Your thoughts on speaker stands


I'm trolling the expert waters here for some input on speaker stands. Besides the concept of mass loading, and energy transference, are there any other factors I should be considering? Any unique or unusual insights you folks may have regarding this technology?
earhertz
The most rigid stands that i have seen are manufactured by Solidsteel. They are a tripod design and actually quite attractive. Check them out. I think they will adequately address many of your concerns.
The most important attribute of a stand is its height. Most of the time, but not always, you need to get the tweeter to ear level. I still have an email I received from the designer of some very good speakers who told me the only function of a stand if to get the speakers off the floor and the tweeter up to ear level. Some speakers are better tilted backward a little so Im not sure what a level would do for you in that situation.

I think if you have a speaker with a well braced rigid relatively non-resonant cabinet, then weight and rigidity are important, even on a light floor. Cinder blocks work well. With a lossy box design, weight and rigidity are pointless. Wood stands are fine.

I have lossy box speakers and use metal stands filled with unscented kitty litter for one set and the matching wood stands filled the same with the other.

With metal stands, after height, damping the stand's own ringing comes next. Kitty litter works fine.
Paul: What is a "lossy" box? I forgot about the Kitty Litter thing and will try it out on the "light" stands that I use in the bedroom. Also, yes both of my speakers sound better angled very slightly up (more spacious). This is what I use the rod and measurment for (to set the angel even on each speaker).