Speaker Spikes - do the shake test

Sam,
I'm coming to your rescue. I have to concur with you findings. I've tried multiple, and I mean multiple support systems under my Avantgarde speakers, includ. cones, Stillpoints, NVS, Herbies sliders, etc.
All of them do change the sound, and not always to the better.
Just to save time and space here; the worst are the OEM cones on brass discs (to protect hardwood floor)- soundstage collapsed, sound became stringent and brightish.
Surprisingly, I like Herbies Titanium Spike Decoupling Gliders ($22.49 each). Very natural and kind of effortless sound. Are they perfect? I think not, the bass could benefit from more articulation still.
My next step is Symposium Super Plus platforms- they essentially operate on a similar principle, as Herbies- designed to dissipate internal cabinet's vibrations. Reportedly, they should be much more effective at that task.
Will it translate into a better sound?- remains to be seen.
I will report on how they "sound" later.

There are many things that will work, but everything is relative. For a more natural sound with high end extension and low end dynamics check out the NASA grade ceramic DH Cones from Golden Sound. The next hardest material to diamond. You can keep all the carbon fiber, brass, steel, Sorbothane, etc.

I will keep my sorbothane...right where it is! Golden Sound claims that hardness minimizes vibration in advanced military rockets, and "DH Cones reduce the listening fatigue created by vibration. You can play your music louder and longer. DH Cones creates an initial sonic excitement that does not fade away. You will love DH Cones for a long, long time."...and there's this: "Add extra balls to your Gingko 'Cloud' isolation gear. Gingko Audio Standard Rubber Balls are available in green or blue and fit the critically acclaimed 'Cloud' isolation platforms as well as Gingko's Platforma-series equipment racks and stands." So...exciting military rockets that don't fade away or more balls? Who knows?

I must again inquire why one places a generic performance value on spikes when there are so many different types and shapes of conical structures manufactured from as many diverse materials available for purchase in this marketplace.

How does one determine the opinion where spikes never work? In defense of spikes we have found that the choice in material coupled by the geometrical shape of the cone is extremely important to performance. Spikes should not be placed into a single category of understanding. I have never found the two-dollar spike that provides the same level of accomplishment as a fifty-dollar spike.

Most speaker manufacturers provide very inexpensive steel spikes with their products to raise the speaker off the floor in order to avoid an acoustic coupling of the speaker enclosure with the flooring mass. Compact monitors arrive with either nothing at all or everything from hardened rubber dots, soft squishy discs or whatever materials fit into the final retail price for the speaker system. Wishing to avoid arguments over costing issues we have yet to find any low cost device such as steel spikes, tacky stuff purchased at a hardware store and such that affords a robust increase in musical performance.

The recording business is built on providing the best sound quality for our clients so we elected to test various coupling and de-coupling devices in order to make a more informed decision and investment into the overall sonic of the facility.

In order to challenge the ‘myths’ of spike functionalities, testing in the studio was instrumented using real time analyzers (RTA) and sound pressure level metering (SPL) employing two stationary microphone positions. We implemented a pair of compact monitors employing steel stands (filled) and two floor born speaker systems. The electronics testing package provided much the same outcome as our ears in presenting the clear cut winners.

We chose brass as the material of choice and these smallest sized products were not cheap by any means but the end result was very audible enhancing the overall musical presentation from top to bottom.

In our humble opinion, spikes should not be placed into such a vast category nor judged upon in the same fashion. There is a proven success history of companies selling thousands of ‘spikes’ and in business for many years proving there is a viable positive result from the mechanical grounding of speaker systems and electronics.

It has become obvious to us through this testing procedure that a few companies know how to attain great sound from direct coupling methods.

We have also found that these products do cost more than most so search out the brand names with long time reputations for success and spend some of that hard earned money as we did. The proven winners all have financial return guarantees and it will not take much time before you know which ones provide the benefits! After all, this is High-End Audio – yes?

Disclaimer: My father works with a commercial company that employs various forms of vibration management so I am biased, have had greater access to knowledge from experience and have applied various techniques, multiple grounding principles and years of working in recording studio settings.

I've worked in recording studios since 1967...I'm a professional musician, and I've had access to the speakers currently in my living room and they sound better with vibrapods. I am biased by the ears on my head (in my head?).