Why are speaker stands so expensive?!

I’ve been very happy with the Pangea 400 stands (same configuration as the Monoprice stands in the first response), filled with lead shot.  Weight is 150-175 lbs, plus speakers.  Bedded in Blue Tac, my Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2 EX has a bottom end like my Dynaudio Heritage Specials now.  

I use some RockVille I got on sale at Amazon for 69$ for 29" but they may be too high for my Harbeth 3.0's. Metal single post I filled with rock and later I weighed down base plate in place. No children on site so structurally it seems ok, must warn housekeeping tho. Sounds ok and frees up some real estate in my small place. Speaker stand station overall drives me crazy tho, the all look terrible and most of the good ones seem like they must be terribly over priced.

Speaker stands are furniture that must perform acoustically.

You can scrimp on them, and you will get what you pay for.

I never understood why you would put bookshelf speakers on stands. With the cost of a proper stand, why not buy a floor stander, if you have the space? Then worry about what platform to put them on if the manufacturer scrimps there. I've heard of people buying stands and then something else to put them on top of to help with vibration control. Too much tinkering. 

Did You Know?

Physics dictates that the stand supporting any loudspeaker establishes a mechanical relationship combining material science, geometry, and mass to functionality. This marriage impacts the sonic performance of the loudspeaker. The stand and speaker become a single formula to perform as one vibrating entity. The same technical understanding holds for floor-borne speaker systems and plinths or platforms.

The speaker stand is the difference maker. It determines how much or how little one hears and benefits from their loudspeaker. Locke T. Highleyman, ME Live-Vibe Audio

Regardless of speaker mounting methodologies or techniques, such as direct coupling, tensioning, constrained layer damping, absorption, decoupling, or isolation, the stand dominates the sonic result. This relationship also includes any materials used between the speaker and stand or the connection to the flooring. 

We displayed a highly active monitor demonstration at a CES Show in Las Vegas. Our company presented the same monitor loudspeaker with an affordable, expensive, and State-of-the-Art pair of stands. By rotating the monitors, the results were audible as we produced three different sonics using the same loudspeakers. 

Reviewers could not believe the audible changes the speaker stands do make, but that topic appeared too difficult for words. It is easier to get people to read about cable changes.

Audio Reality:

Few written, known, or listening comparisons involve speakers and stand interactions. It is difficult and sometimes embarrassing for an industry heavily relying on limited testing methodologies, non-scientific or partisan graphs, or reviewers’ comparisons and opinions to help determine the best sound. However, when a unique topic presents, everyone hides.

Investing thousands of dollars into monitors and getting a set of cheap stands is not recommended. It is a waste of investment dollars. You will never hear the sonic capability of your system.

In my opinion:

If you want a stand engineered from top to bottom, the materials, testing, and expertise add to the expense. You get what you pay for in Sonic measure.

Disclaimer: 

The company I represent does not manufacture speaker stands for less than a few thousand dollars per pair, so no sales interest or shilling is presented here. There are a couple of ways to hot-rod lesser expensive stands. The key is to maximize the design. That information is available free of charge. 

Robert, Live-Vibe Audio