Granite Slabs

Granite and spikes are the way to go for the tightest and cleanest bass and the most stable soundstage to my ears. Greg is right on the spot, as usual! Cheers,

Aram,

I also have wooden floors in my listening room. I have isolated my speakers from the floor using inner tubes. The sound stage is depper and clearer. Music is more coherent and focused, where before it was somewhat blurred. There is less "noise and grunge" - that is, the music appears in a quieter darker back ground. Bass instruments are now tighter and recognizable, where before there was just "a lot of bass".

My guess is that if you place your hand or ear against the floor, you will feel / hear vibration in bass and low mid frequencies. This is bad because the floor is a huge, efficient radiator (hundreds of times the radiating area of your speaker transducers), and it makes a bad sounding "speaker". Also this vibration might find its way to your equipment stand.

After inflating the tube, the floor vibration is almost totally eliminated. The speakers are slightly "tipsy" in a way analogous to a turntable support.

This is a simple and inexpensive tweak. So try it, and tell us what you hear.

Thank you for all the responses..I think my wooden floor used to exaggerate the bass a bit..vibration..I will keep the granite slabs but the idea to put smt under the granite is also an option..By the way CRP what will your method change in the sound?/I wounder..

Aram,
I agree Gregm is right on about the bass. I would add that since you have wood floors, they can vibrate a lot and add grunge which obscures soundstage and detail. After you get points between your speakers and the granite, do this: place a bicycle innertube under the granite. Inflate it enough to lift 1/2 inch or so and "float" on a linear air spring. This will do wonders.

Cheers

OTHER METHODS------my large floor standers are much tighter from low bass to the top-end and image better being placed on aurio 1.1's. i improved upon the effect by placing a 2"x2" grafite square between the aurio and the base of the speaker. i have had a simular exp w/ b&w 802 ser III and silverline lafolias. bob williams from audionuts provided the aurio idea and somes posters on AA suggested the grafit square suggestion.
my floor is ceramic tile over a concrete slab.

I am an avid audiophile who also owns a granite fabrication company. Let me know if any of you are interested and I will do my best to get you good pricing on custom cut granite slabs in several colors. My house looks like the Flintstones! Happy listening.

If you're not TOO worried about the looks, find any local stone yard. They have "scraps" that they can let go cheaply, heck, they're usually happy to get them out of their place.

I got my 12" x 12" x 16" blocks for $50 apiece (~300lbs each !). I got a 12" square by 4" slab for $20. I then got a 25" x 18" x 2" AND a 27" x 19" x 1" slab for $30 the pair. The latter slab has a "groove" through it, but it makes no difference to me !

MUCH better than paying hundreds for some of the stuff you see here. You give up the best fo looks, but functionally, they are 100% great. And if they go under equipment or speakers, most of it isn't visible anyways !

Sorry for the diatribe, I just wanted to pass on potentially money saving advice.

Good luck !

Todd - chams_uk

Where would you normally buy granite slabs? I'm thinking about raising my speakers a couple of inches and at the same time giving them a firm foundation. I will probably need two slabs 14 x 13 x 2". What places would be willing to cut them like that and do you know how much it could possibly cost?

I too own a pair of Paradigm 100's. I also have wooden floors. However, I am currently using Polycrystal spikes and Cone Coasters and have noticed a slight improvement in bass response.

Dan S.

yeah Gregm might be right...

I agree with Gregm.

I did marble slabs under my speakers and the bass and soundstage improved. Additionally it seems to have made the definition of instruments better and less muddled or as gregm says CLEARED.

Your wife is probably on the dot. From your description it looks like you CLEARED the bass. What you were hearing before was a muddy low-end that contained distortion -- and sounded loud. Your mention of a wooden floor strengthens this impression. Stay with the granite -- maybe even adding spikes b/ween speakers & granite! Cheers

Hi,

I had my speakers (VMPS 626 Ribbon Monitors) on top of granite blocks 12" x 12" x 16" high.

I also noticed a slight tightening of the bass, but I think it went down as deep. Ultimately, what I think I eliminated was floor resonances.

One other thought, may work even better: try a vinration draining platform under the speaker, with and without the granite slabs. I got a pair of Resolution Audio platforms and they did very nice things. I now use them between the blocks and speakers, and they're not moving.

I think the granite slabs give the speakers the stiffness as a good stand, but the vibrations may end up going back into the box, and this can color the sound. The A-R platforms, like the Symposiums, drain the energy away fromt he cabinet.

See if you can borrow soem Symposiums if you have a local dealer, or look at www.audio-resolution.com; FYI, I own 4 A-R platforms, am VERY pleased with them, and wrote a review on Audiogon, check it out.

Much luck !

Todd - chams_uk