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Stands, to couple, or not to couple, contradicting products and positive reviews

There are many practices/products intended to "couple" a stand-mount speaker cabinet to the floor of a room (spikes, adding mass to the stands via sand/shot, specific bolt-on stands for certain models, etc.).  Conversely, there foam speaker pads by Auralex and others, which are intended to de-couple or isolate the speaker from the stand, with rave reviews of audible sound improvement.  

So which is right, should I try to "connect" my speakers to the mass of my house, or do I want to "float" the speakers so they are free to resonate on their own?
waxhawfive

Showing 6 responses by geoffkait

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Just for emphasis,

https://forum.audiogon.com/search/index?utf8=✓&query=Horizontal+plane+rotational+directions


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Yeah, esp. if you’re shooting blanks in the dark, right, Schubie? 😎
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I’m getting a strong sense of deja vu here but recall, gentle readers, roller bearings in cups isolate in the horizontal plane AND the three rotational directions, you know, twist, rock and roll. 🕺 That’s why when roller bearings are used in conjunction with some nice springs hint hint you can isolate in ALL 6 DIRECTIONS.

geoff kait
machina dynamica
serving audiophiles’ isolation requirements since 1996
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Uh, I already answered his question. Why do it half way?
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Blue Tak and similar materials are hardly good examples of decoupling. I’m talking about the Townshend method of decoupling/isolation, I.e., mass-on-springs. 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Isolate AND couple. Isolate the speaker from the stand and couple the stand to the floor. Isolate the subwoofer, too, while you’re at it.
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