No matter what you do that 1" of shag carpet and padding is going to impact (sic) stability. How about laying down one or two 24" off-the-shelf concrete patio slabs to act as a base? Then add your springs etc.
Footers under new speakers
Hi , I’m seeking advice regarding footers and/or platforms under my speakers. I purchased Tekton Double Impact’s and have heavy shag carpet and padding over a cement slab floor. House is 35 years old, cement is thick and well cured. I’m from that old mindset of spikes into cement and I am looking for an improvement. I’ve looked online at Gaia footers and Herbie's Studded Giant Gliders. I emailed Herbie’s and specifically inquired about the studded gliders alone on the DI’s over carpet. I asked about stability and was told the speakers were “ heavy enough “. Unfortunately I just set up the DI’s temporarily to get a little break in time. They are without any footers upright on my carpet. At 115 lbs the speaker does about zero to compress the carpet. I understand weight Vs footprint is abysmal but they won’t even stand straight. I’ll probably put the spikes on for a bit until I formulate a plan. But my first concern is that Herbie’s gliders alone are not enough and due to the minimum cost of the speakers I am struggling with purchasing Gaia’s footers and footer spikes. The seismic stands look exceptional, but I’m trying to be frugal. So I’m looking for suggestions like, gliders or dots with or without spikes on wood / stone plinths spiked to the floor. My goal is to try some sort decoupling (Gliders / Springs / Dots) AND eliminate the need of having to rely on the carpet being compressed. And yes I have cheap speakers and seek a cheap solution, so I get that limitation. Unfortunately I can’t afford Tannoy’s or Fynes to compliment my 180 watt tube mono blocs for at least a year. Cheers , Mike B.
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Thank you to everyone, I have a lot to consider. My carpet is too thick for anything within reason to totality flatten it. Also an afterthought is I’m on a slab on clay with next to zero drainage. My floors wick moisture year round and if an area with any size can’t breath it will mold. So I’ll need a spiked platform or something with a box footer and a couple hundred pounds of weight. I have a pair of 14”x14”X4” Timber Nation spiked platforms that I bought for my Zu Omens. They didn’t provide any improvement because for whatever reason my Omens loved the back loading the carpet provided Vs every size gap I tried. Even Sean from Zu couldn’t suggest a fix. It was one of those times a tweak was a huge negative. Is there a spike available for the Townsend Podiums ? Thanks, Mike. |
@buellrider97 Not sure if Townshend has spikes but I don't have them and I don't need them with my podiums. There's an interesting theory relevant here called the "Theory of More Stuff" It basically simplifies vibration isolation abd posits that introducing "stuff" between an audio component and its support surface will always reduce vibration to some degree. It dismisses two impossible outcomes: (a) vibration increasing (violating thermodynamic laws) or Therefore, the only logical outcome is attenuation of vibration. Various materials and combinations, from spikes and plates to sand and concrete, can achieve attenuation. And more "stuff" often leads to better results – consider, e.g., stacked platforms. The goal is to optimize this "stuff" for the best results in the simplest way. Historically, the spring has proven to be the most effective solution. A spring, or any compliant material, acts as a mechanical low-pass filter when paired with an appropriate mass. The ideal setup aims for a low resonant frequency (around 2Hz horizontally and vertically) and a specific damping ratio (0.16) to effectively isolate audio system vibrations, which typically range from 5Hz to 500Hz. This optimized approach ensures significant vibration reduction. Thought you'd be interested. See: https://townshendaudiofiles.com/most-overrate-kindness-greatest-be-oh-staking-laughter/ |
@hilde45 , Greetings and thank you for your input. I’m thinking I’ll need size 3 for the platforms. I saw them on AGON for I think $1700. They look like my top pic so far. I’m feeling confident that I can just run them on my carpet. Also on my spiked ZU’s I ran a 4lb stainless weight at the front edge on top. They are essentially jumbo TT record weights. We’re changing out the nearby 900 sq ft of flooring to glue down oak laminate in about 2 months. The seating area in the room 18’x17’ with the back 10’x18” already wood. Eventually I might go to wood or more likely a thinner dense Berber. FWIT , I’ve always appreciated your input as I’ve watched your system grow. I totally dig your JBL’s and all the effort you’ve put into trying gear and exploring room treatment’s. If I had TMR near by I’d be trying a lot more stuff. Also my kid in Wheat Ridge just put a bid on a second house. I’ll probably be there late fall. I was there last summer but we had a family party there and a wedding in Estes. I was too busy to see any gear. If I see a window when I visit I’d love to meet you. Cheers , Mike B. |
@buellrider97 Wheatridge has an audio store, Crescendo, which has great stuff! If you visit, please give me a shout. Message me and we'll set up a listening session! I did that with another fellow visiting his kiddo and it was great fun. I think reaching out directly to Townshend might get you a good price; not sure but they're very responsive. Also: I totally agree about calculating the weight with stuff on top of the speakers! I love my speaker weights and I actually see them up there (they are barbells) and they have gotten me working out a bit during my listening sessions! Thank you for the compliments about my system. I'd be nowhere without the help on this forum and via local people. |
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