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Need help for my B&W floor standing speakers

Hififriend

pfm Member
Hello.

I triet to put spikes with a large screw nut (2,5 cm diameter, not enough for stability and double sided tape did not rest in place) by glueing tape under the B&W DM 580 floor standers. Ouch, it basculated and fell on my toe, cooled it for 5 hours, seems no harm.

NO holes are under the speakers for screwing in spikes.
My spikes were 4,5 cm long and no cone.
Need a large platform as I will do it alone and lift 1 corner after the other. I can't lift heavy things anymore. 18kg for one speaker.
I have carpet on concrete.
Alternatives: 1) buying Oehlbach mini spikes (cones) and glueing them under the speakers
2) making 8 wood boards of 10 x 10 cm and bringing roof nails in or screwing my spikes or other spikes in a metal thread, and then putting (or with double sided tape) 1 after the other under the speakers. Suppose stability would be better.
3) 2x complete wood board on spikes where I put the speakers on them
4) making holes in the speakers and inserting a thread and screwing in the spikes
5) 2 wooden boards on wheels (I have to change position very often as it's my 2nd pair in the living room, right in front of the tweeter of horn speakers) but then there is no coupling to the floor!

Actually the have too much bass, I think spikes will reduce also bass.
Best B&W system, on wheels with possibility to lower them on spikes (diy impossible for me)

6) buying metal boards with spikes on the underside
7) buying speaker stands and cutting of the rest thart only the platform on spikes is left, but then I ruin 2 speaker stands.
8) making 2 granite platforms on spikes, which stay on the carpet, and the speakers which are put on them if I intend to listen to these speakers instead of the horns. Minimal weight as a must for 1 platform ? 5 kg, 10 kg ?

I'm totally overwhelmed by this problem.
I would spend 200 eur for 2 platforms.

How about the coppling when 18 kg stand on a 1,5 cm thick wood plate.
Without spikes now the tweeters are on my ear heigh.
But I have srewed out couch feet of 10 cm heigh, I could gain 10cm if I turn them back in.
It is not really possible to put a weighty platform (granite, marbre) on the floor, but it also could if I found the best place and will no more do major changes.

And which spikes to use with a granite board?
Thanks so much.
My new Sudgen amp comes in a week and I want the speakers to have less bass to begin with.
Kind regards.
Hififriend
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I had the standmount version of your speakers..very nice, but when pushed fell to pieces..my suggestion is buy a pair of pre loved wharfdale 9.4s..very nice speakers and should be pretty cheap too..job done!
 
@Hififriend - Following on from @the caretaker's response you really do need to decide whether to keep these speakers if they have "too much bass" for your liking.

You have the option of fitting some kind of acoustic panels to absorb some of the excess bass or resort to some kind of DSP as I suspect you are dealing with 'room effects'. You don't stay what is driving these speakers.

Regards

Richard
 
I've always thought spikes with heavy speakers potentially dangerous. The object is to isolate the floor from the speakers and to drain the speaker's vibrations.
With my 45kg JBL speakers, I use heavy duty "Aurios"(3 per speaker) on a "Symposium" base. These work well, but other methods such as the "Townshend" bases, I believe also improve the clarity of speakers.
 
@Hififriend - Following on from @the caretaker's response you really do need to decide whether to keep these speakers if they have "too much bass" for your liking.

You have the option of fitting some kind of acoustic panels to absorb some of the excess bass or resort to some kind of DSP as I suspect you are dealing with 'room effects'. You don't stay what is driving these speakers.

Regards

Richard

Hello Richard
I keep them as they had perfect bass in my bedroom on a Cambridge Audio A500 ( a great pairing for classical music) or the Rotel RA-980 Bx. I tried my self made spikes some days (there the glue tape worked, perhaps another carpet) and the bass got reduced and they sounded better.
They have perfect bass with a 70ies Kenwood KA-7100 and both amps I already mentioned, even if I leave the tone control on source direct or tone defeat. Everywhere you read that these speakers have no enormous bass.

Yes it is perhaps my living room, I tried some positions, I could try to put them on a side. 64 Basotect absorbers have arrived and wait at the post office.
If the new Sudgen A21 SE signature will not fit with these speakers, then I use it with another pair.

Fact is I want spikes under the B&W DM 580 and wanna know what possibilities I have, if it is for the living room, or the bedroom, it does not matter. I want spikes and do not know how. Thanks.
 
Hello
I drove 600 km to get a 2nd pair as the first had its tweeter broken. I need help about these keepers. Thanks for your advice :)
That's a long drive..you must love those speakers..cool ( I actually really liked mine, connected to my MF b1 amp..but they were sealed speakers I seem to remember..and as I said at low to medium volume they were brilliant..they were a little boomy though? ) hope you find a solution..all the best mate.
 
I've always thought spikes with heavy speakers potentially dangerous. The object is to isolate the floor from the speakers and to drain the speaker's vibrations.
With my 45kg JBL speakers, I use heavy duty "Aurios"(3 per speaker) on a "Symposium" base. These work well, but other methods such as the "Townshend" bases, I believe also improve the clarity of speakers.
Sorry but I find no picture of your speaker stands for your JBL speakers. Would like to know more about them even if mine weight only 18 kg each. The spike did not fall on my foot, just a corner of the wooden speaker on my toe. My cooling did it. No colouruing. So glad. Yes spikes are more dangerous. Thanks for a link to your stands. Regards.
 
That's a long drive..you must love those speakers..cool ( I actually really liked mine, connected to my MF b1 amp..but they were sealed speakers I seem to remember..and as I said at low to medium volume they were brilliant..they were a little boomy though? ) hope you find a solution..all the best mate.
Here you see them and the first pair with 1 wonderful tweeter and a broken one as the guys I bought them told me they made big parties, did not know the tweeter was broken, I tried to repair it, but it did not work. I got them for ... well let's say, for a very reasonable price :) The 2nd pair from Bremen (Germany north) was top notch. Now I decided to buy a tweeter to repair the broken one. I like the treble so very much.
 
Here you see them and the first pair with 1 wonderful tweeter and a broken one as the guys I bought them told me they made big parties, did not know the tweeter was broken, I tried to repair it, but it did not work. I got them for ... well let's say, for a very reasonable price :) The 2nd pair from Bremen (Germany north) was top notch. Now I decided to buy a tweeter to repair the broken one. I like the treble so very much.
Nice..I remember the tweeters were very good! For interest, if you ever change your speakers..dynaudio tweeters are fabulous..ps have you tried changing speaker cables? Interconnects can also make a difference too? When I had my standmounts I didn't know much about cabling and used monster speaker cable and puresonic Interconnects..i think I could have tamed the boominess of my speakers if I knew what I know now..then!
 
Looks like a solution? Im guessing blue tac between base and spiked frame? Are your speakers ported? The spikes should help..I think within reasonable volume should be fine..if they start booming when turned up loud? Even on the spiked frame? Might be the speakers..mine boomed when turned up..but on normal listening levels they were good..really good.
 
Nice..I remember the tweeters were very good! For interest, if you ever change your speakers..dynaudio tweeters are fabulous..ps have you tried changing speaker cables? Interconnects can also make a difference too? When I had my standmounts I didn't know much about cabling and used monster speaker cable and puresonic Interconnects..i think I could have tamed the boominess of my speakers if I knew what I know now..then!
I once heard some Dynaudio in Germany, I remembered this model a little aggressive, but I do not remember the equipment and there were 1000 eur speakers 12 years ago. I used B&W CDC6 speaker cable with the Cambridge audio, now ordered 2 x 2,4 m CDC8 and 2 x 3 m Mogami Ultra Pure. Actually there is Naim Nac A5 cable with Sudgen-Rotel combo. Don't know if Naca5 has too much bass. Could be the cables. Would be cool :)
 
way too expensive. My budget is 200 eur for 2 stands and perhaps I need 4
They do sometimes appear used at lower cost. But try to get to hear what they do, if you can. If, as you say, these speakers are a long term solution for you, then spending a little more to get them performing at their very best would be an investment.
 
Looks like a solution? Im guessing blue tac between base and spiked frame? Are your speakers ported? The spikes should help..I think within reasonable volume should be fine..if they start booming when turned up loud? Even on the spiked frame? Might be the speakers..mine boomed when turned up..but on normal listening levels they were good..really good.
Yes there is 1 big hole, yesterday evening I put some damping material in it which made them less boomy. They are boomy at 60 dB but the CD's I used had a lot of bass, I could not use my CDX2.2, so I listened on a Bluesound Vault 2 streamer ripper, connected to a Rega Dac, which emphasizes bass a lot compared to my analytical CDX2.2 / XPS2 combo. With the Cambridge Audio A500 with B&W CDC6 cables I listened to classical music on radio only and sunday morning concert was really good and not too much bass, but it was on my spikes when I listened intensively to the violines. I just sent a message to my nephew who makes as hobby design chairs of metal. Perhaps he is able to make me some stands. I'm waiting for his reaction.
 
I am not sure the Aurios are still made(https://www.musicdirect.com/vibration-control/aurios-pro-max-isolation-bearings-set-of-3) but here is the Symposium https://www.symposiumusa.com/svelte.html. Now I use Stillpoints under equipment.
PS Using a platform or board under the speaker makes moving them to their ideal position(to reduce base boom) easier.
Thanks a lot. Symposium is really lovely. The isolator feet are a bit too expensive for me now but I reviewed isolators, soborthane etc in the last days for my turntable, where I did a great investment and bought a Ikea butcher board just for the show as I got a new cartridge :)
 


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