Townshend Springs under Speakers

The physics is the same regardless of the speaker manufacturer.  My experience with spikes vs. decoupling (using Herbies products and later springs) led me to believe in the benefit of decoupling on both suspended wood floors and on grade-supported concrete slabs.  The effect of decoupling/springs could be different and/or more substantial for speakers supported on suspended floors than for those supported on concrete, but IME it is the better performing option as discussed by @oldhvymec below. 

That's what I thought.

For those who might want to read R. Vandersteen’s comment:

I have tried to duplicate Townshend’s test results but was unable to measure the amount of movement of the floor in the lab or my home (was unable to sinc the test with a earthquake even though I am in Calif). Both locations are concrete floors directly on the ground. If ones floor has significant tympanic movement from some source (music, subway, train, freeway ,etc) spring isolation tuned to a very low frequency may allow the speaker to more accurately pressurize the room with music’s information. In my rooms it caused dynamic compression and smearing because the speaker enclosure moves. It does make the sound less bright and the sound stage gets more diffuse (larger but less defined) which may sound better with some speakers especially if like most speakers the tweeter is too bright. The ultimate goal is for the speaker to be held in space as rigidly in space as possible so that any movement in any of the speakers drivers is not modified but a facsimile of what came from the amplifier. Like usual this will vary in different situations but in IMO 3 points works best in most situations.

RV

Vandersteen forum - Has Anyone Tried Townshend spring platforms under Vandersteens?

@stringreen, you seem to want to try Townshend podiums. Do it. Why not? Report back once you have them installed.

Isolation below speakers works from my experience...but it greatly varies from speaker to speaker and from room to room.

The ultimate goal is for the speaker to be held in space as rigidly in space as possible so that any movement in any of the speakers drivers is not modified but a facsimile of what came from the amplifier.

He may be right about this being the "ultimate" goal. Theoretically, at least. In a perfect world.     

In the world we live in however there is no infinitely immovable anything. Everything however hard and stiff and damped always winds up moving and vibrating. Vibrations being what they are in the world we live in some of them reflect right back to the driver, while the rest causes the whole mass to vibrate in sympathy. Just the way it is, and no amount of theoretical "ultimate goal" gonna change it one bit.  

That is why these things work. Everything vibrates no matter what, and so it turns out to work a whole lot better to let them vibrate but in a way that is isolated from everything else.