Excellent speaker decoupling solution for 100 bucks with no DIY? Ask no more


Lately I had been looking to experiment on different coupling/decoupling solutions for my speakers for a reasonable amount of money. My KEF Reference 3s come with dedicated base units featuring spikes and until recently, I was using some cheap Atacama spike shoes. I tried other cheap « classic » and well known tweaks such as the Linn Skeet, a home made plinth of oak with self-adhesive cork strips. 

I was looking on a well known French website with a lot of cheap tweaks for inspiration (Audiophonics) when I stumbled upon the Audio Bastion XPAD plus 2, retailing at 50€ for a set of 4. I ordered 2 sets, for a grand total of 100€ (approx. 106$), telling myself that it will probably bring no real improvements but I will still be able to see more clearly if I need better coupling or decoupling.

Well in summary, it’s probably the best bang for buck I have known during my 10 years in this hobby. While I was expecting changes in the bass area, what I have gained is in fact all in the midrange. The clarity in the lower midrange is something I never heard at my place before, while texture in this area which have become very obvious. The imaging has also improved a lot and this without any drawbacks I could identify after 50-ish hours of listening. 
To be transparent, I have yet to try more expensive decoupling solutions like IsoAcoustics Gaia and others. But man, this is a cheap off-the-shelf decoupling solution that brought so much in my system, I can only recommend if you want to test it out just for fun.

But take this with a pinch of salt, I’m a total newbie on the subject of tweaks, but at its price, there is not much risk is there? ;-)

habermas

These may or may not be your exact solution but several Amazon sellers make a variety of silicone elastomer products at various shapes, sizes, and hardnesses.