Spikes versus wall coupling

Barry Thanks for your detailed reposnse. I have checked out your well recommended products and understand the theory. You state "A speaker resting directly on a hard floor does not usually sit as flat as we assume it will. Both the floor and the bottom of the speaker cabinet are not truly flat and “chatter” between the two does occur. Again, wasted energy"
Therefore, how do you ideally couple the bottom of the speaker to your platform, or other such masses. Do you use the isolating nodes, or have them flat against each other?
Thanks
Joe

After reading this thread, I'm totally at a loss for words.

Have fun.

I agree with TWL, except I'm never at a loss for words. I think this thread is a vintage argument for the old saying what ever works for you must work. There are just so many theories regarding vibration control it's tough for folks like Gammajo and I to know what might work for our systems. Some one sez that spikes couple but cones isolate. Dense rubber couples. Lossy rubber isolates. The difference is(?) the mass of the speaker/stand. Who's to know. Then there is the "drain vibration" school of thought, which makes sense to me if you are talking about draining vibrations from a component which are exciting it's resonance frequency, but how do we insure that the materiel used to drain off this resonance actually passes the resonance frequency, and what happens when the devise actually hits it's own resonance frequency. Then there is the issue of vibration/resonance amplitude. At what point do these vibrations and resonances become audible significant?

Wow. Poor Gammajo has no more a solution to his question now than when he first asked his question. :-)

Hi Joe,

Optimally, the speaker will be place on the Plinth (top plate) of our Big Rock platform. The special coating on our products is not only non-resonant, it is slightly textured. This textured surface has the ability to contour to the bottom of a speaker allowing a significant increase in contact area compared to placing the speaker on a standard hard surface. We do not want a compliant material between the speaker (or other audio or video component) and the Plinth of the Big Rock. The Plinth is the conduit which directly routes the unwanted stored energy out of the component and down into the bed of sand where it is effectively dissipated as thermal energy (heat). It is critical that the vibration (mechanical energy) be dissipated as quickly as possible and placing the absorptive element as close to the component as possible is best for maximum efficiency. Attempting to route that energy through a multitude of materials and down into the floor (as most spike or cone manufactures describe) is not nearly as efficient or effective.

Best,

Barry

I personally am enjoying the thread, being the curious and obsessive type. I want to penetrate to a good understanding if possible. All your comments are helping me do this. I think I am leaning right now to just putting a big rock on top of my speakers and resting them directly in sand, lol. Unless of couse Barry's product is cheaper than I expect - just kidding Barry, you have been devoted in trying to explain this and I appreciate it emmensely and asked for a price quote today.
I am also an very intuitiive guy - make a living teaching meditation, and intuitively I dont like spikes.
Joe