mix is 80 lbs. Go to home depot, pick up a bag. It can be on wheels (without wobbly axels) and it ain’t going anywhere by itself. Get two 20 lb bags of something, bird seed, sand, ... stuff is heavier the numbers imply.