Speaker Spikes - Working Principle


Vibration damping obvious makes sense (in speakers just as well as in cars). 

That involves 'killing' (converting into heat, through typically internal friction) kinetic energy. So any sort of elastic material (rubber has lots of internal friction) makes sense. 

And then there are spikes. Using a pointy hard object and pair it with a softer, elastic material (to deform, and kill kinetic energy) can work; think metal sharp spike into carpet or wood floor. 

But what is the idea behind pairing fairly unelastic metal (brass for example) with similarly unelastic (brass, stone, etc) material (example photo provided)? Only thing I can come up with: LOOKS good and makes owner feel good  thinking its an improvement (works only for Audiophiles though),

Even more curious: are they ENGINEERED "spikes" (vibration dampers or shock absorbers) for speakers that are TUNED for the frequency (and mass)  that needs to be dampened? Can piston style fluid dampers be designed for the high frequencies (100, 1000, 10000 Hz) using geometry, nozzles size and viscosity of the fluid?

 

kraftwerkturbo

@audiopoint Yeah, right. And all is on top of the fact that 'hard' spikes do nothing except 'hold' the speaker. And no: even solid gold spikes don't do more (except are high on pixel dust content).

Is the above meant to be SERIOURS? Or a nicely done bot generation. Otherwise, the crazyness in audiophildom has reached a new level of nonsense. 

 

Kraftwerkturbo - OP:

Spikes are $1.00 a piece and have been used to raise speakers off the flooring since the early seventies. They should “not” be driving, hosting, or used as a methodology in any conversation comparing modern vibration management techniques or theorems. 

 

You cannot kill 100% of energy by converting it into heat. In most formulas, a portion of energy converts to heat. Where do the remaining percentages of resonance go? Does the remaining resonance mechanically ground or propagate on surfaces and form additional resonance?

Then there is the newer “ballistic resonance” theorem published and earning many followers. Ballistic resonance takes all existing vibration-damping theorems to a new level of understanding or function. 

Metal originates within the Earth. These materials provide natural damping factors. These factors are taken into consideration when designing a product for musical reproduction. The damping is within the material chemistry itself. 

 

Only thing I can come up with: LOOKS good and makes owner feel good  thinking its an improvement (works only for Audiophiles though), Is the above meant to be SERIOURS? the crazyness in audiophildom has reached a new level of nonsense.  

Ouch! - I am serious. Talk about craziness? You appear convinced that isolation and decoupling exist in a world governed by the laws of physics and Earth’s gravity. Equipment floating in the air, just like your responses to a topic where further education is required to comprehend. 

Resonance Energy Transfer is an adaptable and scalable technology that mechanically grounds resonance formed by vibrations. The proof is built into products, public acceptance, and managing operational temperature, and aligns with current-day physics.

Parts manufactured for violin, cello, upright bass, and vibraphone are a few musical instrument sonic upgrade products accepted by musicians. Musicians and sound/recording engineers know resonance transfer delivers an improvement. 

The technology of Resonance Energy Transfer uses hardened metals that work for musical instruments, structural studio environments, compressors, transformers, fan motors, and many other devices. 

Audiophiles also know it as a newfound remarkable sonic.

 

The vibration absorbers, dampeners, springs, pucks, and cones have been here for thirty years. Giving them a modern-day look, construction, or new definition creates little change in the outcome. They are all based on age-old isolation, presently termed decoupling theorems. 

Decoupling is a descriptive adjective established by the audio industry in the interest of selling more products. 

Working with Resonance Energy Transfer for the past thirty-four years tells me that natural damping factors and material science provide function, dynamics in sound quality, and temperature reduction without using or combining elastic materials clogging up the electric, electro-mechanical, mechanical, and acoustic signal pathways.

Have you ever listened to what rubber-infused products do to musical reproduction? 

 Robert Maicks

Vibration Management Specialist

Tom DeVuono

Research & Development

 

OCD Audiophile Mikey has posted several interest discussions on vibration control with an emphasis on high quality brass cones and LiveVibe stands as his preferred method of vibration control.  
this one is an interesting explanation is in line with Audiopoint’s posts I believe. I have my speakers and electronics on LiveVibe stands and I have been very satisfied with their performance  

 

Spikes result in a massive reduction in standing wave energy. My first speakers were Dahlquist DQ-10's  and when I spiked them they really stated to shine. The lower midrange and upper bass cleaned up immensely.

I suspect that the less the structure housing a transducer moves/resonates during use.. the better it can sound.. or at least the less it would influence the sound (although this wouldn’t seem to be a linearly proportional relationship). It might have a negative effect if it’s within the operating range of a particular transducer. If the structure is perfectly motionless at any frequency or amplitude (regardless of what the transducers are up to), that would seem to be a perfect enclosure as a foundation for audio reproduction. No energy loss. Exhibit A.. Acora speakers. I think I remember one of the Acora’s (or a presenter?) saying the reason for the granite enclosures was so the kids or dog couldn’t knock the speaker over, but they were probably half joking.

If the footer technique merely transfers the resonance of the entire structure above or below the operating range of the tweeter/midrange, then that may be acceptable (much like we find second-order distortion acceptable with amplification in our electronics). Of course that assumes the entire structure is rigid.. if the panels or sub-components independently move to their own resonance frequencies.. then that is another problem and it’s unlikely what you place underneath will help as much as you hope.

I’d also suspect that a speaker with a large monopole woofer being driven by a high current amplifier (at high levels) and it’s cabinet is resting on ceramic balls or springs or any soft material with a range of motion.. that can’t be good for the impulse response or phase continuity of the other drivers. Coupling with a large mass might be a better solution (vs decoupling), if done well.

(Disclaimer: I’m not a materials specialist or a physicist.. just an audiophile who used to like physics once).