Generally high end speakers which come with spikes are designed for them. That is to say, the spikes serve a two-fold purpose. First and foremost, to drain unwanted vibration (energy) from the cabinet into the floor by directly coupling to the floor through the carpet. They do that by the shape of the spikes which direct energy away from the cabinet. And secondly, to help stabilise the speaker which also helps reduce vibration, and has a safety factor. Vibration is deleterious to the sound of the speakers as it causes distortions by interacting with the motion of the drivers. Ideally, the cabinet would be inert, and the drivers operating in perfect piston motion. That way the wave form reaching your ears is a closer representation of the musical signal. That’s the long explanation anyway.
Re: buying spikes, yes i’d suggest atleast giving them a try. With your flooring, they should help the bass to tighten up, and the imaging to snap into focus. Personally, I’d recommend the factory spikes if they’re not prohibitively expensive as the Designer would have chosen them after some testing to work synergistically with the speakers. If you go with an after-market alternative, make sure they are the same height. The reason for that is, the height of the factory spikes would have been chosen to elevate the tweeter to the optimal height. Using shorter spikes could therefore affect things like sound staging. As to the risk of the spikes damaging your floors through the carpet. I wouldn’t worry. Hardwood can stand up to knocks and dings pretty well. Also, my current speakers weigh 220lb’s & are supplied with spikes! Hope that helps.
