Speaker Spikes - Working Principle

There are undoubtedly a variety of methods and configurations for devices and materials being used in bespoke permutations to assist with controlling energies generated within a Cabinet.

If Cabinet produced energies are not being transferred these energies are in many many cases going to have a impact on the sonic being produced, as the drivers will be affected by transferral of Cabinet produced energies into the drivers.

Fortunately for the Speaker user, if Cabinet produced energies are transferred away from the drivers especially to the level its presence has minimum impact, the use if bespoke Cabinet mounting or sandwiching of a Cabinet has been very worthwhile as a practice.

It is also known that in many cases, the bespoke methods for a Cabinets produced energy management can come with costs that for some will be seen as a substantial investment.

The last electronic device downstream of the Source that has the role of processing the Sources produced electrical Signal is the Speakers Xover. As the Electrical Signal moves from the Xover, it is only the Umbilical between Xover and Driver that has the final influence on the Electrical Signal to be delivered to the Driver.

Note: The following will be most suitable as a practice to be put in place, for a Speaker that is out of its warranty period. As many Speaker owners have owned their selected models for quite a few years, and some buy used to get access to the more affordable options, it will be quite common for Speakers to be out of a warranty period.

There are substantial improvements awaiting for the produced sonic, that can be attained by working with Xover and internal Xover - Driver Umbilical. Working with this element of the Speaker is not for everybody as it commonly requires a practice of working with a Soldering Iron, not all have the confidence to do this.

This as a method will entail exchanges of parts, where new parts selected will have the same measurements used that at the ones belonging to the circuit for the Xover. For the more confident in such practices this method can be taken a little further where the Speaker owner may choose a different measured value for a component to replace a insitu Xover component. 

 From a personal experience I have encountered Speakers having undergone this type of modification. I have been demo'd how a replacement part on a circuit, especially selected as a part, for being one that far excels the Manufactures selection made, as a result of their budget constraints, has transformed a Speaker produced sonic, to the point a the sonic produced leaves the perception a new speaker is seemingly in use. 

More recently I was demo'd a Cabinet Speaker I am becoming familiar with, that is mounted on Townshend Podiums, has a modified Xover (expensive parts selected) and uses PC Triple C wire as the Speaker Cable. 

As I am a  advocate of PC Triple C wire, and have been quite encouraging to others to experience it in use. The recent demo'd Speaker now has the PC Triple C in use as the internal umbilical as well the external Speaker Cable. The reports back are that something quite new is being detected, not night/day, but enough to strongly suggest the small cost and time allocated was more than worthwhile.

Tread carefully on the subject, but an investigation should prove if a practice such as exchanging wire used for the internal umbilical is reasonably easy to achieve. This as a practice is one I will strongly suggest as being a worthwhile undertaking, the suggested wire to be used for an exchange is already stated.          

The following is a Copy/Paste and very slightly edited Post made earlier this Month.

One method I overlooked to comment on and one that is well worth suggesting is the use of Spikes separating the speaker from a Suspension device. With the AT 616 Suspension Footers this is quite a easy configuration to put in place.

This Method used on a Floor Standing Speaker really pulled in the Lowest Bass Notes and the decay was the cleanest.

As I use Cabinet Speakers for listening to Blues Music, with the what to have the perception of Colour being added to the Sonic, this configuration was not my ideal, as it was a little too tidy for these purposes.

It might as a method an individuals ideal produced sonic.

I use my ESL Speakers for the most Transparent Experiences.  

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I am familiar with experiencing Townshend Sleds being used and the Companies Purpose Produced 'Weight Matched Plinths', there is no doubt there is a perceived improvement when these ancillaries are supporting certain Cabinet Design Speakers.

It was my introducing an individual to AT 616 Pneumatic Footers and the noticeable changes to the sonic, that encouraged the individual to investigate further suspended footers and in the end have the Townsend Weight Matched Plinths produced following the initial introduction to Townshend Products through using Sleds.

I myself can't agree that there is a Substantial difference to be found in the final produced sonic, between differing footers that offer a Suspension to a Cabinet Design Speaker.

At another time I loaned the AT 616 to my Local HiFi Group, they were used on a few different Speakers, Cabinet and ESL as well as under Valve Amps and TT's.

From the Group in attendance one followed by purchasing Gaia III Footers.

These have grown attraction as a result of the impressions being made and now most of the Group have Gaia III's in use under Speakers and in some cases Valve Amplification and a TT as well.

Again these are systems I listen to on a regular occasion and the ones that had the AT 616 in use don't seem to have produced much more than what the 616 could produce.

I am not suggesting the AT 616 is the most desirable product, I am merely pointing out that the addition of a Suspension Type Footer can have a noticeable improvement to the perceived sonic. How much one has to spend as an increased outlay to improve on a initial experience is an unknown to myself.

One other consideration that is worthy of investigation is not just the Footers but the Sub-plinth arrangement under Cabinet Speakers. 

My experiences have shown that any Floor Standing or Stand Mounted Cabinet Speaker, can have the perceived sonic substantially improved, when mounted on a Two Tier Sub-Plinth with decoupling between the Floor and Lower Plinth, between Plinths and Upper Plinth and Speaker.

After trying out many materials and thicknesses of these materials, the Sub-plinths I have found to offer a lot and at not too much expense is a combination of 50mm (2")Granite and a 40mm (1 1/2") Dense Chipboard (Kitchen Worktop)

Spike Decoupling works fine, swapping out the Spikes for suspension footers under the Cabinet will create extra attraction. 

When working with tidying up the sonic from Cabinet Speakers and not working with the Electronics (Xover Component Exchanges, Internal Wiring) or the Cabinet Internal (Port Dimension, Internal Volume, Reflection Treatment, Bracing) , the options left are to work with external influences on the Cabinet.

Cabinet Resonance Control, along with methods employed to improve the coupling of the speakers drivers to the ambient environment, by carrying out tasks such as a Room Treatment, are the most easy to create a experience of and evaluate the methods employed. 

Not every body can go down the Room Treatment route with gusto. There are usually others with a keen interest in the space to be treated. Aesthetically the materials / methods used can prove to be contentious to others being expected to embrace the presence of such additions of materials and structures to the room. Pleasing aesthetic materials/structures used for treatments will come with a cost, and might be able to be more attractive to be lived with, where others are to be present.

Cabinet Resonance Control is the most unintrusive place to start, especially when it comes to the aesthetic impact. 

Cabinet Resonance Control is also a bespoke treatment and will be unique as a experience for each individual when assessing control measures being employed. 

Different perceptions of the produced sonic will be found in the different spaces Speakers are Set Up in. The influence of the controls measures being employed will vary with impact in different environments. The end result being, not all experiencing the sonic produced will be in agreement that it is suiting their own personal preferences.

Hence, the inquisitiveness to create a change manifests, usually this leads to  investigations to learn suitable methods to create change. As an individual becomes more knowledgeable and have a improved grasp of the subject of methods that can be employed, subjects such as the OP in this thread will be seen.

For those just entering into this subject, there is a little info that might assist with giving a better grounding (pardon the pun).

As soon as the Speaker leaves the Manufacturer, it is typically going to become a speaker that is no longer the speaker that has been designed to deliver a particular sonic. Once the speaker ends up in a new environment such a space at a Event, space at a Dealers Demo' Room or in a space within a Home. Each of these Spaces is very very different to the Space used by the designer/manufacturer during their pre-production R&D.

The same model of Speaker in all these different environments, even though aesthetically the same, will be producing a sonic that is quite unique.

'Are you feeling lucky', what is the chances that the environment one is using to set up the speaker, is as close to optimised for coupling to the speakers drivers and create a sonic difficult to be improved?            

This leaves the option to try a few things out to see if a Tidy Up of the sonic being produced can be achieved. The very good news is that most who have made attempts have at some point discovered a sonic that is an improvement in their assessment. 

In general the Floor Standing Cabinet can be interfaced with the room, by having a  direct coupling of the cabinets base to the flooring material. Stand Mounted Speakers are able to benefit in very similar ways, but the stand mount could prove to be a compromising element in the assembly.

From this point on the methods that can be employed are not too many, but the costs associated with creating a method can vary substantially.

Spikes directly coupled to the floor or separated by being in contact with other pad material solely used to separate the spike from the floor, this can easily become a Plinth/Sub Sub Plinth using Spikes as separators.

Pads, either used to receive a Spike, or be used as the material separating the cabinet base from the floor, ( Foam, Cork, Woods, Metal, Plinth/ Sub Sub Plinth  using Pad materials as separators and configurations of these in differing assemblies).

Suspension (Purpose Designed Podiums/Sleds, Springs, Pneumatic, Plinth/Sub Sub Plinth using separators that are suspension and other configurations of these) 

In a room made up typically of Six Surfaces, of which room dimensions are going to vary widely and construction materials for Floor, Ceiling and Walls are going to be quite varied in their properties and influence on the speakers produced sonic. It becomes very difficult to predict which method that can be employed as an attempt to Tidy up a Sonic produced from a speaker will work to meet the individuals unique preferences in their listening environment.

As a strong suggestion, start with very affordable items to create changes to the mounting of the Speaker, these methods might just be enough for your environment, there may not be any need to extend to costlier items to function as the same role. I have this as a discipline ingrained today, even though I could immediately commence with the use of costly items to support my investigations.

When one feels that they have found a place where the Tidy Up of the Sonic has met their unique preference, there is the option to add weight to the top of the Speaker cabinet. By doing this it might show a cabinet resonance has been present . The added weight can create a reduction in audible resonance, which for some might be the desired level of Tidy Up they have been looking for.

No Room Treatments so far, but a sonic may have the capability to impact on objects present. Any ornament or similar thing that Vibrates or Rings in the room, can be bedded on a little Blue Tak, if it has to stay in the place of display.        

There are a vast range of very very affordable options that can be selected from, as a means to experience an alternative method for supporting a Floor Standing or Stand Mounted Speaker.

Spending a little money to have a new experience will certainly show a change to the sonic being perceived.

For some this one change might be the cut off point for a improved - 'tidied up' presentation. For others the addition may have been less that what was before.

Either way if no alternative methods for mounting are undertaken, not much will be learned apart from what descriptions are being read about alternative methods of interest being used by others in their environments that are most likely very very  different from ones own.

The thickness of a Carpet used a Floor Covering can have a substantial impact on the sonic being perceived from a Speaker.

A friend who I assisted with investigating Speaker Footers, with the end result being they now used Townshend Weight Match Plinths under their Speakers, was so impressed with improvements their interest moved to experiencing other Speakers.

At a later date of visiting the friend to hear newly acquired Speakers purchased as a used item sale, I was to point out that the New Speakers were not as projected in the Upper Mid's and Highs as the previous in use speakers had projected.

Initially it was made known to me the Original Owner/Importer of the Speakers had a experience not like too many and was inclined to Speaker Roll. Over the course of approx' 3 Years the Vendor had owned a selection of Speakers that had amounted to close to £100K.

The Vendor had somehow chosen the route of a very cheap Glassy Hard CD Player to push on the Speakers Upper Frequencies.

My friends whole instinct and knowledge of the Speaker Designer knew much more was able to be achieved, they took on the idea of having a punt and made a offer which was close to the Drivers Value only, and the offer was accepted.     

The follow up explanation given, was quite interesting and reinforced by the description also given from the designer / builder of the Speaker to my friend.

Simply put, the earlier used Speaker is a design intended to be used in Countries such as the UK where Carpets and Soft Furnishings with Heavy Fabrics are the norm. A Speaker designed for this type of environment will have a Xover design that allows for the Upper Mid's and Highs to be present and not absorbed.

In comparison the New Speakers were a Bespoke Built design Import from Scandinavia. The new owner was aware of the upper frequency roll off and had already made an inquiry to the designer. The description given, being that the Speaker is designed primarily for usage in Scandinavian homes, and if the Xover had a design to suit the UK, the Speakers sonic will be bordering on Glassy Hard in a Scandinavian Home. The designer has a Xover design in place for when such inquires are made. The initial guidance being allow the drivers further time to settle in.

My friend who is a EE and Engineer by career has no concerns about tweaking the Xover. Also they are very aware of the influence of PC Triple C Wire. I encouraged them to use this wire type on the Mid Range and Tweeter, we both agreed that a further presence of these frequencies may be perceived as being achieved iif this method is adopted. 

Additional Footers in use may have also been able to lift the projection of the frequencies?

Changing a wire is very cheap to do, adding a footer in conjunction with the Townshend is only adding a little more expense, removing the Townshend? Experimentation is the only way to truly find out?

All ideas are doable before any electronics are exchanged.

For the record, prior to any suggested changes having been made to the Scandinavian Import Speakers being demo'd. I made it known to my friend that these were the best speaker I have been in front of in his room, and possibly the best Cabinet Speaker I had heard using recollections as the judge.

Not bad as an assessment when something else for the sonic is still on offer and  earlier Speaker in use Speakers will have been a much more substantial in value retail purchase and the Scandinavian Speakers were acquired for much less than £5K .         

@mahgister I can see from your description about mounting a Speaker Cabinet you take your investigations into tidying up a sonic quite seriously.

I have a substantial supply of Cork Pads, they regularly find a place as a additional tier in an assembly.  My interest in Granite has a 30ish year history of using it in multiple configurations in a support structure.

On my Cabinet Speakers my the Top Weight is a Large Lead Metal Block rested onto four 1/6" Cork Pads. The Lead Blocks then has approx' 20lb of Steel Dumb Bell Weights sat upon it. Moving this weight around to different resting positions on the Top of the Speaker does have an impact where sonic or box coloration are able to be impacted for the better/worse.

I am a ESL Speaker user as well, so the Cabinet / Driver issues are easily by passed if wanted.