@rodzilla47 +1 thanks, that is the exact link I intended to post and could'nt remember where saved it.
Footers under new speakers
Hi , I’m seeking advice regarding footers and/or platforms under my speakers. I purchased Tekton Double Impact’s and have heavy shag carpet and padding over a cement slab floor. House is 35 years old, cement is thick and well cured. I’m from that old mindset of spikes into cement and I am looking for an improvement. I’ve looked online at Gaia footers and Herbie's Studded Giant Gliders. I emailed Herbie’s and specifically inquired about the studded gliders alone on the DI’s over carpet. I asked about stability and was told the speakers were “ heavy enough “. Unfortunately I just set up the DI’s temporarily to get a little break in time. They are without any footers upright on my carpet. At 115 lbs the speaker does about zero to compress the carpet. I understand weight Vs footprint is abysmal but they won’t even stand straight. I’ll probably put the spikes on for a bit until I formulate a plan. But my first concern is that Herbie’s gliders alone are not enough and due to the minimum cost of the speakers I am struggling with purchasing Gaia’s footers and footer spikes. The seismic stands look exceptional, but I’m trying to be frugal. So I’m looking for suggestions like, gliders or dots with or without spikes on wood / stone plinths spiked to the floor. My goal is to try some sort decoupling (Gliders / Springs / Dots) AND eliminate the need of having to rely on the carpet being compressed. And yes I have cheap speakers and seek a cheap solution, so I get that limitation. Unfortunately I can’t afford Tannoy’s or Fynes to compliment my 180 watt tube mono blocs for at least a year. Cheers , Mike B.
Showing 4 responses by lemonhaze
Measure it accurately: I use an old unloved, unwanted tonearm and cartrige jury rigged so I can use it to measure vibrations. This is way more sensitive than any phone App! Just rest the stylus on the DUT and plug the output into a spare amp phono stage and measure the output with DVM. Isolation works best as has been described.
Newton’s 3rd law states: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so yes there will be an alteration but will you hear it? Using Newton’s Law and considering a conversation I had with Max Townshend at the Premium Audio Show in Veldhoven, Holland in 2019 who has now sadly passed away, the old gentleman explained that say your speaker weighs 40Kg and the cone of your speaker weighs 40gm we find a weight ratio of 1:1000 which equates to 0.01dB You will not hear that. Consider the response of your room’s huge effect on your speaker output. Below Schroeder the room dominates. Fact. Even an acoustically treated room will have peaks and nulls and if not then you will measure peaks/nulls in the order of 12 to 15?dB. You gonna hear 0.01dB. Pffft What you will hear is a vastly improved sound when speakers are Isolated. |
@buellrider97 I somehow lost a long detailed post. Please see post above regarding Uncle Newton to allay any fears and restore your logic I am also carpet over concrete. How about removing your carpet and epoxy coating in any colour the entire surface as found in car dealerships. A rug between speakers and you necessary. If placed on plastic honeycomb underlay it will allow the rug to breathe. I don't know your domestic agreement with the boss but if you can swing it use a ceiling cloud which brings huge benefits. Consider that we evolved with our ears always the same distance from the ground and that the ear/brain relationship allows for this. Far more damaging is reflections from the ceiling. Outdoors there is no reflection from above except in a thick forest where jungle sounds are pleasant. A ceiling cloud along with bass traps is the strongest weapon in my armoury. I intend to DIY some springs similar to Townshend but my detailed explanation somehow vanished. This can be another post if you're interested. |
I answered that question. Read my post again because you seem confused about the 0.01dB I mentioned. The ratio of speaker cone to speaker mass is, in the example previously provided, 1000:1 which means the cone movement will be 1000 times greater than the cabinet which is equivalent to 0.01dB which the human ear can not hear. Once the speaker is placed on the Townshend podium which is sprung the combination will move together but be decoupled from the floor. |
