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Coupling or Decoupling speakers?

I have always coupled my loudspeakers to the listening room floor with cones/spikes and thought that is how it should be.  I recently stumbled on a discussion of the issue.  After reading a good bit I decided to decouple my Vandersteen Treo CT speakers using Herbie's Audio Lab Titanium Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders.  So now, instead of having my speakers spiked into the concrete slab under my carpeted listening room, the cones and spike fit into the decoupling gliders and ride on the carpet.

I was assuming I would hear a difference with music containing bass, especially as my 2wq subwoofers sit right behind each speaker.  The unexpected outcome is that even music with virtually no bass sounds smoother/cleaner and more "real".  The frequency balance does not seem to have been altered, everything, and I mean everything I play is smoother and cleaner.  The soundspace is more open and the decay into the recesses is just a bit l o n g e r.

Please share your experience/ideas/opinions about what is happening with decoupling versus coupling speakers.

128x128hifiman5

Showing 2 responses by hifiman5

hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5 OP
1,823 posts
 
@barbapapa I just took a look at the Townshend Seismic Bars.  They are very impressive!  From what I can tell from the site, they look really robust and present with a very high end appearance.  They are also expensive.  That's not a slam.  I can see why based on the elegance of the design and the machining that goes into their construction.  

By contrast the Herbie's Titanium Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders are rather "pedestrian". I must say, however, that everything I listen to is cleaner, up and down the frequency range.  I originally anticipated hearing only improvements with music containing a significant bass component, but it is cleaner and more open on everything.  Listening to Schubert's Trout Quintet has never been more satisfying.  Pink Floyd's Division Bell, McCartney's remastered "Ram", Pink Martini, AKUS. It doesn't matter what type of music.  It's just better. 

I would encourage anyone with spiked speakers to try decoupling.  I haven't detected a downside yet.  If anyone has, please share your experience.  I am still surprised by the magnitude of the improvement.  Disappointed I didn't come to this understanding sooner.
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5 OP
1,823 posts
 
@georgelofi  I'm not sure what variable determines whether coupling or decoupling on a slab sounds better but I have carpet and pad on a slab in a dedicated basement listening room and decoupling with the Herbie gliders does lend a new clarity and smoothness to the sound.  I wonder if having a coupled subwoofer behind each speaker makes a difference as that sub energy is not traveling up the speaker cones/spike into the speaker cabinet and thus to the drivers and crossover components.

Next decision...to try decoupling the subs??

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