Experience with Townshend Seismic Podiums on Concrete Floor (they're great)
I have tower speakers on a concrete floor covered with carpet. Recently, I tried out the Townshend Seismic Podium (size 1) on my Ascend Acoustics Towers (RAAL tweeter) for about 4-5 hours. Here is a brief recounting of my experience.
At first, I set up the podiums and just listened to well known tracks; next, a few days later, I used that same set of tracks to compare, A & B, the speakers on the podium vs. without the podium (but at the same height). A friend with me also compared this A/B setup. We listened to a simple jazz arrangement, a Mozart aria, a rock recording by Chesky, and a country/rock piece. All were well recorded.
The difference made by the podiums are not subtle. In general, it is as if the entire sonic presentation was brought into focus, as if a light veil or layer of dust had been wiped away. It organizes everything; it makes the parts of the whole make sense.
More specifically, these were the effects I noticed:
Bass was slightly fuller, much cleaner and more distinct; for an electric bass, this meant that rounded notes that previously blurred in a sequence (too legato) become individual notes. String bass notes gained dimensionality and texture; the finger on the string became more real, and the resonance of the large wooden bass got fuller and richer. Rhythm sections were better able to stand out *as* rhythm sections, that is, as musicians who are working together.
As far as midrange and treble go, there was -- as with the bass -- more definition, clarity, detail. They sound more like instruments-in-the-room rather than the presence of instrument appearances. Not much about their tonal character changed, but they became more palpable and more exactly located.
That brings me to the soundstage. The width of the soundstage grew by about 10-14% — 5-7% on each side. It was remarkable. Instruments gained space, separation, and definiteness of location. They didn't sound apart or isolated but just more distinct, separated from other instruments. I imagined this as fidelity to the way the microphone recorded them or as the mixing engineer intended.
When I ordered the podiums, I made sure to ask for the ability to return them. I was assured that I could return them if I just paid shipping. (No restocking fee.) I was skeptical and wanted an escape clause. I had watched a few videos and was curious about whether Mr. Townshend's scientific claims would translate into audible differences that would be worth the money (the podiums cost about 1/3 of my speakers' cost).
Well, my skepticism is gone — and it disappeared rather quickly at first, and then after careful comparison. I am keeping the Townshend podiums. Are they better than Isoacoustics footers or other products? I don't know, because I have not compared them. But they're making a huge difference and, should I want to put other speakers on them, they'll fit the others I have, easily. I'm pretty sure I'll never give these up.
@jtcf Between the detailed and earnest comments here and the reviewers I found online who were not just cheerleaders, I thought they would be worth a serious trial. they did not disappoint. I suppose those with Isoacoustics or other solutions might make the argument that I could have done the same thing for about 1/3 the price, and I cannot rebut that without a trial. That said, I like the look of these podiums and I like their easy, 4-way adjustability and the fact they have a platform. @carlsbad It took me a while to see this point -- specifically, that the fact I had concrete floor did not obviate the usefulness of the podiums. |
After doing a lot of reading and video watching myself I think solutions from other companies are going to look virtually the same on an accelerometer but sound different from the listening position.One thing everyone seems to be in agreement on is the Townshend's superior soundstaging.I like the wide plinth and ease of leveling. |
Thanks for posting your impressions. I have a pair coming for my Fyne F703 speakers. A friend with active ATC speakers (SCM50ASLT) went from Iso Acoustic Gaias to Townshend Podiums. He told me the improvement wasn't subtle. Two to three times the cost but he felt it was more than worth it. We'll see. Glad to hear they worked out so well in the OP's system. |
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/townshend-seismic-isolation-podium-platform-review I agree. Here is a link to my review of them. ozzy |
hilde45: congratulations! I’ve been curious about Townshend podiums for a couple of years now, but remain unwilling to shell out for them. Your testimonial, and ozzy’s too, bring me that much closer. But let me share my own experience with acoustic decoupling (I have walnut floors, not concrete; spikes turn the floors into uncontrolled passive radiators). A friend has the IsoAcoustics Gaia, and let me try them. They were certainly an improvement over spikes or nothing at all, and for the reasons you both catalog here. But I’m cheap; the Gaia were also more than I wanted to spend. So I tried sorbothane feet purchased on eBay; they’re attached to threads that fit the spike holes on my tower speakers. Wow! Better than the Gaia, and again, for all the reasons mentioned here. The speakers wobble when provoked, but I’m past the age of children, and my dog is well-behaved. In fact, from what I can tell from Youtube videos, the sorbothane does very much the same thing, in terms of wobble, as the Townshend podiums. They cost me less than $60 for all eight of them. Just sayin’.
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This is a really interesting subject, and one that my own personal experience has taught me ought not to be ignored. I am more than a little surprised that @hilde45 experienced the magnitude of improvement that he did, given that he is working with what I consider to be the best case scenario, that being carpet over concrete. When you think about a problem, and the experimental results aren't what you expect, you need to pay attention and learn. It means you are not thinking about the problem correctly. In trying to think my way through this problem, I've thought in terms of 3 different types of unwanted kinetic energy that are undoubtedly problematic to some degree.
It has been my experience that that last type of unwanted kinetic energy (3) can be very bad. Carpet over concrete presents a situation that is orders of magnitude less prone to transferring kinetic energy back and forth from and to the cabinet than is carpet over wood. If I recall correctly he tried spikes, which should minimize front to back and lateral cabinet movement (1), and yet, he found the Townsend product to be a substantial obvious improvement over what he had used previously. Unless I am missing something, this all tells me that that speaker cabinet resonance (2) was the main culprit. It also tells me that the Townsend product is somehow draining and dissipating that speaker cabinet resonance quickly. I guess I am going to have to learn more about this product. $1500 is not exactly lunch money but it is far less than I have already put into fixing my problem. By the way, I've used spikes, I've used sorbothane feet, and I've used Herbie's gliders. The gliders were head and shoulders above the sorbotthane and the spikes. Now I wonder if the Townsends can get me a bit more.
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As an owner of Townshend podiums myself, the clue is in the full name "Seismic". A concrete floor in an area of seismic activity, even minor, will not isolate your speakers fron nature's effects. The use of spikes coupled to a concrete floor will exasperate matters as Max explains in his youtube video. That's my two cents worth and I am keeping mine because my wood floors on the upper floor where my system is installed ensures that I am not entertaining the entire house. |
@ozzy — thanks for the link to your review! As @brownsfan and @smandlej point out, the wood floor situation makes the podia even more relevant, so another reason I’m sticking with these is that they allow me to move my speakers to another room — or use the podia in another room — without having to consider another solution. I want to add a shoutout to @millercarbon who wrote accurately and articulately about these products a while back. At the time, I was nowhere near having a system together, so the very idea of spending $1k on platforms seemed beyond the pale. |
@relayer101 I don't want to hijack hilde45's thread but I also have bottom ported speakers that according to the research I've done don't react well with the Townshend podiums.I've ordered Primacoustics platforms which are supposed to arrive Wednesday. I posted a video( looong and tedious) on hilde's other thread that demonstrated good results with a bottom ported sub.I'll tack it on to the other thread or start a new one and tag you with the results. I'll post a link for you. |
Hi hilde45 Your description of the changes pretty much precisely coincides with mine, Sopra 2 on a hardwood floor. I didn't have space for the Podiums so after an email exchange with Mr. Townshend I purchased the Bars. The improvement was dramatic, even a little shocking, when considered that the systems sounded pretty good before, or so I thought, and all I did was swap out the Pods. Makes me wonder if every single system, especially those with floor standers, would automatically benefit. Not trying to sell anyone with that line, btw. It's just that I was amazed at what it did to my audio. I used Isoaccoustics Pods before the Townshend Bars |
In trying to think my way through this problem, I’ve thought in terms of 3 different types of unwanted kinetic energy that are undoubtedly problematic to some degree.
I agree. There’s clearly more than just one form of resonance at play here. To make things even more complicated these levels of resonance might all differ according to playback volume and speaker placement.
Unless I am missing something, this all tells me that that speaker cabinet resonance (2) was the main culprit. It also tells me that the Townsend product is somehow draining and dissipating that speaker cabinet resonance quickly.
I’d agree too. There’s not a single loudspeaker on earth that doesn’t suffer from it. Some far more than others, obviously. Even a traditional design used to combat cabinet resonance such as the thin wall lossy cabinet employed by Harbeth/Spendor or a more modern one such as Q Acoustics Concept Series gelcore cabinet/ lossy stand might benefit from some further form of isolation/decoupling.
Sprung wooden floors in particular, might just be the least helpful surface to place a pair of vibrating towers. |
@surfcat "Makes me wonder if every single system, especially those with floor standers, would automatically benefit." I have to say I agree. My challenge, as a true blue skeptic, is to keep listening critically. Am I in an infatuation period? Is my thinking and hearing clouded by the sunk costs fallacy? I am trying to be open to the idea that all of this is confirmation bias. I suspect that's not true, but I've not had it a long time, yet. |
For people with downfiring drivers I wonder if the Townshend Pods, which I imaging would be used in a manner similar to Isoacoustics Gaia pods, wouldn't solve the problem. Also the Corners that he sells are interesting looking. I wonder if there's an advantage to two "Seismic Load Cells" (his name) per corner over one. |
@cd318 Thanks for confirming that my thought process is not utter lunacy. It's been 50 years since my last physics course, so I am a bit rusty on some of this stuff. Maybe this is why some companies, Magico comes to mind, go to seemingly absurd lengths in building essentially inert cabinets. @hilde45 it is always good to do a reality check on one's objectivity. I suspect that when we hear differences that rise well above the "well, it sounds different, I think" level of tweaks, we are not just fooling ourselves. I've had a few occasions where I have been convinced that something couldn't possibly work, then found it did work and work well. I think these things really run contrary to confirmation bias. Kudos to you for giving these things a try!
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I read the Townsend website write up on their seismic pods and sorry not buying it. I’m sure they can make a difference in some cases like other similar products can but it doesn’t all add up. I do use much less costly Isoacoustics isolation stands under smaller speakers on my upper levels with suspended plywood floors where floor interactions are always problematic and they make a big difference there cleaning up the midrange that gets obscured by the bass otherwise. I don’t bother to use them at foundation level with dense carpet and pad over concrete in that I do not hear a difference there. I live in a modestly active seismic area. I was a Geology major in college and did award winning research modeling seismic activity in grad school. So I do know something about seismic activity. It might be an issue in some cases and in certain geological conditions but certainly not always. There can be a wide difference there but I guess that’s cutting hairs too much in the interest of selling product. Still you never know for sure unless you try…. If they work and one feels they are worth it, more power to you. Speaker interaction with suspended plywood floors is a very common and way more significant acoustic issue. All one has to do is jump up and down in a room and see if anything moves or vibrates to know. |
@mapman By "it" what are you referring to? The seismic factor alone? What? @brownsfan noted three types of issues -- without mentioning the seismic one:
You are using Isoacoustic isolation and you say they help. Might the Townshends simply be doing what those devices do? Are you mentioning "jumping up and down" on the floor as an adequate test of whether the kind of vibration capable of smearing midrange and treble are is present? It seems too crude a test, no? Not sure what the geology textbooks say on that one. |
I have owned the Seismic platforms for a couple years and they are transforming . Prior to the Podiums I was using spikes with Combak Harmonic footer. It is one of the few audio products that is universally praised by people who actually own them. Yes they are expensive but chances are they make up less than 10-15 percent of total system cost. They’re improvement is actually a great value. The beauty is every single piece of your equipment benefits and changes in cables,fuses,power supplies, are much easier hear. I do have a golden ratio room which helps, it is a converted garage with a cement floor. 2x12 floor joist filled with foam built on top of the existing cement slab. I knew where my system was going to be so much more than typical cross bracing etc. Finished flooring is LVP with cork backing . It floats so probably not the best but it looks great and easy to take care and self installed Could be another reason I felt I had such an improvement with the Podiums The Townshend folks are awesome to work with and will work hard to make sure you can afford your Podiums . I went thru all Herbies, Stillpoints,Combak Harmonic ,chain . Save up your money and buy the Townshend Podiums .You won’t have to worry about selling them for 50 cents on a dollar in a couple of years!!
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@hilde45 and @mapman . To the points you have made above. I did not include vibrations transmitted to the speakers that have its origins outside the confines of the listening room as a 4th type of kinetic motion because the medium through which those vibrations are transmitted is the room flooring. So my type 3 above is inclusive of anything that is transmitted to the speaker via the flooring. In addition, I don't think anyone has said that such vibrations are not audible. But I did say that they are probably orders of magnitude less significant on concrete than they are on typical wood subflooring over a crawl space or in a second floor application. In my estimation and in my experience, the worst offender is usually type 2 if one is on wood flooring. If not, then it would appear that type 3 vibration is the more significant. The problem here is that we can't determine with any degree of certainty which of the 3 types is most significant in our particular setting. Another problem is that addressing one type of kinetic energy may exacerbate the other two. This is why I don't hear many people claiming spikes are the answer. The answer here is finding a way to rapidly (instantaneously would be ideal) convert these three (or 4 if you insist) types of kinetic energy to heat. The idea of isolation only works if you are isolating from an external source (seismic, as example). If you are talking about type 1 energy, you might address the movement of the speaker using spikes. But the law of conservation of mass and energy tells us that the energy that wanted to move the speaker and now can't, must express that energy in some other form. So spikes are converting the type 1 energy to a combination of type 2 energy plus heat. Thus, if type 2 energy is worse in terms of audible effects than type 1 energy, spikes could make your speakers sound worse. And spikes can't do anything at all to address type 2 and type 3 vibration. This same argument can be applied to products designed to address type 3 or type 2 energy. Unless a particular device is capable of converting all three types of energy to heat, and doing so rapidly and efficiency, the device is robbing Peter to pay Paul. I really think the manufactures that are super engineering their speaker cabinets have recognize what I am saying above. That is what these super rigid cabinets are doing. They are efficiently and rapidly converting type 2 kinetic energy to heat. For those us that don't want to pay more for our speakers than we did for our house, we are forced to look for products like the Townsend for a poor man's solution, and the reality is that we are going to have to try some different types to see (hear) what works best in our particular setting.
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@brownsfan Good point. Type 4 (seismic) is part of type 3, and would be small in comparison. It would be nice to see an interview with a speaker maker that addressed these vibrational issues in these terms. @benzman -- I love your description and it is certainly what I heard, especially: "My biggest takeaway from them are the space around the instruments and not only the depth of the stage but the actual placement of the players. Live recordings are especially impressive as you will hear the audience in front and the singer a few feet back and guitar player a couple more feet back and to the left and the drummer 12 ft behind the singer but 8 ft behind the guitar player etc. I guess you would call it layering . |
@hilde45 I agree regarding the desirability of having the manufacturers actually get down into the grass with consumers on the physics and their engineering answers to the physics. Unfortunately, their first task is to retain a competitive edge in a competitive market. So everything runs through the filter of how does this advance sales. Nothing wrong with that. That is how the free market operates. Also, not all audiophiles are interested in understanding the science, indeed, some people are put off by excessively technical explanations. It is easier from me to get from St. Louis to the west coast than it was for Lewis and Clark. The difference is entirely one of knowledge and understanding. It is hard under the best of circumstances to get an audio system to really sing in our homes. Starting from an understanding of those things that always must be true in every instance is very helpful. That can take us a long way, but in the end, there are important things that can't be known by a home audio guy in sufficient detail to obviate the value of empiricism. Sharing of knowledge and experience in this forum is really a somewhat efficient and cost effective way to mitigate the inefficiency inherent in pure empiricism. OK, I've used up my daily quota of big words and need to shut up. |
I agree the overwhelming proportion of reports on the Townshend isolation base/bars are positive. That's one of the reasons I tried them (Isolation Bars). Unfortunately I found they weren't to my taste. I lost a bit too much "room feel" in the bass and they changed the tonality a bit more than I wanted, and also reduced a bit of the "body" of the sound. My speakers sounded a bit more tonally full, dense and energetic without the Townshend bars so I returned them. Most people keep them, though.
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By it I mean the actual impact seismic activity has on most peoples hifis. Also the write up tended to blur the lines between seismic events and other things. Probably done by a marketing guy and signed off on to increase the appeal of the product. The effect of seismic activity seems to be the focus of the marketing to differentiate the product from competition. So it comes down to the difference between robust science and marketing. It’s a business so marketing rules. Nothing unusual there.
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One thing I forget to mention, in addition to Isoacoustics stands under my smaller speakers when needed on upper levels of my home, I also use Auralex Subdude platforms under my floor standing bottom ported Ohm Walsh speakers there. The difference is night and day on suspended plywood floors. Articulate bass that does not obscure detail in the midrange versus the exact opposite. Very cost effective! Would welcome opportunities to try other products like Townsend for that and see what happens. |
I use the Townshend podiums on a second floor wood constructed floor with carpet. I tried spikes, no spikes, spikes into a limestone slab and herbies gliders. The Townshend was the only one that cleaned up the bass and added the benefits of a greater soundstage and better localization of instruments. To me they are an essential component. |
For those us that don't want to pay more for our speakers than we did for our house, we are forced to look for products like the Townsend for a poor man's solution, and the reality is that we are going to have to try some different types to see (hear) what works best in our particular setting.
Well said! Loudspeaker decoupling is now more or less universally accepted. Even in the usually more cynical hard nosed pro-audio world where isolation pads, the kind you see advertised on Amazon nowadays, are routinely employed underneath professional monitors. All seemingly within the space of a few short years. |
Great news. Your experience just adds to the statistics and reinforced my belief that the Townshend Podiums register a 100% success rate with those who have tried. They only bring a positive impact to all systems that were installed with these, so far no complaints or remarks such as "can’t hear a difference" or "the sound got worse" sort of thing. I don’t have the budget for the Podiums so I had settled for the Isoacoustics Gaia. |
I have tall, thinnish floor standers sitting on a wood floor suspended over a crawl space. They came with extending arms with spikes/discs and sat on top of the floor. I use Townshend's seismic platform under my turntable with superb results, but the prospect of the Townshends adding instability to my speakers wasn't something I wanted to risk even without kids. I learned of a great company called Symposium acoustics (on Audiogon) that makes multi layered platforms that can go under anything and also makes roller blocks that serve a similar purpose to podiums. You can also put the platforms on top of the rollerblocks if you want more isolation. The platforms themselves isolate the speakers while also cleaning up the speakers' internal vibrations. The owner was honest and said I should try the platforms by themselves since they raised the speakers the exact same amount as the spikes/discs, and adding rollerblocks would raise the tweeter height which would change the sound.He was familiar with my speakers and said the improvement using his platforms on wood floors would be significant. Very patient owner who was sincerely interested in helping me improve the sound of my system. I have to say the sound of the speakers was cleaned up and more focused, and the soundstage opened up. There was less coming out of the speakers - distortion was reduced dramatically. He told me that was expected. The entry level ones are very reasonable (Segue Platform although the stealth - black ones I got are more $$ and add another layer to the platforms), and if you want to spend more, you can on his higher level models, but the incremental improvement was not recommended for my application for the cost. I liked the guy so much (he custom cut the platforms to my needed dimensions with no upcharge) that I bought his rollerblocks for under my amp and phono stage for isolation purposes. I am sure they improved the sound, but nowhere near as noticeably as my turntable from Townshend or the speakers from Symposium. Both companies have great products - it all depends on the application. Symposium's wouldn't work with a turntable as light as mine, and Townshend adding instability to my speakers wasn't something I could live with. |
Fantastic post! Threads (like mine) about a specific piece of gear are most useful when others chime in with what worked for them. Your example is great because it's clear that your choice is accomplishing similar physical results with similar sonic improvements. At the end of the day, I would love to conduct experiments comparing different products to see which one has the best "bang for the buck." Without that luxury, the next best thing is to hear thoughtful and descriptive accounts such as yours. |
@hilde45 - I would be the Symposium platforms are better for distortion/noise drainage and the Townshend podiums are better for isolation. I needed more isolation for my turntable and drainage for my speakers, so that's why I use both companies. For speakers, I think Symposium provides a much bigger bang for the buck. If I remember back when I got them, the Townshend product that would have worked was about 2-3 times the cost, and I am sure would have been an improvement - I was just not comfortable with the rocking. My amp and preamp move around with so much as a nudge being on top of the rollerblocks, but I can live with that since they are very stable. |
Informative video from Credo Audio Switzerland that compares spikes to their own isolation and that of Townshend Audio's. The key takeaway here might be that isolation products do not alter frequency response unless you want to include major structural and cabinet resonances as part of the audio signal.
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@cd318 Thanks. Just watched that video. Very interesting and it seems to advocate for both their custom product and Townshend. @brownsfan may be interested in this one. |
@mapman the subdudes worked for you? I looked at those but decided the thin foam layer would not be adequate for my 100 lb speakers. The Townshend outriggers were tempting also, but I'm happy with the Primacoustics now. |
@jtcf yes they work well and fit my beefed up bottom ported Ohm Walsh 2s with 8” driver that are 12” square at the base perfectly. 100 lb might be ok depending. Probably not if spikes. Maybe Auralex publishes weight limits. |
Yes, @prof I missed your post. Apparently you may be the only one on this thread who did not like the results of the Townshend. However, I note that in your case it’s with the Bars rather than Podiums. The Bars and Podiums may be the same in terms of performance so it may not matter.
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@hilde45 , Thanks for drawing my attention to the video. There is a lot of information there. After one viewing, I really like this company's approach and intend to watch the video several more times. They seem to have systematically addressed those issues I identified as I tried to mentally work my way through this problem. My sense is that there is some good science and engineering at work. I noticed that their isolation technology is in addition to what sounds like some significant internal cabinet bracing. And guess what? Their speakers are expensive. Also interesting is the use of the aluminum plate which serves to drain residual kinetic energy from the speaker cabinet. I'd love to know more about how the speaker couples to the plate, and how the plate decouples from the floor. |
@hilde45 I particularly like this thread b/c i also have carpet over concrete and have often wondered about the need for isolation vs. the need to couple the speakers to the concrete via spikes--seeing so many threads advocating isolation and just as many advocating coupling makes it very confusing. There are only a few posters here whose opinion i respect and you've long been one of them. @mapman Your experience is also valuable--i was also a Geologist until i went down the dark hole of law but have often pondered the effect, if any, of seismic vibration, especially on a concrete floor covered with thick pad and carpet. I've pondered Isoacoustic Gaias, Symposium platforms (@sokogear) and Podiums but just haven't been willing to pull the trigger, mainly b/c the sound is pretty darn good right now. One thing i've noticed, and wondered about, is that small changes in tweeter elevation are very noticeable--if i lift myself up an inch (or lower myself the same) in my listening position the effects are very noticeable. Therefore, i've wondered whether the Podiums elevate the speaker thus causing a noticeable change that owners might like? Any comment on that Podium owners ? |
@wyoboy - part of the reason I went with the Symposium platforms is that they they raised the height of the speaker exactly the same as what came with the speakers (outriggers/spikes/discs), so the tweeter height was not affected. You never know how much (if any) improvement you'll get from any given accessory/tweak (I hate that word). Symposium offers a money back guarantee, so you're only risking the cost of shipping, but I will say that if you talk to Peter there, he will tell you if he thinks there will be an improvement with your exact application if he experience with it. My experience with both Townshend's seismic platform under my TT and Symposium with my speakers are that the improvement was immediately noticeable and more than I expected. Not so much with Symposium rollerblocks under my amp and phono stage. Lastly, I thought my stereo sounded darn good back in college, and it has only gotten better over the decades. Every time I think I am "there" I am surprised that the bar seems to be higher with a different arm, phono stage, cartridge, etc. And I am nowhere near as critical a listener as a lot of Agon contributors and don't change components very often (amp is 18 years old, speakers weren't traded in for 25 years). Most of the time I am doing something else, and I don't have a dedicated room - it's a den. |
@cd318 Thanks for posting that video--very interesting although they didn't really specify what kind of floor they had--looks like a hard surface (painted concrete?) but their method of placing speakers directly on the floor was to put a piece of marble under the speaker--so not really sure if it's analogous to carpet on concrete--would love to see if carpeting/pad is considered a form of decoupling and they did measurements on that type of surface. @sokogear Must admit that when i almost pulled the trigger it was with the Symposiums, basically b/c they seemed to do the same as the Podiums at a considerable lesser price--still thinking about it or Isoacoustics--i was with @mapman on Podiums or Syposiums or Isoacoustics probably being more useful on floating/suspended wood floors until the OP posted this thread so just back to being confused. |
@wyoboy First, thank you so much for your kind comments. Much appreciated. I would keep my eye on what @brownsfan writes, as he has more succinctly analyzed the physics involved than anyone else. Today I will be experiment with adding weight/mass to the top of my speakers while they are on the podiums to see what that does. If I hear nothing, I will say nothing. Regarding tweeter height, it adds about 1.5 inches or so. That might matter or it might not. It will change how the speaker reflects in the room (first and distal reflection points) but that may not matter in your room. In addition, it’s not that hard to raise one’s seat, depending on the impact on Spouse Acceptance. Raise the speakers, raise the seat -- if that makes any difference. Remember, too, that the podiums can be adjusted for rake angle, too, by lowering the front two knobs. That may correct the angles in play for the tweeters. |
Regarding raising the height of the speaker/tweeter: Yes that certainly is an issue, and in many speaker designs it will change the sound. Sometimes a speaker will sound more mellow and rich below the tweeter, but sometimes it could be a bit more recessed or sucked out sounding. Depends on the design. My Thiels sounded more lightened and hollow when raised a couple inches with some (cheap) spring footers. I just tried Gaias under my Joseph speakers and because I couldn't get the original spikes off the Joseph I tried the Gaias under those spikes, which raised the speakers about 2 inches. It didn't work. The sound got less focused, more smeared, and a bit too mellow in the highs. However I DID like the slightly higher soundstage. I experimented and found a compromise that raises the speakers about an inch or so, and I like the sound this way. One of the selling points for me was that the Townshend speaker bars wouldn't raise the speakers which would hopefully not change the tonal balance of the speaker as I was used to. They worked quite well in that regard - the sound didn't change nearly as much as the higher spring footers or other devices I tried. (Though, as I mentioned, in the end I still preferred the speakers on the floor, or in the case of my Thiels, with the Gaia...even though there is a slight change in tonality). |
