To Spike...or Not to Spike.....that IS the question :-)

[Zak33]

I have always considered Spikes, for heavy speakers, an essential, to pierce the carpet and to convey the bass frequencies to the floor boards, and also to stop the speaker swaying under the cone's movement.

But whether or not to spike the speakers on TOP of a speaker stand is a new one to me.

Should I put spikes in the top of my speaker stands (holes are there, waiting) and let the speakers rest on four, solid points, or should I rest the speakers on the stand as they are?

I googled the point, and came up with a nicely written, recently updated thought which is linked below.

I never EVER thought that speaker spikes (or cones) were to reduce vibration. After all, vibration IS sound.....but it seems lots of people do think that's what it's all about.

And I, personally, have owned a set of speakers that DID sound better on soft set of feet.

Either way...a good read

http://www.audioholics.com/education...019s-the-point

[schmunk]

You'd be better off suspending your speakers from the ceiling with bungee cord...

[DR]

I have always considered Spikes, for heavy speakers, an essential, to pierce the carpet and to convey the bass frequencies to the floor boards, and also to stop the speaker swaying under the cone's movement.

But whether or not to spike the speakers on TOP of a speaker stand is a new one to me.

Should I put spikes in the top of my speaker stands (holes are there, waiting) and let the speakers rest on four, solid points, or should I rest the speakers on the stand as they are?

I googled the point, and came up with a nicely written, recently updated thought which is linked below.

I never EVER thought that speaker spikes (or cones) were to reduce vibration. After all, vibration IS sound.....but it seems lots of people do think that's what it's all about.

And I, personally, have owned a set of speakers that DID sound better on soft set of feet.

Either way...a good read

http://www.audioholics.com/education...019s-the-point

I 'd be careful - especially with the little one being around. Also is the stand spiked in to the ground? I'd not use spikes in to the stands, I'd use cones 100%, but first of all make sure your stands are spiked in to the ground.

Are you bi-wiring the speakers? If not - I know of a set of wires willl improve and replace the interconnect between the 4 terminals on your speakers if they have them...

You'd be better off suspending your speakers from the ceiling with bungee cord...

The speaker would move around and you would get inbalance in the audio recieved from them.

[kushtibari]

Bluetac - I've tried it tried using spikes and blue tac and I preferred the blue tac. Whether it was in my imagination or not I don't know. Some folk try to isolate the speakers to get rid of vibration (spikes) or go with the flow to get rid of vibration (blue tac). Blue tac also has an advantage if theres weans about

It was using fairly decent stuff - PMC TB2+ speakers with Custom Design Reference stands.

I'd still use spikes into the ground if you have floorboards as opposed to a solid floor.

As regards wiring 2.5mm copper does the job - Van Damme Blue Series from Maplins (think they still do it, iof not google it). I'm not convinced by the benefits of biwiring (as opposed to biamping). I just made a set of jumpers, as DR says, using small sections of speaker wire instead of the standard bridges that came with my speakers.

[Zak33]

just filling my Atacama 1000 with kiln fired sand this afternoon.

Wickes came good...B&Q had none.

[Howard]

Are you bi-wiring the speakers? If not - I know of a set of wires willl improve and replace the interconnect between the 4 terminals on your speakers if they have them...

I know of some Snake oil you can buy if you need, Dave



Fill the stands with sand, spikes on the bottom of the stands, and just use blu-tac on top of the stands, that's what I did and they're solid as a rock



I have to remove the spikes from my subwoofer when I want to move it It's too heavy to lift safely/effectively so I roll it over, remove the spikes and slide it along the floor

[Zak33]

I wont knock bi wiring until I've tried it.

I have another question for you all.....new thread

[Howard]

I've tried it. I'm using stupidly expensive Linn cable too, and I'm not sure why

[DR]

I've tried it. I'm using stupidly expensive Linn cable too, and I'm not sure why

define stupidily expensive cable?

[Howard]

I don't recall, it was about £10/meter or something ridiculous, my dad bought it with his hifi years ago and he had too much so I nabbed some when he chopped it down a bit

I couldn't tell a difference between that and the homemade hatchet-job cat5 I was previously using, it just looks better

[Zak33]

nowt wrong with cat5....I spent ages platting mine years ago.

Eventually ended up using it straight off the reel for my surround sound system

This stereo wil be a tad different though

[TooNice]

Stupidly expensive cable.
[Apparently, James Randi will give the $1 million price for anyone who can tell the difference between those and some 'lesser' Monster cable]

[Mithrandir]

Just pick up a couple of small slabs of concrete or similar from B&Q to use under the speakers

[Funkstar]

Stupidly expensive cable.
[Apparently, James Randi will give the $1 million price for anyone who can tell the difference between those and some 'lesser' Monster cable]

There is a huge discussion about that in the Audiophile bord on the SlimDevices forum.

I find Audiophiles quite amusing

[Zak33]

Just pick up a couple of small slabs of concrete or similar from B&Q to use under the speakers

the question was whether to spike the TOP of the stands, to hold the speakers...not the bottom

[TooNice]

I find Audiophiles quite amusing

Says the lossless freak

I am sure you will find people, even in this forum, who will argue that it's a waste of space.

Well, I do not doubt that interconnects are by far, the potentially most overpriced chain in a setup.

The way I see it (headphone and digital source point of view, not played with speakers/record players long enough even though I have a cousin who sells those), in order of importance:

Headphone > DAC >>>>>>> Amp >> Source >> Interconnects

So much as I am interested in audio fidelity, I'll have to go no for ridiculously expensive cables

Sorry for the OT-ness, I'll stop now