Has any one else tried using thick marble slabs under their speakers?

[mgh13]

I've read a lot of posts about the improved sonic quality from using thick marble, concrete, and lime stone under their speakers. I decided to try some out, (I used 1.25” thick piece of counter top marble) and it really worked well for me, improving bass and mid bass accuracy. I also found a few extra advantages that even if they didn't improve the sound are still worth using.
1. Protects the floor from getting scratched when using speaker spikes.
2. Protects the speaker cabinet from getting scratched or dinged up from the vacuum cleaner.
3. They look great and really improve the stability of the speaker.
4. It's very easy to set up (a 1 man operation). When you spike your speakers to the marble you don't need to use the plates or cups and you can now easily adjust toe-in positions for different listening positions or when listening by yourself or with others.
5. Reduces noise caused from the floor vibrating. Especially laminate or wood floors. I've heard of people using items from pennies to beer bottles. Really? Not in my house and not with my wife! Regular thin tiles don't work on carpet and the mass isn't sufficient to properly absorb vibrations on any type floor and the weight of some speakers will break the tile.
This is a good DIY project for those who can, but for those who can't let me know I can hook you up to a website that sells the marble and some really good looking concrete stands.
If you have any comments I'm all ears, all I can say is they really helped improve my system.

Denon AVR 3310ci (runs low's), Outlaw Audio 750 (runs high's), (I run the pre outs from the Denon to bi-amp all 5 speakers) OPPO BDP-83 (soon to be replaced with a BDP-95) a Panamax 6300 line conditioner, B&W N 803 (front), B&W LCR-6 (center) B&W DM-601 (surrounds), Velodyne Optimum 12 sub-woofer, all speakers spiked to Audio Image Technologies Designer Series speaker stands (www.2ndflooraudio.com), Directv HR24 HD DVR, Panasonic TC-P50G20 HD Plasma TV

[Hyfi]

I have been doing it for 10 years and it works great for wood floors with carpet to increase and make bass sound much better.

[Luvin Da Blues]

I have thought about doing this.

One question I have, should you use spikes on a hard surface? I have my speakers on a hardwood floor (with a large area rug in front) using the rubber feet they came with.

I've always been under the the impression that the spikes are for carpeted floors and the rubber feet is to be used on hard surfaces.

[Hyfi]

LDB, your guess is the theory.

JMs on stone with sorbothane in the middle

http://gallery.audioreview.com/showphoto.php?photo=8144&cat=500&ppuser=176736

Danes on spikes then stone

http://gallery.audioreview.com/showphoto.php?photo=7905&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=176736

[Luvin Da Blues]

Looks good Bri,

I have a buddy that makes deck and patio planters and pots out of light weight concrete. I might have him form up some custom shaped blocks to match the speakers footprint.

[mgh13]

I have thought about doing this.

One question I have, should you use spikes on a hard surface? I have my speakers on a hardwood floor (with a large area rug in front) using the rubber feet they came with.

I've always been under the the impression that the spikes are for carpeted floors and the rubber feet is to be used on hard surfaces.

That depends on how flat the floor is and how heavy your speakers are. Rubber feet used on speakers will help disapate some vibrations but not all and the speaker is not compleatly solid. Using what I call double spiking helps reduce vibrations going down into the floor causing room distortion. You level the plinth first with spikes then spike your speakers to the plinth. You can get more info on this by going to the classified section under "Other Audio" and check out the marble stands.

[mgh13]

Looks good Bri,

I have a buddy that makes deck and patio planters and pots out of light weight concrete. I might have him form up some custom shaped blocks to match the speakers footprint.
Worth a try, but look in the classified section in "Other Audio" for some marble stands. Marble is heavier and denser, looks better too.

[Luvin Da Blues]

....... Marble is heavier and denser, looks better too.


I wouldn't leave the raw concrete exposed. Probably trim it with a wood or marble facade.

[Hyfi]

I wouldn't leave the raw concrete exposed. Probably trim it with a wood or marble facade.

The OP is right, concrete is too porous and may not do the same job. I went to a stone quarry and my chunks are what they call Quarry Stone, which is a form of granite. They are 1.25 thick, finished smooth on one side and heavy.

[mgh13]

I own Audio Image Technologies and sell marble and concrete speaker plinths. These have made the biggest difference in sound to my audio system sense the B&W N803's. Right now that idea is submitted for patent and I hold the patent pending rights. There's many people that make their own, I know that, but nobody was selling a finished product for those for people that just don't either have the skills or equipment to make their own and they make such a difference in sound quality. These are pollished on all 6 sides and look fantastic too. If anyone needs more info contact me or see the classified section under "Other Audio"

:23:

[Feanor]

I own Audio Image Technologies and sell marble and concrete speaker plinths. These have made the biggest difference in sound to my audio system sense the B&W N803's. Right now that idea is submitted for patent and I hold the patent pending rights. There's many people that make their own, I know that, but nobody was selling a finished product for those for people that just don't either have the skills or equipment to make their own and they make such a difference in sound quality. These are pollished on all 6 sides and look fantastic too. If anyone needs more info contact me or see the classified section under "Other Audio"

:23:
So what would it cost to ship a pair to London, Ontario?

[Luvin Da Blues]

So what would it cost to ship a pair to London, Ontario?

Heck, while your at it, you can quote me for a pair shipped to Kelowna, BC.

[Poultrygeist]

I used a 16X16X2 inch concrete paver from Home Depot, wrapped in black vinyl shelf liner under a speaker to stop hardwood floor resonance. Maybe I should patent it?

[mgh13]

Pateint all ready covers that, too late. The reason I got a patient is so a large company won't mass produce finished product. I know people will make their own, thats a given, I'm just offering to those that can't. Did you know that people sell houses that are already built? Gee, you could build your own and save money there too. I don't know of too many people who have 5k or better invested in speakers that want to have them setting on concrete covered in vinyl wrap. Some people might want something better looking too. I too used concrete but found the marble to be a better platform for more reasons than 1, but if what you have works for you GREAT! Did it improve your bass and bass accuracy? I guess so, you still use it right? If so then your just reinforcing the sound quality improvement I'm offering.

[mgh13]

Heck, while your at it, you can quote me for a pair shipped to Kelowna, BC.
I can ship to Canada but you will need to give me your zip or equivelent too. Also a pair of what, what product are you looking at.

[Luvin Da Blues]

I can ship to Canada but you will need to give me your zip or equivelent too. Also a pair of what, what product are you looking at.

I took a look at your Basic series and found the prices quite resonable so no special quote is required thru this site for me, Thanks anyway.

I will request a shipping quote thru your website. Shipping from FLA might get a bit expensive tho.

Cheers,

LDB

[Feanor]

I can ship to Canada but you will need to give me your zip or equivelent too. Also a pair of what, what product are you looking at.
Sorry, mgh13, I was more or less just jerking your chain. I'm thinking that it would be almost prohibitively expensive to ship marble or concete slabs from the US to Canada.

[Poultrygeist]

I was being facetious with the remark about a patent.

What can I say? I'm a form follows function guy who hangs out in Home Depot where the granite is on the thin side.

But if you don't look too close, my 2" thick shiny black vinyl concrete paver could pass for onix :-)

[ken88]

I am a bit confused; do you place the speakers right on top of the marble slabs without the wooden plinths or do you still use the spikes which are screwed underneath the plinths and place the plinths on top of the slabs?? Thanks.

[Jack in Wilmington]

My stands are made with a marble slab base, so I can see the advantages to a solid platform. We took a surface plate ( 17" x 17" x 2" thick marble slab ) and converted it into a base for my turntable, but drilling marble and adding threaded inserts is not a simple task.

[mgh13]

There is no wooden plinth in use, so here's the process:
Depending on if your going to spike the plinth, if you use the spikes you get to set the level on the stand, (if your not using the spikes just place the plinth with the attached pad on the floor) then while the speaker is laid on it's side, you spike the speaker, running the spikes all the way to the bass (bottom) of the speaker. Simply pick up the speaker then place it on top of the plinth, Ta Da! your done. The stand is level and the speaker is level. You can then be able to adjust toe in and back & forth placement, this won't scratch the marble. When you purchase the AIT plinths through 2nd Floor Audio. com and purchase the spike kit they drill the holes and install the inserts for free. (No easy task but really makes a difference in sound to use the double spike system) Special tools are needed to drill into marble and sometimes they break trying to get the holes so near the corner to make it easy to adjust the spikes.

[mgh13]

So what would it cost to ship a pair to London, Ontario?
Shipping would run around $160 for the MARBLE SET as seen in the classified. Your probably right that it would expensive to ship the basic pair. Would be around $100 for a set of marble speaker only stands and about the same to send the subwoofer only stand.

[unreceived dogma]

Hello all,

I am new to audio review.

I have a question related to this thread.

I have a pair of floor standing Altec Lansing 604Cs. The cabinets are 9 cubic ft, about 18 x 24 x 40. Would stiffening be accomplished by placing marble or granite slabs ON TOP OF the cabinets, as opposed to underneath them?

Thank you.

The rest of the system is:

NY Audio Lab Futterman OTL3 monblock amps, modified to tirode
Beard P505 preamp
VPI HW MK IV, TNT bearings
Sumiko MMT arm
Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum

[JoeE SP9]

Placing marble slabs on or under a speaker will not stiffen a cabinet. It will increase mass loading, couple it more solidly to the floor and possibly make the cabinet less resonant.

The only way to stiffen a cabinet is to install internal braces or increase the wall thickness.