Why do speaker stands have spikes on the bottom?

[JonW]

I'm thinking about building myself a set of speaker stands. To give the stereo system a bit of a personal touch. I've noticed that many of the speaker stands you can buy (and even some speakers, themselves) have spikes on the bottom. It seems to me that the spikes will damage floors, carpets, etc. and not provide any benefit in terms of stability. So is there any acoustic reason for the spikes? Or is it structural?

I'll have many more questions on building speaker stands coming up, but let's start with this one now. Well, OK, you talked me into a preview of the other questions. J
-Why add sand or shot to stands? Can red bricks on the base of the stand work for added stability, instead (might be pretty)?
-Is it OK to make stands out of wood? Seems OK to me, but the purchased stands tend to be metal. Any acoustic reason for this?
-How high to make the stands? I guess have the speakers at ear level when seated. But then what about when you're standing and still listening to music?
-How to connect the speaker to the stand? If there are no screw holes in the speaker, some speakers just sit on top of the stands. Dangerous to fall off? How about putting some rubber between the speaker and stand top to prevent sliding off? Like that rubber lining sometimes used for the inside of drawers?

[kexodusc]

I'm thinking about building myself a set of speaker stands. To give the stereo system a bit of a personal touch. I've noticed that many of the speaker stands you can buy (and even some speakers, themselves) have spikes on the bottom. It seems to me that the spikes will damage floors, carpets, etc. and not provide any benefit in terms of stability. So is there any acoustic reason for the spikes? Or is it structural?
Spikes help to stabilize the stand. But they are only 1 of many things that can affect sound peformance. Weight, structure, and the flooring underneath are also considerations.
I've installed spikes on my own home-brewed stands, but I honestly cannot hear any audible difference at all between those and $1 rubber bumper pads. I'm very skeptical that if you were to take the same speakers, and swap spikes for something else, that anybody could instantly tell the difference. I think spikes are used because they offer level adjusting and are probably the most versatile of the bunch. And they're cheap, so that's good too.





-Why add sand or shot to stands? Can red bricks on the base of the stand work for added stability, instead (might be pretty)?
The sand/shot is added to add mass and stability. It makes a very small difference IMO, but I do believe it can be worth it. Red bricks could work, but I think not as well as integrated mass like sand.


-Is it OK to make stands out of wood? Seems OK to me, but the purchased stands tend to be metal. Any acoustic reason for this?
Sure. But use a dense wood. You'd be better off to use something like birch ply. Or better still, MDF. Very dense and heavy. Cheap and easy to work with. That's what I've done.


-How high to make the stands? I guess have the speakers at ear level when seated. But then what about when you're standing and still listening to music?
Well, you'll have to decide what position you're in the most often. If your standing and moving, the sonic accuracy is diminished anyway. I say make the stands such that the tweeter is at ear level if possible.


-How to connect the speaker to the stand? If there are no screw holes in the speaker, some speakers just sit on top of the stands. Dangerous to fall off? How about putting some rubber between the speaker and stand top to prevent sliding off? Like that rubber lining sometimes used for the inside of drawers?
Now you're thinking!
That's exactly what I did. I also installed T-nuts into the base of my speakers to screw them into the stands, then tightened them with the rubbber pads in between both hard surfaces. Felt works very well too.
To be honest, I've used bare speaker on metal and MDF before though, and I didn't hear anything undesireable because of it.

[JonW]

Hi Kexo,

Thanks for the reply.


Spikes help to stabilize the stand. But they are only 1 of many things that can affect sound peformance. Weight, structure, and the flooring underneath are also considerations.
I've installed spikes on my own home-brewed stands, but I honestly cannot hear any audible difference at all between those and $1 rubber bumper pads. I'm very skeptical that if you were to take the same speakers, and swap spikes for something else, that anybody could instantly tell the difference. I think spikes are used because they offer level adjusting and are probably the most versatile of the bunch. And they're cheap, so that's good too.

Makes sense. I guess some people say that the spikes connect the speaker to the hard floor, thereby, somehow, making the speaker vibrations go to the floor and use the floor to put out more sound... or something like that. Not sure if it's real. Not consistent with your experience, which is good to know. And maybe to get this effect, the moon has to be in just the right phase. And you have to use $1,000 cables. Idunno. :)






The sand/shot is added to add mass and stability. It makes a very small difference IMO, but I do believe it can be worth it. Red bricks could work, but I think not as well as integrated mass like sand.


Sure. But use a dense wood. You'd be better off to use something like birch ply. Or better still, MDF. Very dense and heavy. Cheap and easy to work with. That's what I've done.

Actually, the simple design I have in my head has the stands kind of light and airy looking. Then I thought I might stack some pretty red bricks on the bottom, for stability to prevent some knocking over. So what's the basis for saying to use a dense wood- and maybe having a dense design? To just make the stands resistent to vibrations from the speakers?



Well, you'll have to decide what position you're in the most often. If your standing and moving, the sonic accuracy is diminished anyway. I say make the stands such that the tweeter is at ear level if possible.

My stereo will be mostly for 2 channel stereo listening. But I'll probably be moving around a lot when the stereo is on. If the stereo is nice sounding enough, I may spend time just sitting and listening. And there will be the odd movie. So I guess I'll set them up for when seated. Makes sense.




Now you're thinking!
That's exactly what I did. I also installed T-nuts into the base of my speakers to screw them into the stands, then tightened them with the rubbber pads in between both hard surfaces. Felt works very well too.
To be honest, I've used bare speaker on metal and MDF before though, and I didn't hear anything undesireable because of it.

Well, you know what they say: Great minds think alike. And so do ours. ;)

I was thinking of adding the rubber mat just to prevent the speaker from sliding off the stand. Some stands I've seen just have spikes on the top- no way to attach the speakers. Not sure if I like such instability. But punching holes in the fancy speakers with T-nuts isn't too appealing, either. I'll have to think about this aspect some.


By the way, I've been auditioning speakers. I've tried out various models of Dynaudio, Paradigm, Sonus Faber, and Linn. The Linn Ninkas have really grabbed me. A little expensive, but with a good sub, it's that magic sound I'm looking for. I'll still shop around to see if I can find anything else I like. But I am happy to say I've found the sound I'm after. :D

[kexodusc]

Actually, the simple design I have in my head has the stands kind of light and airy looking. Then I thought I might stack some pretty red bricks on the bottom, for stability to prevent some knocking over. So what's the basis for saying to use a dense wood- and maybe having a dense design? To just make the stands resistent to vibrations from the speakers?
I've build several stands now. The only recommendation I can make is to make the actual stand part the speaker rests on as large as you can. I like it so no more than an inch or two maybe 1.5 inches sticks you on all sides.
Speaker vibration is absorbed with more dense material and sturdy construction. Remember, you don't want all the weight at the bottom or the vibrations will be ineffectively absorbed by the stand on the way down. If the stand/speaker contact is absorbing some of the energy of the speaker through vibrations, then not all the energy from the speaker is being used for sound. The severity of the effects probably aren't as great as some would have you believe at most levels, especially with heavy speakers, but it doesn't hurt to do the best you can.


My stereo will be mostly for 2 channel stereo listening. But I'll probably be moving around a lot when the stereo is on. If the stereo is nice sounding enough, I may spend time just sitting and listening. And there will be the odd movie. So I guess I'll set them up for when seated. Makes sense. When you're moving around, the stereo will sound good anyway, but for the odd time you do sit down for some critical listening, that extra bit of resolution and imaging will be noticed more if your tweeters are ear height (on most speakers).


I was thinking of adding the rubber mat just to prevent the speaker from sliding off the stand. Some stands I've seen just have spikes on the top- no way to attach the speakers. Not sure if I like such instability. But punching holes in the fancy speakers with T-nuts isn't too appealing, either. I'll have to think about this aspect some.
This is what I like about building my own speakers. I can make them with threaded holes to accept screws and bolts for mounting. A few commercial designs do this...



By the way, I've been auditioning speakers. I've tried out various models of Dynaudio, Paradigm, Sonus Faber, and Linn. The Linn Ninkas have really grabbed me. A little expensive, but with a good sub, it's that magic sound I'm looking for. I'll still shop around to see if I can find anything else I like. But I am happy to say I've found the sound I'm after. :D
Well that's good. I always thought he auditioning phase was the most fun part of buying speakers. All of my decisions were never made because one set of speakers sounded so much better than the competition. It almost always came down to price, looks, etc. If you know the sound you want, that makes it easier, I'd think.

[jclin4]

I've just started building stands for a pair of kit bookshelf speakers (BR-1 from Parts Express).

I'm using 3/4" MDF because I've heard it resonates less than wood. I plan to cover the column with a vinyl laminate veneer. For the base, I'll be looking for some kind of textured black spray paint. I've heard of some people using truck bed liner.






I was thinking of adding the rubber mat just to prevent the speaker from sliding off the stand.



For the platform, I'll be using sound deadening sheets, like this:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=268-010

I wanted to use spikes for the base. But since they will be placed on a hardwood floor, and I wanted to keep the cost down, I'm going with these:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-771

Good luck!

[snickelfritz]

Spikes are purely for stabilizing and leveling tall speakers on uneven floors or carpet.
The myths about "mechanical coupling" improving the sound is absolutely ridiculous.

I once read that the material used for kitchen sponges (the type that harden after they dry) is perfect for absorbing speaker cabinet vibrations, and it's stiff enough to provide a stable platform.
There's also some stuff called "Blu Tack" that can be used to isolate vibration between speaker/stand, but I would recommend adjustable spikes between the base/floor, for maximum stability.

[JonW]

I've just started building stands for a pair of kit bookshelf speakers (BR-1 from Parts Express).

I'm using 3/4" MDF because I've heard it resonates less than wood. I plan to cover the column with a vinyl laminate veneer. For the base, I'll be looking for some kind of textured black spray paint. I've heard of some people using truck bed liner.





For the platform, I'll be using sound deadening sheets, like this:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=268-010


I wanted to use spikes for the base. But since they will be placed on a hardwood floor, and I wanted to keep the cost down, I'm going with these:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-771

Good luck!

Thanks for the info. Sounds good. I was hoping to use some nice wood (maple, birch, etc.) rather than MDF. But that's only for asthetics and because woodis fun to work with. But MDF may be a better way to go in terms of sound. Hmmm...

[JonW]

Spikes are purely for stabilizing and leveling tall speakers on uneven floors or carpet.
The myths about "mechanical coupling" improving the sound is absolutely ridiculous.

I once read that the material used for kitchen sponges (the type that harden after they dry) is perfect for absorbing speaker cabinet vibrations, and it's stiff enough to provide a stable platform.
There's also some stuff called "Blu Tack" that can be used to isolate vibration between speaker/stand, but I would recommend adjustable spikes between the base/floor, for maximum stability.

Thanks for the info. Makes sense.

[JonW]

OK, so basically, I';ve got to make the speakers rockhard to avoid any vibrations and such. It makes sense from a design standpoint. I'm glad I asked. But I can't think of any designs, so far, that will be both really solid and pretty. I had a nice, airy design in mind. So I'll have to give this some more thought. For some reason, I really want to make stands ratehr than just buy them. A few personal touches to the stereo system, i guess.


When you're moving around, the stereo will sound good anyway, but for the odd time you do sit down for some critical listening, that extra bit of resolution and imaging will be noticed more if your tweeters are ear height (on most speakers)..

Good point. I'll do that.




Well that's good. I always thought he auditioning phase was the most fun part of buying speakers. All of my decisions were never made because one set of speakers sounded so much better than the competition. It almost always came down to price, looks, etc. If you know the sound you want, that makes it easier, I'd think.

Yes, it is quite fun. I will try out some mroe this evening, if I can get out of work early enough. For the speakers I've tried so far, there is a really clear winner. Just what I'm looking for and nothing else like it. So far. We'll see how things shake out with more auditions. THen there is the whole recevier/pre/amp issue to deal with after I pick the speakers. It's fun.
:)

[jclin4]

Thanks for the info. Sounds good. I was hoping to use some nice wood (maple, birch, etc.) rather than MDF. But that's only for asthetics and because woodis fun to work with. But MDF may be a better way to go in terms of sound. Hmmm...


If you go the MDF route, then you could always pretty it up with a wood veneer. But there may be a hybrid solution with the benefits of wood and MDF: Cabinet or marine grade plywood. My understanding is that it is more dense than regular plywood, and therefore resonates less, and you don't have to veneer to get a real wood look. I also understand that scandinavian birch finish is commonly available.

[Woochifer]

It all boils down to isolation and stability. So long as your speakers aren't sitting flat against any resonant surfaces, you'll be fine. Simple stuff like Blu-tak or felt pads are enough to give enough lift to reduce the vibration between the speaker and the stand. Filling the stands does make them more inert, but if you already separated the speaker from the stand, you won't get much vibration going through the column. The biggest advantage in my view with filling the stands is that you make the stand heavier and more stable (and yes, more acoustically inert). The spikes are also there for providing additional stability. If you're worried about damaging wood floors, the simplest thing to do is put coins underneath. Other floor protecting prodcts are available with little slots cut into the top for spikes to slide into. A local audio store I go to actually machines their own floor protecting discs with indents for the spikes, and they sell them for $4 each.