Looking for thoughts and suggestions on weight on top of floor standing speakers. I’ve seen everything from filled bags to VPI bricks to Shakti stones.
My suggestion is to leave the top of your speakers alone.
if you want to mass load the speakers, Shakti stones aren’t even close to being heavy enough. If you are looking to experiment maybe you can find someone giving away some free weights or kettle bells, something like that. I think you would want at least 20-30 pounds. If you like the results then you can look for something more visually appealing.
Gold plated lead for sure.
Not what you want to hear, but when i put 20lb weights on top of my speakers and heard how much better they sounded, that’s when I knew the cabinets weren’t good enough and it was time for new speakers.
i’m using weights made by friend of mine. they are textile squares, super heavy - not sure what is inside but i’d guess lead balls with sand
having them for years on top of my dynaudio confidence 2 , they make noticeable improvement in bass speed/textures.
however i have just recently replaced SoudCare feets with other isolation feets so i am thinking I should revisit the weights now with much better feets in place (note to myself )
You all are great. This is the best audio forum around.
I really appreciate the advice, and the laughs, and if it helps, these are a pair of KEF R7. I haven’t had floor standers for years.
Weights on the top of speakers seems to improve SQS. I have a pair of heavy antique Chinese carvings of some sort of cat(perhaps the Cheshire Cat) say 15 lbs. each on top of Thiel CS-6. While I use the Harmonic Resolution Systems damping plates on top of most components with good effect, I doubt that they would work for speakers. Happy gnu Year to all.
MarkH
I have had very good results with Entreq Vibbeaters placed on top of Audiovector Arrete speakers (AMT-tweeter). My estimate is that the Vibbeaters doubled the speakers sound/cost ratio, meaning no small improvement but a massive improvement.
In Sweden Entreq are well known and its common to use Entreq Vibbeaters on top of speakers.
If you search online you’ll notice that all sorts of speakers benefit from Entreq Vibbeaters. There is a thread on Audiogon where Wilson, Vandersteen and Respons all get a huge upgrade by Entreq Vibbeaters.
The Vibbeaters transfers energy to a place outside of the speaker box, then transforming the energy into low level heat.
Many people use Entreq Vibbeaters succesfully on top of not only speakers but on electronics and even PS Audio power plants.
Forgot to mention that they are cheaper that most tweaks and should be regarded as an essential part of a system. I use them on speakers, PS Memory Player, a DAC and on power conditioning. All electronics are placed on Isoacoustic Oreas and Finite Elemente Cerapuc, still benefiting from Entreq Vibbeaters.
Highly recommended.
Forgot to mention that speakers placed on Isoacoustic Gaia still get a huge improvement with Entreq Vibbeaters. I have tested my self.
PS Audios Power Base is a well designed anti vibration platform for electronics. Vibbeaters eat the energy while Power Base sorbothane turns the energy into heat while the energy from the air (pushing electronics) are left to resonate together with the power base top steel plate, floating on sorbothane.
This means that Vibbeaters on top of electronics placed on top of a PS power base would improve energy removal from vibration even further.
My wife says these are adorable, and I have to agree. Thanks for the recommendation!
@oceanrower thanks again for the recommendation. I ordered a pair today for my speakers.
Great! Let us know what you think!
No damping weights needed on the Magicos, they are built like the proverbial tank and are hardly known to resonate
They do make a handy spot for a few items (nothing but soft rubber feet or tube box contacting the surface of the speakers)
Best,
-JP
@john2213 , your excellent labeling is an inspiration to me. And, I’m not being sarcastic at all. I truly want to be that organized.
Will do! Thanks again!
I wish I could take the credit for the labeling but my assistant both procured and labeled the drives and downloaded the firmware as well. She is a wonderful woman who does far more for me on a regular basis than I deserve
I just had to take them home and put them in the little box I made for miscellaneous stuff. They are handy as I’m a tweaker/fiddler and like to switch between firmware (mostly between snowmass and sunlight) occasionally dictated by mood
Best,
-JP
My brother…