Understood. I guess originally i thought spikes were designed to anchor a speaker, like into the floor thru the carpet to give the unit a solid base.
However per these discussions, sounds like the objective is to decouple the speakers to limit ancillary vibrations… like back thru the floor.
The carpet may do that a bit but i will endeavor to research a decoupling solution. No review etc mentioned tilting and im sure their ears were below the top array. Ill look at best solution. Used Gaia would probably work. OR maybe the medium Gaia rated at 120lbs.
Yes, ideally you will break the “vibration chain” in both directions; to both drain resonances and to prevent “feedback” from the room/floor into the speakers.
Of one uses AMTs or other very high resolution speakers, then Townshend speaker podiums might be the best footer/solution.
The performance is many times better than Gaia (it’s rude to even compare them as Townshend performance is so much higher)
The way Townshend improves clarity, depth, emotion, betters speakers interaction with acoustics, prevents post ringing, floats off at even low frequencies and a much longer list makes Townshend to one of high end audios most underrated products.
Has anyone tried the AUVA isolators by Stack Audio? I’ve seen several positive reviews, and they have been compared favorably to the Isoacoustics and Townshend offerings.
I’ve learned this lesson several times in my listening room (long rectangular, thinnish carpet over wood floor, second floor): decoupling is what I need, not coupling. I have four VooDoo Cable Iso-Pods under each of my Decware HR-1 speakers. Best I’ve tried and I’ve tried a lot of footers and wooden platforms.
By the way, Herbie’s Audio Lab prices are very reasonable:
There is a blurb on the site covering some of the points discussed earlier:
"Why use Herbie’s Gliders over just spikes?
Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders, Threaded Stud Gliders, and Little/Giant Fat Gliders will help to hold the speaker cabinet and baffle steadier, reducing distortion. The idea is to keep the baffle that the speakers are mounted to as motionless as possible for the cones to render the music most accurately.
Spike feet do not have much capacity to absorb and reduce speaker driver-generated cabinet vibrations. Some vibration is ‘drained’ to the floor, yet the floor, whether hardwood or concrete, will resonate some of those vibrations right back up the spikes the way they came and introduce both coloration and distortion to the music. Much of the vibration that causes a lot of distortion is higher-frequency, acute micro-vibration that you cannot really feel or readily detect. dBNeutralizer very effectively arrests these vibrations as well as a considerable amount of the more ‘macro’- type vibrations. Having Decoupling Gliders between the spikes and floor physically absorbs a substantial amount of cabinet vibration, allowing the speaker baffles and the cabinet itself to remain more motionless in place, and eliminates any reverberation from the floor affecting the speakers. The Gliders also eliminate speaker-generated floorborne vibrations that can affect your other audio components.
With an effective and efficient isolation/decoupling of the loudspeakers, you’ll get a better defined, more linear, and deeply extending bass with general improvements throughout the audio spectrum, bringing out more of the speakers’ inherent potential. A little more life-like with more of the intangible ambience that helps to define a live sound, more faithful to the originally recorded event."
As a person that has my speakers resting flat on an absorbing floor mat without feet/spikes, I would go with spikes in your case, especially since the mfr recommends spikes. I have spikes, nasty, puncture through your feet or puncture into the leg type of spikes on my Infinity Modulus speakers, and would not have them any other way.
One of the primary questions that really hasn’t been asked, is what is the sub-floor properties. Is it slab concrete or elevated beam and runner/framed floor? Each requires differing assessment…
This room was added on three years ago above the four car garage that was being built at the same time. So runner framed floor? Not sure but wood and supported by a really big I beam!. Sorry i dont know construction.
Also to add… i ordered spikes from mfg. 20 bucks, good place to start. Also some replacement female hardware for installation into the wood. Im gonna back out the installed hardware , epoxy and replace for solid foundation. Then add spikes, Stack, Herbies etc. See what works. Heck maybe flat on floor is fine. I dont think flat feet like on hardwood is viable.
When you find the solution, you’ll know.
I tried several products under my speakers and didn’t like their overall effect until I tried the ones offered by the mfr. When I tried them, it was an instantly noticeable and worthwhile improvement in every respect.
Yep. Thanks. These things sound remarkable in many ways. The midrange takes me back to my DAW/DYN days. Their condition is excellent but shoring up the footers (kinda heavy and narrow so some stress there), achieving proper positioning (height is a factor as they are almost too tall) and decoupling from the floor (the have two 12s plus i got REL subs will help a ton.
I had the RELs on decoupling mats once and they sounded terrible. I guess a little “shake” is a good thing but probably not if it resonates up the towers.
I have an obtuse question and I’m not intending for it to be sarcastic. However, a college mechanical engineering buddy challenged the vibration concept the other evening (he’s involved in aircraft wing structures).
Most, if not all of us, have been through the vibration reduction journey in myriad ways but, If one were to experiment in the inverse by imposing extremely low, constant vibration to a component and compare listening, how would we do it?
The vibration medium would need to be constant which rules out coupling the component to a speaker or sub.
The medium would be extremely low as to not cause damage (components are exposed to vibration during air and ground transportation + conveyer belts).
The medium would need to be silent and not introduce any electrical variables.
Ideally, the medium would have the capability to vary the amount of vibration.
