My ESP Bodhran SE speakers are designed to be spiked to a concrete floor. The supplied spikes are a combination brass tip with a phenolic base. I thought these spikes might have been a compromise so I tried a set of solid brass Audio Points and did not like the results. The sound became too detailed and hi-fi sounding. I returned to the original spikes. Apparently the design was well chosen. I think any change in support will alter the sound of the speaker. You may find the sound improved or maybe not. Experimenting is part of the fun.
Heavy Speakers with Spikes on a Concrete Floor
Looking through the current Mapleshade flyer, the flyer states that speakers sitting on a concrete floor will have boomy bass and treble that is muted.
Their suggestion is to buy their 4” thick Maple with 3” spikes platforms and place them under the speakers.
Now, forget for now the price of these platforms. Is their value to this claim?
If there is a value, I would think that instead of steel spikes, speaker manufactures would make a Maple speaker type footer. Wouldn’t that make more sense?
And secondly, how would I be able to place a 215 lb speaker with large spikes onto this platform?
Their suggestion is to buy their 4” thick Maple with 3” spikes platforms and place them under the speakers.
Now, forget for now the price of these platforms. Is their value to this claim?
If there is a value, I would think that instead of steel spikes, speaker manufactures would make a Maple speaker type footer. Wouldn’t that make more sense?
And secondly, how would I be able to place a 215 lb speaker with large spikes onto this platform?
- ...
- 34 posts total
Post removed |
And? I was hoping for an exciting ending here. I have just stumbled onto mapleshades info and this thread and was hoping for resolution. ;) Let me tell you my story. I actually kind of reversed my way in to this situation and feel like mapleshade is right. My system sounded pretty good to me for the last 10 years. I've got large tower speakers spiked through carpet and pad over cement basement floor. I placed them using some cardas formulas 1/3 the room blah blah and found a pretty good spot. However, I recently thought Id try some fine tuning tweaks so I put them up on wood furniture dollies to move around and got a very noticeable improvement in sharpness and clarity and a harder hitting bass. So for now my speakers are spiked feet into a piece of mdf resting on a few cement pavers and just floating on top of the carpet with similar result and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Like you, I don't want to pay $1000 for a couple of wood blocks, but I think they might be on to something and want to try to replicate their set up with out shelling out that kind of stupid money just to see if it works.(no offense Mapleshade, I don't think you are overcharging your totally in the fair market price for a quality piece of maple there is non cheaper any where on the planet, Ive looked. I am just not made of that kind of money.) Mapleshade says to spike their base into cement and spike or wood floor type footer your speaker into their woodblock. If you read mapleshade web site, nothing works like maple. all other substances are garbage. mdf, cement, blah blah blah, all sound like trash. Other info I found is that open baffle speaker builder clayton shaw at spatial audio also made a comment on a youtube video I saw about how a speaker reflects through the room and that the floor had a huge impact on the sound. (Not exact quote but along those lines and I may be wrong but think he also said cement is the devil(well he didn't say it like that)). Im not sure if my results are due to uncoupling my speakers? since they are just solidly attached to cement blocks RESTING on carpet or Is it floor reflection? is it speaker height? is it vibration? good grief, to many variables.
I am a DIYr and will probably just try to build a sand box for now. Ill try a 4" thick sand box built out of hardwood spiked to cement with a floating hardwood lid top and then speaker spiked to it. Its probably going to take me several weeks to dial this all in and Im not even sure I'm working in the right direction or using the right material sand is just like loose cement. and the hard wood cost will be a few hundred dollars. :( |
just found this too after a little more searching https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/solid-maple-vs-butcher-block I think I need to rethink. I am probably just going to use butcher blocks for a cheap but not cheap alternative for now. |
- 34 posts total