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Isolating Feet for bookshelf speakers worth it ?

Well I've just received my Townshend Podiums.

IMG_2191_zpsecj2qsud.jpg


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All I've got to do now is get them positioned, and then work out how to get each 102kg speaker onto them.
I think it will be all hands on deck with a couple of mates to get that done.
 
awkwardbydesign said:
I would be rather surprised if they had a single resonance, which anyway would depend on the speaker's mass. But I've bookmarked them, as they look useful.
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For sure the frequency will depend on the mass of the speakers. Mine are Proac Tablette 10s, a few kg each.
 
Yes, spikes under speakers are mainly for carpet piercing to avoid wobble. In my case the floor is concrete overlain with bitumen, which I suppose also offers a bit of differential damping. Also, the speakers are positioned over a transition from bitumen to pure concrete, with the result that the spikes at the front sink into the bitumen very slowly over time causing the speakers to lean forward...
Easily re-set.
My speakers are on granite spiked plinths blu tacked to the AB3 Auxiliary bass units, then an intermediate granite piece with blu tack to the main speaker (Studio 3) and a final granite top plate. They do not move.

Incidentally a long time ago I had a pair of the original Tannoy 603's, with their rather pretty dedicated stands. The speakers were designed to be fixed to the stands with screws. Loosening the screws, even if not enough to allow 'wobble', made for a very noticeably slowed and blurred bass.

Spikes into wood or any other relatively soft substance will couple. However, I suspect spikes under, or onto glass or similarly hard substances may decouple, though may encourage ringing in the glass. I really don't know.

Reminds me, I have a couple of granite plinths with provision for spikes, sitting in the garage.. They were originally used under my Papworth M100 monoblocs, but are now surplus to requirements. I expect they'd be handy under a whole range of speakers, amps etc. Must get them in the classifieds..

Mull
 
Colin L said:
Well I've just received my Townshend Podiums.

IMG_2191_zpsecj2qsud.jpg


IMG_2188_zpssabfkvbt.jpg


All I've got to do now is get them positioned, and then work out how to get each 102kg speaker onto them.
I think it will be all hands on deck with a couple of mates to get that done.
Click to expand...

If there is one thing sure to wind me up.. It is people posting pictures of grubby little cheapskate systems.. :)
 
eddie1 said:
Do Isolating Feet improve the sound of bookshelf speakers at all ?
Can't use stands speakers currently sat on shelves with back to wall.

Linn Tukans from CD5/Naim160/Nac62
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If the shelves and remaining bookshelf elements form a solid heavy structure and the shelves themselves are rigid and heavy then I see little need for isolation.
 
Colin L said:
Useful to separate signal and power cables though, don’t you think?
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It's hard to tell when I'm just teasing, isn't it? :D
I have no objection to cable lifters, but they would be impossible to implement in my system. The best I can manage is clips on the back legs of my racks to keep cables separated.
 
Ragaman said:
If anyone else hasn't mentioned Atacama gel pads, these are the best option for shelf mounting
Eliminate all vibration from surroundings
google user reviews, pretty much sums them up.

Tukan's are quite well damped but the shelves are not & will happily bounce along with your music, at least this way you hear the speaker as intended.
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I use the Atacama pads under my Proac Tab 10, made a nice improvement over the supplied standard custom design stand rubber mounts

https://www.theplasmacentre.com/tv-...MItNnQtIX42AIVab7tCh02Kgc3EAQYAyABEgKWovD_BwE
 
I use blutack between shelf and speaker but I'm wondering if bubble-wrap would be a better solution. I will try this tomorrow.
 
deek said:
I use blutack between shelf and speaker but I'm wondering if bubble-wrap would be a better solution. I will try this tomorrow.
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I doubt that bubble wrap would work with but the heaviest speakers. Unless the plastic film is really soft.
 
BLACKMASS said:
I received the 'Sonic Design' feet a couple of days back. I swapped the Sorbothane domed pads out for them this afternoon.

I've only listened to one album so far but initial impressions are very good. The music seems more focused. As I say early days.

Slightly OT. My speakers are on a side board with granite chopping boards underneath.

Just wondering if slate might be an improvement?

Sorry to the OP for going OT.
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Just a thought; depending upon how resonant your side board is, placing heavy granite or slate bits beneath the speakers is more likely to extend the time factor of LF resonance decay, rather than help eliminate same. Reason being, all objects resonate (even the earth), those that are heavy, or in the case of your side board, suspending a heavy mass, will be more efficient stores of kinetic energy that is in turn released over a longer time line and, therefore, more audible as sound 'smear'.

I'd suggest comparing your existing Sorbothane and Sonic Design feet without the chopping boards; you may find that they both do an acceptable job.
 
Craig B said:
Just a thought; depending upon how resonant your side board is, placing heavy granite or slate bits beneath the speakers is more likely to extend the time factor of LF resonance decay, rather than help eliminate same. Reason being, all objects resonate (even the earth), those that are heavy, or in the case of your side board, suspending a heavy mass, will be more efficient stores of kinetic energy that is in turn released over a longer time line and, therefore, more audible as sound 'smear'.

I'd suggest comparing your existing Sorbothane and Sonic Design feet without the chopping boards; you may find that they both do an acceptable job.
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I did have a good listen yesterday and found the Sonic Design feet have made a big difference. The instruments sound as though they are being played faster and cleaner/tighter.

@Craig B Many thanks for the response. I'll do as you've suggested and report back.
 
I bought two sets of Isoacoustic IIIs. I expected to return them, but will be keeping them - cleaned up the sound stage very nicely.
 
terrycym said:
It may be magic thinking but it certainly isn't any mechanical engineering covered in my degree course.
Also, for it to work (couple) correctly, good luck with getting all 4 spikes to be in perfect contact with the support at the same time.
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Use 3
Perfect stability
 
There seems no perfect way, coupling via cones keeps the speaker more stable & steady which will benefit focus & definition, this also adds the problem of vibration entering the stand below, the floor then back into the stand, squidgy feet remove vibration but the speaker isn't kept firm while the drive unit moves, this will be detrimental to stability

I have tried both, I always seem to go back to a cone, the sound seems more defined to me, on the squidgy feet, the sound lacks focus by comparison, probably due to the speaker being allowed to move along with the drive units.
 
Ragaman said:
I have tried both, I always seem to go back to a cone, the sound seems more defined to me, on the squidgy feet, the sound lacks focus by comparison, probably due to the speaker being allowed to move along with the drive units.
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How much would a typical, fairly heavy speaker box really move?
 
Ragaman said:
There seems no perfect way, coupling via cones keeps the speaker more stable & steady which will benefit focus & definition, this also adds the problem of vibration entering the stand below, the floor then back into the stand, squidgy feet remove vibration but the speaker isn't kept firm while the drive unit moves, this will be detrimental to stability

I have tried both, I always seem to go back to a cone, the sound seems more defined to me, on the squidgy feet, the sound lacks focus by comparison, probably due to the speaker being allowed to move along with the drive units.
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squidgy feet doesnt decouple
you need a material that really isolate between speaker and floor down to 20hz. only sylomer, sorbothane or complex suspension system will decouple to a degree where decoupling should sound better then coupling via spikes
 
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