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Speaker Spikes - Working Principle

Vibration damping obvious makes sense (in speakers just as well as in cars). 

That involves 'killing' (converting into heat, through typically internal friction) kinetic energy. So any sort of elastic material (rubber has lots of internal friction) makes sense. 

And then there are spikes. Using a pointy hard object and pair it with a softer, elastic material (to deform, and kill kinetic energy) can work; think metal sharp spike into carpet or wood floor. 

But what is the idea behind pairing fairly unelastic metal (brass for example) with similarly unelastic (brass, stone, etc) material (example photo provided)? Only thing I can come up with: LOOKS good and makes owner feel good  thinking its an improvement (works only for Audiophiles though),

Even more curious: are they ENGINEERED "spikes" (vibration dampers or shock absorbers) for speakers that are TUNED for the frequency (and mass)  that needs to be dampened? Can piston style fluid dampers be designed for the high frequencies (100, 1000, 10000 Hz) using geometry, nozzles size and viscosity of the fluid?

 

kraftwerkturbo
carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,379 posts
 

Spikes are an attempt to anchor the speaker to the floor.  They are full of uncertainty:  what is the rigidity of the floor.  How well dod the spike couple.  do the pads that protect the floor actually uncouple.  and finally, and most important, did the speaker designer intend for the speaker to be coupled.  As an engineer, if coupling really was the goal, I would design something that anchored the speakers solidly to the floor.

But my experience, and this is with my speakers, other speakers may be designed differently, is that speakers perform better when UNcoupled from the floor.  I won't go through the physics, but a properly designed spring is the best way to uncouple a speaker from the floor.  That is my recommendation of what to try first for most speakers.  Solid granite speakers might be an exception.

Jerry

ellajeanelle's avatar
ellajeanelle
386 posts
 

I agree with carlsbad 2.  Spikes just minimize the surface-to-surface contact. The only good use that I see for spikes is to keep a subwoofer from sliding around on carpet.  I used to have a hum problem with my turntable years ago whenever I would turn up the volume loud.  I tried everything without great success. I then built a spring-loaded platform to set the turntable on and the problem was completely solved. 

erik_squires
15,772 posts
 

The principle is minimal contact surface area.  The opposite of say, laying a speaker cabinet directly onto a resonant surface like a suspended wooden floor.

IMHO though these should be avoided with tall speakers unless you use some soft of outrigger.  I have used them in Focal Profiles and they made the already tipsy speaker even more likely to tip over.

kraftwerkturbo OP
310 posts
 

Prevent from moving around: accepted (double sided tape would do as well). 

Nice big heavy granite/cast iron plate on the bottom, some soft rubber 'pucks' will certainly help to kill SOME vibrations (sound) transmitted from the speaker to the floor (and still keep the speaker in place). 

Wondering what frequencies the crazy turntable designers calculate their vibration dampers for (and what method they use, sure mass is one of them). 

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