Avalon Speakers... To Spike or Not To Spike

You can also screw-in the MDF pannels above the carpet(you can paint-match the color to carpet) only of course if you found the best speaker position. Than you can use stock spikes.

I'm using Sound O City outriggers, it makes a big difference... See my pics

I'd also like to hear from people who have replaced the OEM spikes. I am using them on brass couplers on a wooden floor. There are so many varieties of spikes to choose among. Today, I purchased some of Herbie's titanium sliders to see the effect of decoupling the spike. The OP might take a look at the Herbie's page, because there is a product supposedly designed for rugs there.

Thanks guys. I’ve looked at the Herbies website and frankly can’t imagine how the products designed for carpeting would work for me. My carpeting and pad has to be a little over 1.25” thick. It’s literally like walking on a cloud. When we got that carpeting, I had monitor speakers on four post Sound Anchor stands. Looking back on it now, I wish we had gone with something like a Berber carpet. Not that anyone has ever bumped into my speakers, but with 5 granddaughters and a big dog that wants to play catch all the time, I sleep better when my speakers are solidly locked in.

Wig… I had the Sound O City outriggers on Acoustic Zen Adagio’s and they worked really well. That was before installing the stupidly thick carpeting. They’re also on my short list. One thing I really liked about the outriggers is that the longer very pointy spikes easily get through carpeting. However, because I have an OCD complex with having to have my speakers at the exact some angle, speaker placement with the outriggers is a little difficult.

What I like about the platforms is that after I determine the speaker placement, I can accurately position the platforms before placing the speakers on them. I’m going to E-mail Herbies asking if something between the platform and the speakers would be to my advantage.

I use stainless steel Soler Points on my speakers. I know Ed Soler and he can make them custom for you. The ones he made for my speakers are 2" wide at the top and about 2.25" tall. I gave him one of the original speaker spikes and he made sure the threads matched on the new spikes. He also makes the pucks to use along with the spikes on hardwood floors if ever needed.

Ed can make them out of brass if you prefer, but the stainless steel ones are the way to go.

What I would suggest is that you measure from the center of the hole where the spikes go out to about 1/8" or 1/4" shy of the edge of the speaker. Mine are 1/4". Then, just decide how tall you want them.

Ed is one of the regulars at the stereo shop here in town and you can place an order through them. My custom spikes are pretty big, though not the biggest he's made for some of the systems I've seen. My spikes were $60 each - again, stainless steel. Ed puts a very sharp point on them, so there is no issue with them penetrating carpet.

Please send me an email if you would like me to help with this, and I can take a picture of my spikes and email them to anyone interested.

And on the question of whether to spike or not, I prefer the tightened bass I get with my speakers spiked.

JBS