What does sand filling speaker stands actually improve?

[crowbar]

Does it give a better bass response? Do I have to fill them all the way to the top?
thanks

[Aric M L]

Filling your stands with sand simply adds more mass. As your driver moves attempting to push air to create the sound you hear it exerts force forwards and backwards. The added mass in the stands provides stability so your speaker can do it's job (move air) dynamically versus rocking back and forth with the music and muddying up your sound.

[topspeed]

Theoretically, mass loading your stands couples the speaker to the floor better which allows for more precise bass response. Again, theoretically. In actual practice, I doubt you'd be able to hear the difference. One very real benefit however is that it makes the unit much sturdier. If you have rugrats, a careless housekeeper, big pets, or your speakers are sitting out in free space where they can be easily knocked over, mass loading can make the difference between a damaged speaker or not. My standmounts are attached to my mass loaded stands w/ a BluTak like material and they are more stable than my floorstanders.

Hope this helps.

[kexodusc]

Topspeed pretty much nailed it I think. I'd be surprised if you coudl hear a difference between sand loaded stands and empty ones when your speakers are playing.
Might depend how heavy the stands are to start.

But ask topspeed about careless housekeepers - extra mass to sturdy those speakers is never a bad thing IMO...

[theaudiohobby]

May I modify the comment about mass-filling and say that it depends on the original mass of the speakers and stands, mass-loading light stands/speakers stands will generally have an audible effect in comparsion to mass-loading a heavy standards, for example mass loading my Sonus Faber Standard will be useless, the stands weighed (20Kg each), in comparison to the ELAC 310i which including stands weigh much less than the SF stands.