spikes

[rynopr]

I have wood floors. I presently have on the flat screw on feet that came with my Aeon's. Will I get better resolution/results if I use the spikes? Initially, I thought they were for carpet, but I see people use them on hard floors.

Thanks #15

 

[Paul Pohopien]

I think spikes are essential, and used them on my wood floors. I think one should do anything they can to tame floor resonances....especially with wood floors.

Currently I'm using spikes, a board, and a 12 inch bicycle tube. It may be overkill, but the room I'm in is a room addition with poorly reinforced flooring, so I had to!

 

[rynopr]

The speaker doesn't actually touch the floor. Those round metal feet do. Does that still make a difference? Can someone give me more specifics of what this does and why it helps?

 

[Paul Pohopien]

The idea behind using the spikes is that the vibrations will terminate at the point, thus not transmit to the floor. Some people don't like to use spikes on wood floors for fear of ruining their floors or something, if that's an issue, just place something underneath the spike point. Some spikes come with a mating bottom piece for the spike to sit into, if yours didn't just use a coin or something.

Good luck.

 

[Nick]

I use pennies under my spikes to stop them from damaging my hard wood floor.

I just color them black with a Jiffy marker. My old Paradigms were about 75lbs with stands and with pennies underneath the spikes my floor was never damaged. I guess you could put felt on the bottom of the penny for some extra protection.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[rynopr]

Thanks guys...I think I have seen some on wooden platforms as well. They might have been special dampening products like that racing company name--can't think of it. Anyway, I get the idea.

 

[Reverb2009]

Are you thinking of Grand Prix Audio?

 

[pat17]

The idea behind using the spikes is that the vibrations will terminate at the point, thus not transmit to the floor. Some people don't like to use spikes on wood floors for fear of ruining their floors or something, if that's an issue, just place something underneath the spike point.

You can go even further than that.

I've tried a system that I discovered on a forum, where you use (from top to bottom)

1. loudspeaker
2. spikes
3. granite tiles (I use marble as it is less expensive in the UAE)
4. carpet (I use a tube mate instead)
5. floor

The result is more obvious with the Grotto as it is with the Claritys (on the picture).

No more vibration in the floor, much more precise and clean bass...

It's really worth the value to try it.

 

[jhorowitz128]

pat17,

What you've done is actually de-couple your speakers from the floor, something that I highly recommend and would advise people to experiment with. I, too, tried placing my spiked speakers on pieces of granite on a carpet that covered my 'springy' wooden floors, but found that the granite still coupled too much with the floor. So I placed the speakers on floor protectors directly on the carpet. Like you said, the bass is cleaner, the highs more distinct, and no floor vibration.
See Member System #8.
http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=222

 

[pat17]

pat17,

What you've done is actually de-couple your speakers from the floor, something that I highly recommend and would advise people to experiment with. I, too, tried placing my spiked speakers on pieces of granite on a carpet that covered my 'springy' wooden floors, but found that the granite still coupled too much with the floor. So I placed the speakers on floor protectors directly on the carpet. Like you said, the bass is cleaner, the highs more distinct, and no floor vibration.
See Member System #8.
http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=222

I'm not very much on the technical side, so I will not try to explain why and how it works... Sometimes it's doing fine, sometimes it doesn't give outstanding results - although it usually makes a great difference...

That's why I just recommend to try it - no guaranteed results, but usually sound is much improving.

Maybe that in your case, it has to do something with the floor?!

 

[Daryl Zero]

Pat17, is there any trouble with instability of the speaker with your set up?

 

[jhorowitz128]

Hello pat17,

Actually, I'm agreeing with your approach. I'm using a carpet instead of the tube mates. I just didn't like the results of using the granite on the carpet and am using the floor protectors instead. My floor is very prone to vibrations so I find that de-coupling is better. If one has a very solid wood floor or a concrete floor, then I can see the advantages of directly coupling the speakers to them.

http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=222

 

[pat17]

Pat17, is there any trouble with instability of the speaker with your set up?

If you're speaking about physical instability - loudspeaker likely to fall down - I would anwer 'not at all'.

If you're speaking about instability in the sound reproduction, I would answer 'not at all either'.

 

[rynopr]

It was Black Diamond Racing. Thank you all for your input.

 

[rynopr]

My buddy turned me onto these. Let me know what you think...

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=&sku=AASDISC

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?cat=&sku=ARTPTCOUPDISC

I think I am going to try the brass ones--the later.

 

[Muad'Dib]

I find that I rather like the spikes diggin into the wood floor - leaves a nice pattern for when you leave the place you're living in. Might **** off the wife but who cares.

-D

 

[Sky Saw]

Why Spikes?

I just spiked my Ascent-i's after an extended period of having the speakers on their flat screw-in feet (which make experimentation with placement easy). I have maple floors, so I stuck a piece of furniture felt under a coin, and the coin under the spike, to protect the floor from the spike. In Canada, a Loonie is ideal, and makes a great floor protector system for a total of $8.

Anyway, there is a reason why ML ships spikes with its speakers - they make a big difference in the ultimate performance of the speaker (on a suspended floor at least). While the bass is obviously tightened up, the real improvement from my perspective is how spiking clears up the midrange and top-end. Attacks are much clearer and faster, which makes imaging a lot tighter, and timbres even more realistic. The bass improvements really increase image depth as well. Concrete slabs etc. might increase these effects, but not if they are preventing you from just putting the spikes on your speakers and enjoying the music, so put the spikes on whatever coins you have next to your keys, and then finesse them (marble, concrete, etc) all you want later. You will be very glad that you did.

 

[rynopr]

Then my next question becomes is it worth doing it for the depth as well, or does it not make that much of a difference with the sub? It doesn't seem like I ever see any logan systems with spikes on their subs.

 

[Muad'Dib]

Decoupling your sub makes a noticeable difference in its performance. Probably won't help you against any standing waves you have in your room, but it will help the sub itself.

I wouldn't waste the 100+ bucks ML charges for their spikes though. Either build your own or get something from music direct. The feet I built keep the thing from moving even with a 20Hz pure tone @ 110 dB SPL.

-D

 

[Bonedust]

rynor- i spike my descent and the improvement is noticable...not a HUGE difference, but it certainly tightens up the punch of the sub.

also, those Music Direct spike cups work very very well. i recently put them under my statements and they look vice and work perfect