Casters to replace spikes
@esthlos13, my understanding is that the purpose of spikes is actually to *couple* the speaker to the floor. The spikes pierce through the carpet to reach the concrete slab underneath into which they transfer their energy. The idea is that a giant concrete slab won't resonate much and is therefore good for absorbing vibrations. In contrast, when coupling a speaker to a wood floor, the wood would be too excited by the speaker vibrations, and the resonances created in the wood floor would negatively interact with your speakers. Another way to think about this is that with wood and tile, you only have one choice--to decouple. But with with a cement floor, you have another option--to couple. |
For WAF, I renoved the spikes on my speaker stands and put on some rubber wheeled casters that I purchased off of Amazon. I researched a fair bit, but ultimately chose those with the correct thread pitch and locking wheels. I ordered a couple different styles and tried them out, then sent back the set I decided against. My flooring is LVP atop concrete slab. I could discern NO difference between spikes and casters. The time to go back and forth means that any difference I might hear would be experimentally questionable. Additionally, the room is such that any first order reflections arrive late enough at my listening position to avoid any smearing or aural confusion. I love the convenience of the wheels. The only issue for me is that there is a slight fall to the floor. As the casters have double locking nuts, I moved the speakers to their ideal location, the adjusted height for level based on that position. What I have learned in several disciplines is that theory and reality often disagree. Theory may or may not accurately depict the state of things in an ideal realm, but it is often quite irrelevant in our experiential realm. In my room, where the rear and side walls are substantially distant from the listening position, there was no negative change to sound quality. The ability to easily adjust speaker position also meant that I spent more time dialing in sound because I wasn’t wrestling with the speakers (Tip: figure out where those spots are and have an easy way to return speakers there as needed). |
Check out Mockett
CA39PB-90. 65 lb. capacity x 4 = 260 lbs., low profile of only 2 5/32" height. The lower the profile, the more stable it will be. This is a tall package with a narrow footprint, not ideal for casters but if you keep them small in height and install them as close to the outside corners as possible, it might be OK with careful handling. I usually do not consider casters on anything under 18" wide, especially if the object is tall and heavy. http://https//www.mockett.com/ca39pb-90.html |
