Standmount speakers - alternatives to spikes?

Thanks to all sharing experiences. Also chanced upon some Harmonix cones on the net, but way too expensive (can't actually understand why with the "technology", involved).

More, anyone? :)

For speakers, I have tried both coupling (with rigid materials) and decoupling (with viscoelastic materials). In my system, the results of coupling were significantly better than decoupling. Decoupling gave a "softer" presentation, so that it concealed low level detail and obscured transients.

Of course, an advantage of decoupling is that it minimizes the potential resonances between speakers and floors. But filling your stands with sand/lead shot should hopefully provide enough internal damping to minimize potential resonances, without the need for decoupling.

I have found that this approach of coupling + internal damping yields the best results in my system, where I have a pair of bookshelf speakers resting directly on top of a piece of furniture (not ideal, I know). In my system, I achieve coupling + internal damping with a combination of Outriggers and Black Diamond Racing cones and pits. The Outriggers and BDR cones/pits are very rigid, so they provide coupling. The BDR cones/pits are made from carbon fiber, so they provide internal damping. In your case, you could use BDR cones/pits under you stands. The cones are threaded, so they may work easily with your stands.

BTW, I am not questioning anyone else's results. These were just my experiences in my own system. YMMV.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to the equipment stand. For speakers stands, my feeling are the same, couple the stands and decpouple the speakers to the stands.

My experience has been to decouple the spkr. from the stand & have had great results using Herbie's Footers. For the stand itself, I've always used spikes to keep them in place but if you want to decouple, I would go with either the Herbie's or those cork & rubber pads that go for about $5.

Better results will be had if you treat the equipment that resides in the rack first and keep the rack coupled to the floor using the spikes. Just make sure that the rack's spikes have the weight equally distribed thus avoiding any wobbling etc. Also, if you can position your stand as to have the feet as close to the floor joist as possible, the better.

Thanks for all the answers so far. :)

I might not have been very clear. I'm not trying to protect my floor here (pennies are enough for that) but just to explore solutions that could improve sound, like the Vibrapods mentionned above.

Keep them coming!

JB

Your spikes probably use a standard thread such as 1/4x20. If so, I recommend standard threaded furniture feet which can be found at Lowes. Or, while at Lowes, you could get some hex bolts and affix rubber bumpers/pads to the bottoms.

These work better than pennies. I sell these but tried the pennies myself a month of so ago, the spikes made a hole almost all the way through and would have gone through eventually.

http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/apcd2.html

I'm drawing a blank on the name but there is a spike that has floor protector built in. Not attached but it moves with the spike if you pick it up. They advertise in Sterophile...
Oh here, I think this is them
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/superspikes_e.html

I hated having spikes on my speakes on a wood floor, major production to move them.

Why don't you just used floor protector disks or even pennies under the spikes?

I use Vibrapods with terrific success. Decoupling is best in my view if you like to preserve all the energy of the music.