Any new ideas on an old theme?

Got everything cut up today for all the speakers and sub. I'll be shuffling about the mains this week and set them by this weekend hopefully. 3/4 inch Birch about a inch greater all around than the unit's native dims.

I wondered too about using stone. So, yes, I'd care to know the results of adding slate slabs too.

Shadorne
Thanks, always your opinion is valued..

So… You prefer the platform + soft footers approach? You just laying the MDF onto the carpeting? No coupling of it to the floor?

I was thinking to go that way by getting someone to make me a 13 x 13 pair of ?? wood pieces, and then spike into them.

The Book says my sonata IIIs are 110 lbs. I figure they’re a mite short of that mark, and are closer to 85-90 lb. or I’m getting stronger as I get older.

I’ve a sub too… and all of the flooring is like an upstairs flooring would be… a main and a sub floor… no slab is directly under it.

Fafafion
Well, OK… Why? What happened in your opinion with what speakers?

Are these footers something severely funds restricted folks can afford? Whenever I see that word 'elemente' in the title I start thinking the elemente being used is 'can'taffordium', and lots of it.

Fafafion
Ever grateful... thanks. I sorrt of figured that tag was gonna be up there.

I sure do appreciate the follow up insights as to the nature of their performance too.

Well, for close to $1800 I'm pretty sure I'd be grining like a possum prior to throwing that amount under my speakers! I'd likely have to be a card carrying certifiable nut, or have just hit my local lottery.

I'll just have to miss that magic show altogether.

Of course, if you would like to bequeath your's to me... well, you'd have my undying respect and gratitude.

$1800, for footers. Whoa! WalMart probably doesn't carry them either, huh?

There has to be a cheaper route.

Thanks so far to all… and especially for the link too.

Knownothing
Thanks.

I too have, after some dedicated time, spent trying out different footers under components, found differing wooden types of either boards or blocks, do impact the sound.

My rack is atop a Beech plywood base which just rests onto the top of the carpet… the rack is spiked into Mahogany Squares which reside in between Beech & spike.

I’m not too sure just how much decoupling is going on if I use spikes anywhere in the chain. Rather the thicker 7/16 pad, and ½ pile may afford some detatchment, onto that why not place a board of sorts, and use pods, pads, or roller blocks there for the speakers to rest upon?

My concern that way would be stability, and number of supportive/dampening devices that would be needed for the job.

My speakers are right at <100 lbs each.

I’m liking this notion as it’ll raise up the speakers’ overall height, which for me, would be a good thing. … and prevent further holes being punched into the wood underlayment.


In fact doing away 100% with spikes seems a plus to me in general.

Apart from what and how many, I’ve seen some notes that reflect a tipped up tonal quality when roller blocks are used, as well as lessend bass depth and impact… is that a general but accurate, consensus?

Knownothing
Ultimately, the least expensive gizmo I found which worked best under CDP & non spinning junk were those iso cups herbie's Audio Labs sold with the Ebony balls. Steve no longer has the Ebony balls and the cups are now of a different material... clear... not black... and softer.

Fafafion
Do keep in touch... and let us know when these gizmos go on sale! I am now, both astounded and curious... but not wealthy.

well, I've decided on simply making some DIY platforms to place under each unit. Sub too.

3 reasons... I can't justify $1800 for speaker footers what so ever. Two, I couldn't even justify spending $200 for another set of larger (longer) spikes from Silverline! And, three, a substantial platform set under each unit should suffice as sufficient isolation/decoupling... well, if not it'll cost me about $12 - $20 to find out.

Sometimes, some aspects of this hobby and the prices associated with them astound me. Alas, I'll never know about the items containing too much 'unobtainium' or 'can'taffordium', and I'll simply have to continue my residence in the halss of ignorant bliss.

The rent in that mneighborhood is far less, and it's a very nice area, close to shopping and not far from the beach.

yeah. There's the rub. Around here marble, granite, and one other I forget the name of now, aren't real expensive per precut piece. The problem is and I suspect they know it too, is their idea of precuts ain't my idea. Hence ya gotta have 'em slice and dice up whatever dims you need/want. Black marble, runs around 180 - 200 cut to 14x14 last time I checked, and that was a couple years ago now. I shudder to think what it could be now....

I wonder if they would or even have, a couple pieces which I could rent to try out... hmmmm. I never thought about that part. I think I will ask. Sure, if it is a good move, I'd go off for two pieces... cut and polished.

I wonder too, just how thick ya need to go with rock platforms for speakers anyhow?

OK... SO HERE'S WHAT YA CAN EXPECT FROM ABOUT $5 OR $10 WORTH OF BEECH/BIRCH 3/4 in. plywood....

Better. Lots better!

I had some pieces cut to fit all my speakers, sub, and speakers on stands, by an added half inch or so all around.

Put them under each unit and placed them back into their orig positions. Waited a few days for them to settle down into the pile a bit more and turned on the sounds.

Using the same default tune box of late, the Onkyo HT Receiver, Odyssey Stratos SE amp, Bel Canto DAC3, and Sonata IIIs, things were instantly improved. Well, minus the couple days waiting period. lol

I found the sound stage to have now, better depth, become broader and it had slightly closer to the LP a tad. The boomyness of the bass was quite attenuated... but still had good impact. Tones weren't skewed or spotlit, and the bandwidth seemed quite evenly fulfilled. Overall, a clearer cleaner presentation yet all the while, retaining luster and involvement.

A note on 'tightening' of the bass and losing the boom... I believe more listening is required here but it seems to me the tightening of the bass so many refer to is actually due to some attenuation... or loss. mostly in the prominence region or presence... the impact was sure there given my moderate listening level session, but I feel certain that along with the tightening up of the bass, came some bass db loss, as odd as that might sound

I hear and read this salutation wehn it comes to reckoning with the bass area very often, and feel it’s this way... "Yep, less boominess no doubt, but with that came less perceived bass being there". Which to me indidcates some attenuation... turning down of the bass area's SPL".

Overall, though, and this is likely a perceptive item anyhow, I think bass was improved by both addition and subtraction. I'll spend some time concentrating on the CD's which have fine bass and get back here with that... so for now, all I can say in truth is the bass is currently different. The rest of the sonic realm as I said is improved by more than a fair amount.

So it sure does seem as though there is something to this idea of platforms under floorstanding speakers residing upon hollow floors... or at least non solid foundatios... 'foundatios'? That must be Italian for foundations.

...and for less than $10, it was a step in the right direction!

Gawdbless
Cutting edge idea!! Although i'm a mite predisposed to place them as the designers intended... usually.

On the other hand... what do they know anyways?