Speaker Stands?

[p0_RT7]

Just invested in a pair of Polk Audio RT7's and I'm currently scrambling to find stands for them before they arrive. They are fairly large speakers, 19" tall, with a 9.5x11.5" footprint.

Questions I have then:

How big should the bases, top and bottom be for these speakers?
Most I see are 6.5-7" top bases, with bottom bases that would be smaller than the speakers, is this sturdy enough?

How should the speakers be attached to the stands? (I'm assuming no drilling?)

Since the speakers are so tall, would I want 24" stands or would 18" do it?

Anyone have any recommendations for a fairly cheap set?

[N. Abstentia]

Something like these would be perfect:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=TARGETHR60&product_name=HR%20Series%20Speaker%20Stands%20-%20Pair

They would put your tweeters at around 40" high which should be fairly even with your listening position. You'll also want to fill them with sand or lead or gravel or something so they won't resonate, and you'll want the 'blu tack' to stick your speakers to the stands.

[p0_RT7]

$199 is a bit expensive for what I'm looking for currently... :) At least until I get the grad degree.

So should the base always be bigger than the speaker or does it not matter?

The 6 or 7x7 top plate is fine?

If there are spikes on the top what does the blue tack stick to?

Any cheaper 'alternatives' you're aware of?

Many thanks


-Tim

[jfish]

in the last 2 weeksi have looked at about 90% of the stands availible to humans. they are mostly all the same..... check online classified for used if you want cheaper than new, but i have seen alot in the $99 range.....dont forget the height is important when ordering.

most are steel/blk/ugly but work.....better looking = more $$

imo.

[p0_RT7]

i.e., should bottom base be bigger than speaker?

and all the other questions asked above :X

Again many thanks for the quick responses!

[RGA]

I would try Skylan. Their stands are $200.00 but that is Canadian dollars and they will custom build it to your height requirement as well as provide a matching top plate. They are mass loading stands. From most of the stuff i see here between $150 - $300 Paying a bit more for the Skylans than the entry stuff is well worth it and the upper end some of it wasn't any better.

Noel is quite excellent to deal with. Getting stands at the right height is your first key - then getting them to not resonate is the second key - and to fit the speaker fully third. A proper stand is an extension of the speaker - so don't go too too cheap. Why so many floorstanders sound so bad is that they sheaped out on their Stand. A lot of floorstanders are basically standmounts in bigger boxes.

Blu-tak works great

PS - the manufacturer should have a recommended height - generally it is the tweeter at ear level - but not always. Speaker makers take into account or they should be - the height oif the woofer relative to the floor and to walls for their ideal positions. If that is not available then the tweeter at ear level is the rule of thumb.

Check out the links page to see the size of some of the speakers on their size to get an idea.
http://www.skylanstands.com/stands.htm

how it works is here http://www.skylanstands.com/foundation.htm

[toenail]

Home Depot- 4 floor flanges, two lengths of threaded pipe stock, 1 piece of 2'X4' plywood. Cut upper and lower bases from plywood, screw floor flanges to pipe ends, screw bases to floor flanges. Paint/sand/trim to taste. Fill the pipe with sand for better mass.

[nightflier]

Here's what I did: I purchased two plaster plant stands (little roman columns). They were not exactly even with the floor so I added rubber feet that I sanded down to stabilize them. I spray painted them and used blu-tak to stabilize the speakers. It's probably not audiophile-level but it worked for me. Make sure you select the heaviest stands you can find.

P.S. The top & bottom platforms are the same size & square, while my speakers are angled a bit (narrower in the rear) and longer than they are wide. The width of the platform is just barely narrower that the width of my speakers but the front & back stick out a little more. I was not aware that the size of the platforms would make a difference in the sound, although I suppose that would make sense.

[Lensman]

Just invested in a pair of Polk Audio RT7's and I'm currently scrambling to find stands for them before they arrive. They are fairly large speakers, 19" tall, with a 9.5x11.5" footprint.

Questions I have then:

How big should the bases, top and bottom be for these speakers?
Most I see are 6.5-7" top bases, with bottom bases that would be smaller than the speakers, is this sturdy enough?

How should the speakers be attached to the stands? (I'm assuming no drilling?)

Since the speakers are so tall, would I want 24" stands or would 18" do it?

Anyone have any recommendations for a fairly cheap set?

Six to seven inches is the average size of top plates on most stands and should be fine for most speakers including yours. I just bought speakers and stands The stands came in, but I'm still waiting for the speakers. In the meantime, I put the stands together and set my old speakers on them. The stands are 30" high, metal, and have 5.5" square top plates. The bottom plates are 10" x 10.75". But my old speakers are much larger than your Polks, measuring 26.75"h x 14"w x 13d". Even so, the speakers are amazingly stable on them. I have a 3 year old and a cat, so trust me, this is a real concern.

The size of the bottom plates are less important than the size of the posts. Don't buy stands with thin, wispy looking posts. Your speakers will actually sway with the vibrations of the woofers. They may not fall down, but they certainly won't sound as good as they could. Make sure the posts are reasonably substantial looking.

For maximum stability, the best thing you can do is to buy metal stands that are fillable. The cheapest stands in this category generally start at about $100. To compare, most wood stands in your height range cost around $50 to $75.

The stands should be just tall enough to place the tweeters at the same height as your ears when you're sitting in your primary listening position.

As for attaching the speakers, many stands have rubber pads on the top plates. As your speakers are reasonably heavy, these may be adequate. Or you could use blue tack or the non-slip grip pads places like Home Depot and Lowes sell to put under stuff like lamps.

You can find a good selection of stands here:

http://www.standsandmounts.com

Paradigm also makes a line of affordable stands (and other furniture) under the Premier name. I like the look so this is what I ended up buying after looking around. Their S-Series is metal, fillable, and available in 18", 22", 26" and 30" heights. My S-30s were $109 and as mentioned above, are quite sturdy. Shorter sizes cost a little less. Here's the link:

http://www.premier-av-furniture.com

If you're interested in these, you'll need to find a Paradigm dealer in your area. Here's the link for that:

http://www.paradigm.ca/Website/Dealers/RayM_DealerReplacment/Dealers.html

Hope this helps.