advertisement


Another Hi-Fi holy cow put out to pasture . . .

Dougunn

Dougunn

pfm Member
I've been an audio geek for 30+ years. In the more recent of these I have enjoyed questioning and re-evaluating many of the 'rules' I picked up along the way. Key steps have included moving on from vinyl, realising the (hi-fi) world isn't flat - and replacing a growing stack of Naim boxes for a streaming/server/DAC and active ATCs system.

Just when I thought I cleansed myself of all of my (mainly 80's) hi-fi 'truths' along came another holy cow that seemed reassuringly logical and unassailable . . . .

Loudspeakers should be rigidly mounted and not be able to move at all.

It started with reading threads about decoupling speakers from suspended floors and the amazing results some (well heeled) souls have experienced with Townsend Seismic Podiums etc.

Always curious I wondered what this might do to/for my ATC SCM25s. . . .

Long story short, I fitted a sheet of 10mm toughened glass to the top of my speaker stands (an open steel frame style made to order to fit the ATCs) and in between this and the speakers I put three sorbothane feet. Lots of research demonstrated the need to correctly calculate the right level of springiness/compression required and the size and durometer rating of each 'foot'. This is important to ensure the sorbothane provides the maximum vibration absorbtion/isolation.

The result looks like this:

7413b4.jpg


The combination is only slightly wobbly; it will move a little if you push the speaker but is otherwise quite 'stiff'. I have to say I'm pleasantly suprised by the results.

The immediate change is a noticably more relaxed sound - almost as if the volume has been reduced. But the thing I am enjoying most it what appears to be greater resolution, I feel I can hear much more going on and imaging feels more palpably real - the acoustics in a recording space/venue seem much more apparent. Music has a flow that was not there before.

I'm aware that maybe I'm hearing what I want to hear (expectation bias) but I do feel there is something here. Either way, everything I am playing right now is bringing a smile to my face and that's what its all about isn't it?

I'm curious if others have tried anything similar and what their experience was?
 
You post this now?

l have just purchased some Podiums...………. well done some sensible thinking there- looks good too.:)
 
Decoupling speakers from a springy floor has to be sensible imo. There’s a studio design company called Northward Acoustics that specialise in decoupling ATCs from studios - typically by using Sylomer and springs. They are also in the process of releasing decoupling pads for stand mounted speakers. Start with post 65 on this thread on gearslutz if you are interested

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/stu...peaker-isolation-products-3.html#post12761845

When I used ATC SCM25As I used Sonic Design SD feet; they come in different qualities depending on the weight of your speakers. Their web page has some sensible arguments why they are beneficial.

http://www.sonicdesign.se/sdfeet.html

imo you don’t want any sound transmitted to your floor at all; your floor isn’t part of the loudspeaker.
 
I have but one set of spikes left anywhere in my three systems, just on the bottom of the Target R4 stands that support my JR149s. They are there purely to seat and level them through the carpet and underlay and more a security and levelling thing than sound. My big Lockwoods and Klipsch La Scalas just sit on the carpet. They are too heavy to rock around and also far too heavy for me to lift so I couldn’t spike them even if I wanted to!

FWIW for the past 15-20 years or so I’ve backed away from all audiophile furniture etc as whilst I’m in no doubt it makes a difference the difference it makes is usually ‘worse’ to me! This started off when I found I preferred my kit sitting on the floor than on an expensive Mana table system and has slowly developed over the years. IME spikes always make things sound leaner, drier and more forward, and I just don’t want that. These days I seek a very natural, organic and relaxed sound. I have really gone off ‘edge of the seat’ hi-fi.

For the JR149 speaker/stand interface, i.e. where you have the Sorbothene stuff, I’m usung felt pads which sound better to my ears/taste than cones, Blu-Tac or whatever. I’d be tempted to try Sorbothene, but given such a small speaker I’d not want any risk of tipping them off the stands!
 
Spikes are gone from my system other than the amp rack where I know it won't make a blind bit of difference one way or the other. So CBA to do owt.
 
Tony L said:
FWIW for the past 15-20 years or so I’ve backed away from all audiophile furniture etc as whilst I’m in no doubt it makes a difference the difference it makes is usually ‘worse’ to me! This started off when I found I preferred my kit sitting on the floor than on an expensive Mana table system and has slowly developed over the years. IME spikes always make things sound leaner, drier and more forward, and I just don’t want that. These days I seek a very natural, organic and relaxed sound. I have really gone off ‘edge of the seat’ hi-fi.
Click to expand...

Yes! That's my feeling exactly.
 
Rodney gold said:
You have raised your speakers with the tweak..in all probability, this too contributes to the sound difference..
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right, but I've moved my speakers about quite a bit prior to this and am familiar with the magnitude of change this creates. I'm doubtful the few centimeters they have been raised has had a substantial effect.
 
AndyU said:
Decoupling speakers from a springy floor has to be sensible imo. There’s a studio design company called Northward Acoustics that specialise in decoupling ATCs from studios - typically by using Sylomer and springs. They are also in the process of releasing decoupling pads for stand mounted speakers. Start with post 65 on this thread on gearslutz if you are interested

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/stu...peaker-isolation-products-3.html#post12761845

When I used ATC SCM25As I used Sonic Design SD feet; they come in different qualities depending on the weight of your speakers. Their web page has some sensible arguments why they are beneficial.

http://www.sonicdesign.se/sdfeet.html

imo you don’t want any sound transmitted to your floor at all; your floor isn’t part of the loudspeaker.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will check this out.
 
Tony L said:
This started off when I found I preferred my kit sitting on the floor than on an expensive Mana table system
Click to expand...
Haha, I remember taking it out with Jason, one phase at a time and noticing a significant improvement each time.

Hutter seems okay but the non spiked AV rack sounds identical to the spiked hifi one.
 
Tony L said:
FWIW for the past 15-20 years or so I’ve backed away from all audiophile furniture etc as whilst I’m in no doubt it makes a difference the difference it makes is usually ‘worse’ to me! This started off when I found I preferred my kit sitting on the floor than on an expensive Mana table system
!
Click to expand...

I think that some people are too fussy about equipment stands....



d6913c82a0eb3aac501b9a6d084993e6.jpg
 
I hang my 15 inch baffleless bass drivers from wires. They are free to move though they choose not to. The bass I get is the best I've experienced in a domestic environment. Rigid....no, far from it.
 
clivem2 said:
I hang my 15 inch baffleless bass drivers from wires. They are free to move though they choose not to. The bass I get is the best I've experienced in a domestic environment. Rigid....no, far from it.
Click to expand...

This clearly needs pictures! How do they generate any bass without a baffle? I’ve tested 15” Tannoys just sitting face-up on the floor before now and they have no bass at all until you stick them in the cabs.
 
Reminds me of teenage years. I had a tiny tiny bedroom (about 11 x 6 as I recall). I had some 12" Richard Allen full range drivers (no cabinet) hanging from the ceiling with a thick piece of Fibreglass loft insulation between the back of speaker and wall (was only plasterboard too). Listening distance from the bed about 4 feet at best. They were the 'fronts' Also had some 8 or 10" units in chipboard cabinets that were screwed to the ceiling. The baffle was angled in somewhat. They were wired to the small stereo amp in a Hafler arrangement - very popular in 1974. Sounded alright to me, but hey, you gotta start somewhere right. My dad restricted playing time - his darkroom enlarger was above the bedroom, in the attic!
 
I've got spikes everywhere... The spikes on my speaker stands sit on big cross-head screws...they're fairly rigid. :(
 
Tony L said:
This clearly needs pictures! How do they generate any bass without a baffle? I’ve tested 15” Tannoys just sitting face-up on the floor before now and they have no bass at all until you stick them in the cabs.
Click to expand...
I'll try to post a pic, since photobucket changed I've not played with posting forum pics.

There are 2 drivers per channel facing each other...reverse polarity. Lots of power, 900 class D watts per driver. Measured extension down to 18hz.
 
I have a tiled concrete floor and my floorstander are sitting on rubber pads about 5mm thick. This is enough to ensure that there is no rocking and no spikes lifting off the surface and banging back onto it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top