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Improvised speaker stand ideas needed

E

epo1

pfm Member
My equipment support is a sliding block puzzle as various bits fall into place. For now I need to move my Kef R3s onto side tables to accommodate a Saturn Mk3.

The side tables are probably MDF and part of a nested set so different heights but both too low. Reasonably heavy, two solid sides braced by a half height back panel so fairly rigid as well.

I want to equalize heights, about 3" and 5", it would be easier to pile stuff on top of the tables rather than put supports underneath.

My question is what do I use? My thought is books, I have plenty, hardback and softback; dense material, acoustically dead(?), vibration absorbing. I could possibly go skip diving for blocks of wood or bricks. Which might be least bad? Any better ideas?
 
Second hand stands tend to go very cheaply. Worth checking local ads, sticking a wanted ad here etc. They are a pain to post, so most people just want shut of unused ones, e.g. I’ve a nice pair of Foundation stands here I’d let go for £60, but I’m not posting them!
 
Back in my uni days, the most popular loudspeaker stands by far were Sealtest milk crates. Uber-stable and doubled as LP record storage/transport, that was, until the dairy industry went metric and the bloody things wouldn't fit LPs anymore.

A roommate of mine had 'collected' so many of these that they held all of his gear, 'speakers, and record collection. Naturally, we nicknamed him 'Milk Crate' ('Crate' for short) the day he moved in, as he must have made 20 trips from/to the moving van carrying these.

Sealtest-milk-crate-2.webp
 
I had shelves on bricks while a student. This is a temporary solution until I can sort stands out. Took delivery of the Saturn yesterday and want to check it out before the 14 day return is up.

(Off topic: the Saturn was sold as open box. Looks to me as though the box was last opened at Rega, if I was told it was brand new I'd have believed it. 30% off with full warranty. Dunno if Rega allow mail order of open box equipment so I won't mention the retailer. Googling for rega saturn open box uk should help.)
 
When I was a new Linn salesman, I destroyed a brand new credit card to buy my LP-12, LK-1 and LK-2 at salesmen prices. Having no money left and believing fervently in the Source First mantra, I ran Boston Acoustics A40 speakers, $149 a pair. They sat on what we in the US call cinder blocks. Concrete cast blocks, two feet by one foot., on end. The tweeter was about 3 feet off the ground, which was fine. I had wood screws in the corners of the speakers, cut the heads off then leveled them so they sat right on the top of the block. The block was just on the carpet, or if a hard floor, then I put a piece of carpet underneath.

Lasted me years, that system. If the LK-2 had not kept breaking (the speaker terminals kept getting yanked off the circuit board inside...) i might still have it.


My_project_-_2023-08-30T152434.587__56950.1693423723.png
 
I asked my local hi-fi shop what they had (to be fair I was buying stuff new at the same time) and they had a second hand pair for £50. Might not help but maybe worth a punt.
 
I’ve used breeze blocks/cinder blocks in the past. ’80s shabby post-modernist dole chic could involve a lot of found stuff such as these, wood pallets, giant wood cable reels as tables etc. You could furnish a flat by just taking stuff out of skips etc and then painting it. Add a few bulkhead lights and it looked so much cooler than the sort of shite landlords suplied. Back when I co-ran a little studio our mixer table was a wood pallet standing on breeze-blocks, but all neatly painted in then fashionable pastal colours (which seals the breeze blocks). All looked very deliberate and part of an aesthetic, but cost nothing. Standard houshold emulsion paint works a treat on breeze blocks, concrete garden wall tops etc.
 
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