Do you know if Harbeth voiced them using 18 inch stands? If they did, you could affect the bass balance/voicing if you raise them more than that. Many manufacturers build their floor standing speakers with the woofers at a specific height to account for floor bounce. That could be what Harbeth did with these, even though they go on a stand.
Raising standmount speakers
My main system is in the media room and consists of Harbeth SHL5+ resting on stands that are 18 inches high (as recommended by Harbeth). When we were building the house this room was meant to be a proper media room. So we had the builder make a platform in the back 1/4th portion of the room to get the stadium seating effect. The platform is about 8 inches higher than the rest of the floor area. My listening chair (actually couch) is placed atop the platform. The problem is that in this listening position my ears are a little above the tweeter level.
I'm looking for suggestions on how to raise the speaker stands by 4-6 inches without breaking the bank or the aesthetics of the room. The room is fully carpeted by the way.
P.S. - please don't suggest removing the platform. We still plan to put a theater setup in there some day ... although, I'm running out of excuses to postpone the decision. I would much rather keep it as a dedicated 2-channel listening room, but the rest of the family is not too thrilled. The thought of just getting rid of the family has certainly crossed my mind though ...
I'm looking for suggestions on how to raise the speaker stands by 4-6 inches without breaking the bank or the aesthetics of the room. The room is fully carpeted by the way.
P.S. - please don't suggest removing the platform. We still plan to put a theater setup in there some day ... although, I'm running out of excuses to postpone the decision. I would much rather keep it as a dedicated 2-channel listening room, but the rest of the family is not too thrilled. The thought of just getting rid of the family has certainly crossed my mind though ...
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- 24 posts total
@tvad Thanks and this makes sense. I looked into the IcoAcoustics footers and they sound promising - no pun intended :) A combination of IcoAcoustics and butcher blocks might be the way to go in the long run. think I saw @milpai system pics where he is using a similar combination but he has floorstanders. Appreciate the input from everyone. In the meantime, I will experiment with tilting the stands. Will keep you guys posted. |
I will experiment with tilting the stands. Will keep you guys posted. Tom6897’s suggestion of a laser guide is excellent. Here’s something to try... Place a laser guide so it’s centered on one of the loudspeakers, and flush to the baffle. It’s good to secure the laser guide with a bit of BluTak. Find a stand, or a high backed chair, or something on which you can tape a piece of paper with a dime size dot in the middle. Tape the paper to the stand so the dot is at ear level. Then, move the paper target left or right and line it up so the laser from the respective loudspeaker hits the paper. Then, tilt the speaker until the laser hits the dot. You may have to move the stand a little left or right to center the dot. That’s okay. The idea is tilting both speakers so they match. Repeat for the other speaker. Of course, if Harbeth recommends setting the tweeter higher or lower than ear level, then adjust the height of the dot accordingly. You can also use this method to match toe-in angle. |
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3262#&gid=1&pid=1 If you expand the pic you’ll see them. My amps are sitting atop platforms I assembled for a different pair of speakers that I needed the tweeters higher. Made on the cheap as an experiment that worked quite well for me. -two of these https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/aptitlig-butcher-block-bamboo-00233429/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlbmf6s718gIVj... -two of these https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-DSS4-BK-Black-Speaker-Spike-Set-4-Pcs.-240-717 about 85-90 dollars invested. drilled the anchor holes, screwed in anchor inserts, installed cones…done. These net about 2.5” to 2.75” elevation only so you may need taller cones which are readily available at P.E. Or Amazon. Cones are adjustable so you can play with rake angle starting at the base and keep speaker to stand contact the same as it is now. 3” and 4” butcher blocks are expensive, unless you know a woodworker or mill that would make you raw pieces that you would sand and finish. |
"The main difference is that the music gets a tiny bit more immersive and the soundstage gets a bit taller when I lower my head." Yes, that's what happens when you add a slight uptilt to many speakers. Now try it by actually raising the front of the speakers in order that they react differently to the room as well as your ears/listening position. Difficult to tell from photos, but the speakers look as if they already have a bit of uptilt. DeKay |
- 24 posts total