Tom, I have no doubt the Sistrums would sound spectacular under most speakers, but lead has it's advantages. It does give some inprovement with the VR2s at far less cost than the Sistrums, and the speakers are much more stable which may be important with kids or dogs, etc. It cost me under $40 to make a big improvement using lead shot. Try it, and if you don't like it, you can easily remove the lead with very little money or effort lost.
If a speaker manufacturer designs his speakers to sound better with lead shot, then what's the problem. One of the obvious benefits of this is lower shipping cost and less chance of shipping damage.
I remember an article in TAS many years ago. They were interviewing James C about either Alien or Terminator. The interviewer was going on and on about how James used the wrong film stock, film speed, and aspect ratio. James finally told they guy that he was the director, he made the decisions to obtain a certain feel to the film, and if he didn't like it he could go piss up a rope (not in those exact words). I lost all respect for TAS that day, and have not purchased an issue since.
I'm sure there are other things to try, but in answer to your question, I found that the recommended lead shot in my VR2s made the speakers sound much better. Does lead make them sound best? I don't know, but they sound much better with the lead for very little cost or effort.
Yes I did. The geometry and the resonant peaks of the cabinet are all important. I can only say that, violins and violas don't use lead to dampen them. Pianos don't use anything to 'deaden' them either. The natural order of 'musical' instruments is to allow for vibrations to occur at their normal occurances. If My own speaker, which I designed, sounded better without a deadening lead shot, what would that tell you? The Sistrum points, ( I don't even know what they are called) helped, then something other that what you or I think, is at work here. I am not trying to change your mind, just broaden your horizon, just as mine was. Larry
If you use the correct design geometry and material choices then speaker vibration can be channeled away and not be retaimed in the cabinet..like when using lead shot..I think Larry worked with Albert at one time..Tom
That's interesting Larry. I would consider that a poor design then. I've only had the VS VR4jr s and they sounded much better after installing the lead shot. It helped to keep the cabinet from vibrating. But of course with other speakers YMMV.
In order to be clear and fair, we should distinguish between 'different' and 'better'. Lead was my holy grail for all things vibrational in terms of audio, until I saw the results first hand, from a completely, and I should say more open perspective. I have speakers that have a 'lead chamber' at the bottom, and I used it for that purpose. The dynamics died (Don McLean's, The Day the Music Died") Everything exciting about music, dynamic contrasting, natural decay, all went away. We put the speakers on some spikes (Sistrum, and no I do not know the owners of the company, and have NO VESTED INTEREST HERE) under them, and it was disgusting to hear the difference. Different is not better, and better is not different, oh they may be coincidental, but not in this instance. The spikes left the speakers 'singing' and doing the same things that all great products can do, and the lead, literally killed that sense of effortlessness. Beware of the lead fix. As a former devotee of that, I am now cured, because I witnessed it first hand. Best, Larry
Lead shot in speakers designed to have lead shot in them sound much better with it. The purpose is not a design flaw but in order to save shipping cost and keep a lower price point. It makes perfect sense to me and it stabilizes the speaker nicely. It tightens up the sound without a doubt.
Its all the same ...Compensation for design problems.. It still kills the music..There are better remidies.. if indeed they are needed..Ask Lrsky he use to work with the compensation chamber guy..he now knows the way out of the dead zone. Tom
mbolddal, my ProAc`s uses dry silver sand instead of lead shot. But I think it does the same thing. Here is what proAc says, "a small amount of sand will give the bass more warmth, adding more sand to the cavity will give a dryer tighter quality, most people will find that a half to two thirds full is optimum in most models". If you still have your owners manual check it out for your speakers. Hope this helps,Jim
Unless I misunderstand your question, you do not normally put lead shot in the SPEAKER itself, but in the speaker STAND. Adding lead shot to the speaker stand makes it more stable, anchors it better to the floor, and reduces resonance. I suppose you could add some sheets of lead inside the speaker cabinet if the cabinet is too resonant, but I haven't seen that done.
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