3 or 4 cones under speakers /cdp which better WHY

Along the lines of what Marty has said, I always thought that the key was to place cones/points under the areas of the component which are most vulnerable to vibrational effects FIRST, then distribute the other one or two to provide balance and overall stability.

hello for the 3 point planes concept to be accurate the 3 cones must be placed in a exact perfect triangle configuration. Now this is easily accomplished with light components or speakers but try it with a pair of 485 pound Dunlavy 5 speakers its really not possible. I would recommend using 4 cones in situations like this, especially if your in California.

If you go with the Sistrum support system for your speakers or any of your components you will not have to worry about the point placement. Their 3 point system is united by a unique matrix. If you use their individual points, placement IS very important. Go to audiopoints.com and ask to speak to Robert. He's the man over there and he will show you the light. I use their points and racks on everything in my system. If you decide that coupling is what you want to do: Audiopoints.com be the place. Their website has got it all: white paper and pictures. peace,warren

I have tried 3 versus 4 feet under everything for years and in every case, 3 feet always sounded better. I have written a computer program for the optimum placement of 3 feet under any component. I just need the left-right width and front-back depth and the diameter of the cone/foot. The chassis must be reasonably rigid and not overly weighted on one side. Send me some measurements and try it out. The results of the calculations have been with a few mm of perfect for practically every component I have tried, even heavy power amps. If the feet are too close to the edge, the sound becomes tight and restricted. If the cones are too far underneath, the sound is loose and a bit out of control.

3 is more stable than 4. (No possiblity of rocking with only 3 as opposed to four.) However, most of our equipment has a square footprint, hence the reason for 4.
If you can, use three, but sometimes it in not possible, because the unit is too large to permit this, or there is no optimal place to put the third cone. Four is then the only option. Good Luck!