I've always used Herbie's products for my components and they always worked until I got my Marantz reference components. The Marantz gear sounds nice and tight without them and a bit muddy and dense with them. I've never had that happen with my other gear. I have everything situated on my Timberland maple rack so it's mostly an acoustically dead platform.
As for speakers, again I was using Herbies Big Fat Square Dots and the sound was really nice but a bit bloated on the bottom and somewhat lacking in the highs. Removing them solved the dilemma. It turns out having the 1" rosewood bottom of the speaker resting on a 2" maple speaker stand top couples the speaker nicely enough to warrant nothing else needed. I've got the cleanest presentation so far with a deep and tight low end, stable and almost liquid mids and nice and airy highs. Only brass has that bite but it's most natural and doesn't make me wince. I smile a lot though.
All the best,
Nonoise
As for speakers, again I was using Herbies Big Fat Square Dots and the sound was really nice but a bit bloated on the bottom and somewhat lacking in the highs. Removing them solved the dilemma. It turns out having the 1" rosewood bottom of the speaker resting on a 2" maple speaker stand top couples the speaker nicely enough to warrant nothing else needed. I've got the cleanest presentation so far with a deep and tight low end, stable and almost liquid mids and nice and airy highs. Only brass has that bite but it's most natural and doesn't make me wince. I smile a lot though.
All the best,
Nonoise