Speaker Spikes - Working Principle

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

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. 

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.

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). 

The following is a Copy/Paste and very slightly edited Post made earlier this Month.

One method I overlooked to comment on and one that is well worth suggesting is the use of Spikes separating the speaker from a Suspension device. With the AT 616 Suspension Footers this is quite a easy configuration to put in place.

This Method used on a Floor Standing Speaker really pulled in the Lowest Bass Notes and the decay was the cleanest.

As I use Cabinet Speakers for listening to Blues Music, with the what to have the perception of Colour being added to the Sonic, this configuration was not my ideal, as it was a little too tidy for these purposes.

It might as a method an individuals ideal produced sonic.

I use my ESL Speakers for the most Transparent Experiences.  

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I am familiar with experiencing Townshend Sleds being used and the Companies Purpose Produced 'Weight Matched Plinths', there is no doubt there is a perceived improvement when these ancillaries are supporting certain Cabinet Design Speakers.

It was my introducing an individual to AT 616 Pneumatic Footers and the noticeable changes to the sonic, that encouraged the individual to investigate further suspended footers and in the end have the Townsend Weight Matched Plinths produced following the initial introduction to Townshend Products through using Sleds.

I myself can't agree that there is a Substantial difference to be found in the final produced sonic, between differing footers that offer a Suspension to a Cabinet Design Speaker.

At another time I loaned the AT 616 to my Local HiFi Group, they were used on a few different Speakers, Cabinet and ESL as well as under Valve Amps and TT's.

From the Group in attendance one followed by purchasing Gaia III Footers.

These have grown attraction as a result of the impressions being made and now most of the Group have Gaia III's in use under Speakers and in some cases Valve Amplification and a TT as well.

Again these are systems I listen to on a regular occasion and the ones that had the AT 616 in use don't seem to have produced much more than what the 616 could produce.

I am not suggesting the AT 616 is the most desirable product, I am merely pointing out that the addition of a Suspension Type Footer can have a noticeable improvement to the perceived sonic. How much one has to spend as an increased outlay to improve on a initial experience is an unknown to myself.

One other consideration that is worthy of investigation is not just the Footers but the Sub-plinth arrangement under Cabinet Speakers. 

My experiences have shown that any Floor Standing or Stand Mounted Cabinet Speaker, can have the perceived sonic substantially improved, when mounted on a Two Tier Sub-Plinth with decoupling between the Floor and Lower Plinth, between Plinths and Upper Plinth and Speaker.

After trying out many materials and thicknesses of these materials, the Sub-plinths I have found to offer a lot and at not too much expense is a combination of 50mm (2")Granite and a 40mm (1 1/2") Dense Chipboard (Kitchen Worktop)

Spike Decoupling works fine, swapping out the Spikes for suspension footers under the Cabinet will create extra attraction.