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Homemade floor protectors -- advice needed

Here's my situation: I have hardwood floors that I want to protect from my speakers' spikes. I could use those little support disks, but they're a pain when adjusting the speaker position (they move out of position, and then I poke holes in the floor). Instead, I was thinking of placing two stone "tablets" on the floor, and then putting the speakers on top of them. There's a shop nearby that will cut the stone to my specs, and then polish the sharp edges.

My question is, what kind of stone would work best? Granite, marble, or something else? And would some small rubber "feet" on the floor-side of the stone still allow the tablet to couple with the floor to reduce resonances further?

Any insights you can share would help!
stevenb
ohlala
1,238 posts
 
I have audio points under my speakers and have used their discs for my last place's hardwood floor. My speaker are about seventy pounds and three feet high so, I needed another person to help me put the spiked speakers on to the discs. I forgot how exactly how we did that, but it was not easy. I did not, however, have a problem with sliding the speakers around as long as I held the speakers by the bottom edges on both sides. The spikes never came out of the discs as long as I did not lift up on the bottom of the speaker much. The discs work very well by the way. But for anyone interested in getting the audiopoints spikes, you might want to look in to the larger diameters. My smaller diameter spikes have left nasty rings on the bottom of my speakers.
mezmo
516 posts
 
Best use of those AOL CDs I've heard yet. Bravo. I've been using pennies and, believe it or not, one the spikes went straight through one after about a year. Think it would be cost-effective to upgrade to nickles?
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
Mez thanks for the laugh... Sounds like a cost-effective upgrade although we're talking 3cents to 15cents: a 500% cost increase. Interesting that the spike would drill right through a penny. Aren't all coins a copper sandwich now? The weight alone may not be the only factor, but adding long-term vibration must be enough to do the job. It would only take somewhat longer to drill through a nickel if that's the mechanism.
mitch2
4,079 posts
 
I use cone coasters by sound anchor (the people who make speaker stands). These disks have a "dimple" in the middle for the point of the spike to set in, and a kevlar/polyester "sandwich" on the bottom, which is easy to slide around. Look them up in Stereophile's recommended components. I have no problem repositioning my 4-spike Alon V's, which weigh upwards of 100 lbs each, by sliding them on the cone coasters. Otherwise, for the best sounding alternative, you can always bolt them to the floor.
hdm
1,062 posts
 
Forget the spikes and buy some vibrapods; buy 4 for each speaker not 3 at the proper weight. I used to spike my speakers through carpet to a hardwood floor, but after some experimentation, settled on vibrapods on laminated glass on top of a low pile carpet that I have. If you're a real detail freak, this may not appeal to you, but if you're more into musicality, I'd definitely give the vibrapods a try.
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