Isolation for speakers on spikes

Generally speaking, soft items soften the sound, while hard items bring focus. I have used vibrapods, sorbothane pucks, brass cones, aurios bearings, and stillpoints.

The best item I have found is the stillpoint bearing. They give the benefit of spikes but maintain the speed and clairity that people tend to want.

Could be the board you are using in the configuration you described. I tried the same thing on my suspended wood floors which are carpeted. Vibrapods on the carpeted floor, MDF board on top of them, then the spiked speakers on top of them. Sounded OK but not ideal. When I substituted a 1" thick maple wood chopping block for the MDF the transformation was amazing: fast, clear, dynamic, musical and I've kept them that way since with a high degree of satisfaction; 2" would probably be even bettter. I got the chopping blocks from TJ Maxx for $10 apiece but you can also get them at Bed Bath 'N Beyond, Ross or a hardwood supplier for reasonable cost. If you can't find maple try other hardwoods. I've got bamboo cutting boards under my spiked monitors on stands and they, too, sound significantly better than the MDF or directly onto the metal stands.

Also, make certain you have the correct Vibrapods for the weight they are supporting.
Hope this helps.

Try Symposium platforms. Spikes are unnecessary with them.

I find with speakers you either couple or decouple. One is almost impossible to do. The other very easy. Are you wondering which? I use Audiopoints 3/8-16 1.5inch screwed into my Definition 1.5s. I cannot tell how much of a difference it made compared to Zucable spikes. Even called the Zu boys to let them know. COUPLE your new baby. It don't get much better than that, unless of course you can put them on the Sistrum Platforms. That is nirvana. You've been here before!! peace, warren :)

Isolation will help prevent nuisance vibrations or resonances transfering from room to stand to speaker and vice-versa..."rattling" or "boominess" at certain frequencies.

Spikes make a very strong connection to a wooden floor: vibrations and resonances will transfer more easily. This can help if you have some useful vibrations somewhere that you want to amplify. For example, transfering low frequency enclosure vibration from enclosure to the floor for instance to enhance bass.

In theory damped systems have lower distortion overall - so my preference would be to use those vibrapods; Blu-Tak works great too!

All those vibrations in your speakers: where do all those deleterious resonances go with your Vibpods? Those 'pods keep the very microphonous meanies and the like right in your speakers, where you don't want them. You want them to go to Mother Earth through the points. This has been beat to death here on the 'gon. Some are couplers, some decouplers, and yes; some mix the two. Go figure. Why do you think the Sistrum Platform worked so beautifully? Pure coupling--magnifying the points capabilities with the us of the platform acting as a resonant conduit.

I'm with Warren. Dampening the resonances in speakers and transferring that energy to the floor (mine is concrete) has worked perfectly for my Dynaudios. When I have placed them up on stands (MDF) or removed the spikes, I lose definition and precision. If I ever use stands for my floorstanders I will use solid heavy coupling devices and weight the speaker to make sure it couples to the floor. My speakers don't need isolation, they need coupling to the solid floor to bring out their best. Experimentation is everything. I know of no way to give them isolation and coupling. But, as always, best of luck with your experimentation. And, more importantly, have fun! It's only about the music!

If your problem is that the speaker enclosures are resonating in a bad way and affecting the sound: you might look at heavier, stronger and better braced speaker designs rather than trying to compensate for these vibrations by making coupling resonances with the floor or stands. Fixing the root cause of the problem is often better than band aids.

Thanks for the responses so far. Warrenh, I think I may try the audiopoints. We have the same amp, right, the YBA Passion? You think the audiopoints will lend the same benefit as the pods and also clean up rest?

I sold my Passion, but I had the Sistrum SP1 under it for years. Wonderful. Will never have an amp, cdp, anything, without sitting on a Sistrum SP1 or their points. Audiopoints are wonderful, but the Sistrum system takes it to another level...I have the Sistrum under my new baby...

Actually if you call the boys at Zu they will downplay the importance of their spikes or aftermarket brands. Not needed at all. Check with Sean or Adam to verify this.

Grant is right on that. Robert over at Starsound will do whatever it takes to get the system that is right for you. You have 30 days to play with it. No good? Back to Starsound. Can't beat that with a stick. Tvad, do you know if Exemplar/Denon has that rattling issue with their 3910?

Grant, "no they don't" presupposes that you know already. So why be verbose? lol..

I have a carpeted room and have improved the sound from my floorstanders using RDC cones (three) on top of concrete paving slabs.Very focused and three dimensional.

So folks, do you put the spikes between the speaker and the slab or under the slab? I have a pair of KEF 104/2s on fairly heavy carpet, and I use 2" hardwood slabs below the speakers, because the front heavy design -- the mid-range and high-frequency drivers are mounted in a separate enclosure that hangs on the front of the main encloure -- makes the speakers a bit unstable on carpet. I bought the KEFs used and notice that they have holes in the bottom presumably to receive spikes. I have wondered about putting spikes under the slabs to really tie things down.

db

I have the slabs resting on the carpet.Have considered putting cones under the slabs but i dont really want to lift the tweeter higher as it would be above my listening position.

Heres an interesting article:

The Sound of Surprise