Reference 3A DeCapo " Blue Tak" question

An easy way to remove the goo....
use dental floss back and forth like a hacksaw. Less chance of dropping speaker or other accident.

Thanks again for all the replies. I will try four small
balls first and see what happens.

My experience matches Rebbi's. It takes very little BluTak to get a good bond, I used four small balls hardly larger than a BB. And the trick for removing the speaker from the stand is important. Don't try to lift at all, hold the stand firmly in place and rotate the speaker until the bond with the BluTak is broken, then lift.

Telescope,

Reference 3A recommends using Blu Tak, at least with the Dulcets. I found that the "pea sized ball" recommended in the owner's manual was too much. The speakers ended up sitting about 1/4 inch above the stand's top plate! I called Reference 3A and asked Tash. He said that was way too much; you want the speaker coupled to the stand but sitting as close to the top plate as possible.

To remove the speakers, Tash recommended warming the Blu Tak up just a bit with a hair dryer set to "low," and then lifting them off the stands with a twisting motion. This worked fine, thank goodness! The finish (piano black) was undamaged.

Next time around, I took VERY small bits of blu tak and kind of smeared them out very flat onto the top plate of the stand in the 4 corners AND in the center (Tash emphasized this). Now they are coupled but nearly resting on the top plate.

Do they sound better this way? I THINK so... bass seems tighter, for example. But I wouldn't swear to it. I think you have to experiment.

Actually, for some of us this is where audio gets fun.

When trying various speaker interfaces I wasn't measuring, wasn't really analyzing. I was listening to music that moves me. When I was impressed with how I was enjoying the music or the sound more (or less) than before, then I would try to reason out how the change might do that.

If you listen at low or moderate volumes then these sonic differences are very apparent.

If you listen loud all the time, and require absolute clarity, then you may want to clamp them down firmly to massive lead filled stands and then buy an amp with alot of power as you try to regain the musical enjoyment and experience that you used to achieve with just a few watts.

Telescope, I'd recommend trying the blue-tak yourself and come to your own conclusion. Generalized opinions are a dime-a-dozen and *almost* never based on structured or measured testing criteria by the "audiophile" masses.

Clear your brain of everything you've read so far in this thread, try Elizabeth's, Lindisfarne's and Ths364's recommendations, and see what "you" think. If you desire more opinions, use the "search" feature. I'm sure you'll find plenty opinions conveying positive and non-detrimental results. Give it a try.

Regards,

Thanks for the replies everyone. I got some blue tak but think shutterbug may be right. My sound is very dynamic right now with sand filled stands, so may be one of those if it ain't broke, don't fix it kinda things.

Wow, I thought I was nuts and/or off-the-chart anal until I read some of these responses. Make 4 small blobs for each speaker of roughly the same size...don't measure, don't cut, don't over-analyze. Roll each, with your fingers, into a small ball, making sure it's a little "hot"...they stick better that way. Put each ball in place and put the speaker down. It'll find it's own equilibrium. End of story.

Blue tak is not as bad as lead or sorbethane at killing the sound of my monitors, but it does mess with the response and micro-dynamics.
Bigshutterbug is right.

I'd like to try roller bearings someday, but Vibrapods seem to allow most of the musical energy get through.

I would not be surprised if you find that applying Blu-Tak to the bottoms will kill the energy and transient attack of the speakers. I was using some very heavy, solid stands under my de Capo's, and when trying to adhere them to the stands with Blu Tack, it dampened the sound of the speakers and sucked the life out of my system. Blu Tack works fine with some speakers, depending on the cabinet design, but on others it kills the sound. I put some Blu Tack under some small Triangle monitors I once owned, and I could not believe how bad it made them sound...like throwing a heavy tarp over them. Some speaker cabinets were designed to resonate and vibrate, and adhereing them to heavy stands muffles the energy of the speakers and kills their "speed". Try it and listen....Start with a minimal amount, one small, dime size piece in the front middle, and one in each back corner. Listen to some recordings that have good attack and percussion (snare shots and well recorded piano pieces) Only use it if you are worried about the speakers getting knocked off the stands.

I have 4 small balls (large pea size) i put under my De Capos
and pushed down on to hold them to the stands.

I just cut 1/4 by 1/4 inch squares with a utility knife put one on each corner and one in the center of the stand and set the speaker down on it and pushed down fairly hard. Speakers are Dynaudio- works great.