I'm not surprised. Having experimented with spring-based footers beneath my speakers the difference was substantial and I intend to order Townshend Isolation Bars at some point.
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As I've mentioned elsewhere I have the Nobsound spring footers, tried them under my Thiels.
I was blown away by the effect at first: the speakers just disappeared and soundstaged even better, a sense of distortion was reduced, more insight in to recording etc.
My main problem was it came with a lowering of dynamics, palpability, density and punch to the sound. It became more ghostly, more electrostatic. So I choose to generally not use the footers.
But the GOOD qualities from the experience intrigue me so much I want to try the Townshend bars, fingers crossed that it manages a best of both worlds - the speaker disappearing act but without the same hit on punch and dynamics. The Nobsound springs are a pretty crude take on spring isolation, whereas the Townshend are much more refined for their purpose.
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I just put the spring footers under my Thiel speakers again (like the Nobsound, but a different brand which has the springs actually fixed, not loose).
Absolutely stunning, yet again, in many ways. The changes it registers among the entire frequency range is just amazing. It's like the "noise floor" of the speaker has gone down I can effortlessly hear the most minute details. All sorts of tracks sound different because I realize I'm hearing now audible subtle reverbs that weren't there before.
Saxophone tracks become all the more real sounding, where I can hear that familiar clicking/ tapping of the keys (from when I played sax...my dad played sax too). The texture of the reed all the more evident.
And the high frequencies and air seemed to have gone through the roof.Chimes, drum cymbals now have an utterly pure realism, of the type I was often seeking. It's just crazy.
As I have mentioned before, my main gripe with the spring footers has been a subtraction of "feel" and impact to the sound. I really seek a sense of density to the presentation of my system, so any losses there can be annoying. Which is why the footers eventually tend to come back off.
But the more I'm listening the more I'm liking, and getting addicted to things I can hear only with the footers on. And yes I've lost some solidity to the sound, but there still is some nice impact.
This, yet again, tells me I will be springing for the "real deal" Townshend speaker bars, at some point.
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That's very encouraging millercarbon.
The thing is I had recently tweaked my speaker/listening position and had arrived at a new level of awe-inspiring imaging and solidity to the sound. As I said, any steps backwards are hard to swallow. But I can imaging giving up a bit to get some of that delicious transparency and detail I'm hearing.
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As mentioned, I'll be getting the speaker bars. Though this will be on a shag rug, so I'm not sure how that will affect things.
On the current footer springs, I'm sure some of what I'm hearing is due to decoupling the speakers from the floors. Though raising the speakers may have also influenced the tonal balance, which does seem more airy and bright sounding, and a bit thinner overall.
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BTW, you know how we audiophiles like to sit around dreaming about certain gear combinations?
I've had one on my mind for a while:
Devore O/96 speakers combined with Townshend pods.
The reason is: I love the big, rich, alive organic sound of those speakers.However, they do sound on some material more boxy than many other speakers. It leaves me dreaming about what they'd sound like if I constructed a special stand for them, on which to place the Townshend bars or pods, for the speakers to sit on, keeping them the same height as their original Devore stands.
Might it end up pushing them even further to "wow" territory, where they do all those wonderful things, but disappear even more than normal?
OR...it could be it would end up ruining something inherent in their sound.
Dunno. But the mystery and intrigue has me dreaming....
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Yes furniture sliders or herbies could be the ticket. Though one of the advantages of the Townshend design is not raising your speaker up much at all, so as not to change the tonal balance.
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BTW, for the heck of it I tried the Nobsound-like spring footers under my tube amps.
Zero impact on the sound. Which makes sense to me. If they were going to pick up any vibrations it would likely happen if placed in the room with the speakers. But all my amp/source equipment is in a separate room down the hall from my speakers.
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Ah, I see you were assuming speaker spikes. Makes sense.
I don't use speaker spikes - speakers sit right on the floor, as I preferred the sound that way. So I'm looking to keep the speakers as close to the floor as I can to maintain that tonal balance.
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Well boys I've joined the club!
Just ordered some Townshend Isolation Bars for my speakers.
I'll be using them with my Thiel 2.7 and Joseph Audio Perspective speakers.
The Thiels have a wider body and are very stable, but I am wondering how I'll go about using them with the Joseph speakers, which are a very narrow body design and require the supplied outriggers so they aren't easily tipped over. I don't know if I'll keep the Josephs on the outriggers while on the bars, or whether there is some prevision in the design of the bars to hold narrow speakers steady?
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Thanks millercarbon. I'm familiar with what you are talking about, having experimented with the other spring footers. I know the Townshend are stiffer, but the Thiels were stable enough even sitting directly atop those springs.
The Joseph speakers are an entirely different issue though. I would not trust them normally without the outriggers, as they could easily be tipped over. Unless there is something in the speaker bars that secures them, it seems very dicey to add even a bit more tippy quality, without the outriggers to help.
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sokogear,
I'm getting the Townshend product, not the Symposium, so I'm not in conversation with Peter.
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