amzn.to/3ytncNX walnut with Eximus amzn.to/3yxV2S0 Eximus amzn.to/3Jwe9BY Monoprice amzn.to/3FlSn1l Monoprice Wood Desk top amzn.to/3LcnsIG Iso acoustics amzn.to/3JaNJEv wedge amzn.to/3mNK4VO hockey pucks amzn.to/402h4Ig adjustable desktop stands Support the Channel by Shopping on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Cheap Audio Man Store Front shop.howl.me/cam Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqouBa5pcIw Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
@@jdm-uk-yank Genuine eunuchs don't have shoes. If yours do, then they are likely counterfeit and you need to check under the toga. I think there's a mod for that though, so no need to return them.
Best practice for speaker placement is a *shockingly* under-addressed topic among YT audio reviewers. There's a guy somewhere in Iowa who puts five-figure-price-tag systems against a cinder block wall in his basement. There's a husband and wife who audition everything with the speakers straddling a TV stand. One of the most well-known guys in the space auditions powered bookshelf speakers by putting them on top of a floor-standing pair of speakers, which are in turn backed hard up against a pair of Federalist-era eight-pane glass windows. Which I'm sure don't rattle even the tiniest little bit.
I bought a couple of cheap stands (~$60/pair) off of Amazon a while back that I’ve modded the crap out of. Replaced the original steel platforms with MDF, sawed the center support down to the right height, repainted the glass bases, filled the center steel support with sand, added isolation footers, added isolation foam between the speakers and platforms. The best thing about these stands is that since they were cheap, I could afford to take risks with modification experiments. To get anything noticeably better, I’d have to spend $500+, and that would be more for aesthetic improvements rather than audible ones.
Depending on your gear and type of listening, stands are almost necessary for bookshelf speakers in my opinion. They could very well be DIY though. I will say that when I tried Iso-Acoustic pucks between my speakers and the stands I felt their was a clear difference. To me the biggest phenomenon was being able to play the speakers at higher volume while still keeping perfect clarity. I was momentarily mind blown 🤯
Love my monolith stands. I have a pare of Emotiva B1+ bookshelves on those. Got those because Randy said they were a great deal over a couple years ago and always smile when I walk past them. For me they were the perfect height for rear surrounds and did not break the bank, but have that premium look. Thanks Randy.
im using iso-acoustic gaia iii, isolation (might be considered a puck), first speaker i used it on was my polk sda 1B speakers that i refurbished myself. the gaia iii cleaned up the sound considerably. On my next speakers, the Spatial Audio hologram M3 Triode Master open baffle speakers. the isolation works well with these! I'm very happy with the results!
JUST got myself some stands last monday for my JBL Stage A130's and the difference between the stands and the table they were sitting on was monumental and an absolute no doubter. I'm new to the audiophile landscape so sometimes I find myself searching for things often talked about, for instance sound stage and imaging. With the speakers set on the stands I finally got a taste of what that means!
Glad to hear you could really hear a difference. I'm curious if the new stands changed the placement of your A130's in the room? Wondering what you think was the predominant factor that enabled the stands to make such a noticeable improvement to the speaker sound in your space? Thanks!
@@eddents it was probably due to getting them away from walls and furniture that would further accentuate the resonances of this speaker. I really like this speaker, but it is fairly resonant (cabinet) at moderate to higher volumes
Very good product knowledge video as usual. Back in the 80's I was an audio salesman. When I would set up the sound room all the smaller speakers would be eye level while the largest speakers would be a foot or so off the floors. Rack systems were floor level. The Bose 901's were my least favorite. They required a dedicated EQ and it was a muddy sound.
Fun fact: Any tubular style of speaker stand, designed with the intention of using (one of) the tubes as a cable chase, can *also* be ballasted. Just plug the bottom cable hole from the inside and you're stylin. I've got a friend who, when we were in college, ran his speaker cables through the tube and then ballasted around the speaker cables. I'm less sure how I feel about that, but he proves that it's doable.
No hockey pucks for me, did DIY some stands with some old wooden beams and some plywood I still had. The feet underneath are those simple spikes with the tiny cups that they sit in. Stands are bolted to the speakers using the mounting holes where I previously had those same feet. Had some veneer leftover from the speaker build so they are finished in the same style :). Sonic improvement is definately there. Could be tweeters that are now at ear level, less reflections from the desk, added mass from the stands or combination of it all!
Monoprice also has a stand with a larger top plate too if anyone's like me with big bookshelf's (Swans M300 MK2), I bought some garnet sand shipped from Home Depot which is heavier than regular play sand(silica/quarts) and cat litter but not as expensive as metal fillers and the sound difference is night and day.
Exercise matt 1/2 thick, cut to the size you like. I use it under my KEF speakers and also under my subwoofer. You can use sand to fill in the speaker stands. Good job as always. 👍
I use yoga blocks for my desktop Uni-Fi 2.0. The foam blocks. Been wanting to try a pair of cork blocks but I haven't gotten around to buying those yet. Highly recommend!!! Great topic Randy! 👍👍👍
I'm using cork yoga blocks. Sounds good to me! I tried foam blocks, but I couldn't take the smell. Left them out in the garage for a year or two and they lost that smell,
I got that first set of Monolith stands in December. I chose them over similarly priced options because reviews seemed more positive and they have a higher weight limit than most other inexpensive options. They're very stable and reasonably heavy without being filled. The one complaint I have is that they only came with carpet spikes and nothing for hardwood floors, but that was easily remedied. I also think they look good and will integrate well with most speakers and rooms.
what was the remedy. I just picked up a pair myself but haven't set them up yet. Planning to do it next week but they will be placed on hard wood floors.
I made my own speaker stands using concrete deck blocks, cinder blocks, high strength epoxy, paint, fairy lights, plexiglass and rubber furniture feet. Each stand weighs in around 100 lbs and the isolation is excellent! The project took about 4-5 days, most of that was waiting on paint and epoxy to dry, and cost me about $80-$90. I get compliments on them all the time and the performance is excellent. When I move this summer I'm going to sell these and build another set but refine it a little further maybe with wood veneer instead of paint, plug-in lighting instead of battery powered fairy lights and maybe an isolated platform on top depending on the height I need at the new spot. I live in a studio and built them indoors so you don't need a workshop or any fancy tools besides a plexiglass blade. I bought everything except the plexiglass at the local Ace Hardware.
The heavier, the better. I have super heavy-duty Target stands, each of which is loaded with 45lbs. of sand. The icing on the cake is spiking them to the floor. Really tightened up the bass!
I needed something not only attractive but that also looked good with a vintage system. I settled on some walnut kid’s stools from Amazon, about $40 a piece. They are a tiny bit low at about 13” but I listen on my low sofa, so it works. They almost exactly match the wood color of the Dynaco A25’s and have brass feet, similar to the nameplate. For isolation and safety the speakers are stuck on with a bunch of blue tack as I didn’t want to drill into them. I’m sure I there’s something out there I could do for slightly better sound but this is a good compromise for me.
I bought some monolith stands per your recommendation in a past video and i don't regret it. They are heavy duty and they work great. Thanks for the tip, Randy!
Square stone trivets between the speaker and stand/desk/console will greatly improve isolation as well. If you stack two of them, even better. They usually have cork bottoms, so you're creating different layers of density to isolate the speakers. They usually weigh 3-5 lbs each, so be mindful of that.
I used granite tiles for my own setup, to decouple the speakers from my desk. Silicone feet under the first tile, then sorbothane feet under the second tile, and another set of silicone feet under the speakers. Lets me change toe-in angle without issue and basically eliminates any vibration from the speaker cabinet itself being transferred into the desktop.
I don't know how accessible NorStone products in US and Canada but in Europe they are very popular. I have a pair of them and the pair of them works pretty well. All metal, adjustable spikes, hidden cables.... really good. The NorStone Stylum 2 is nearly perfect. Good height, various colors and they can hold 50 kg per stand... so it's ideal for even bigger bookshelf speakers. I really dig them. Makes a difference in sound.
Speaker stands are one of the few areas where you can get creative, like bar stools. I bought two pairs of unfinished solid wood plant stands from Hoot Judkins 25 years ago. Strong enough to sit on. I also bought a pair of what I believe to be Paradigm metal stands at a thrift store for $19. Super heavy and welded together. Garage sales might be a good place to stumble upon some "creative" speaker stands. And Froot Loops belong in a bowl, NOT a speaker stand.
I have the Monolith 28in ones I filled with sand. They’re beautiful stands( very heavy with the sand), but I took it one step further for looks. I got some black construction paper and cut about a 2 1/2 in width and run it on the backside the whole height of the stands. Takes away that gap in the center and really looks nice. Gives the stands a whole new look. I noticed if you looked at them from an angle you didn’t see the gap. That center gap opening was bugging the hell out of me.
I’m in the process of building tall speaker stands for my loudspeakers. Have a bunch of great lumber and making use of it. 🤞 I’m not a carpenter but I have some power tools and RUclips.
Great topic Randy. Most ready made "affordable" speaker stands don't vary much beyond the black metal "style". Thanks for sharing these choices with some modicum of wood involved in the design. Wood (or even faux wood) has a more appealing look to me in general than just all metal, but on its own, fails being heavy enough to prove reasonably stable. Sadly, most stands will have trouble handling the happy swipes of wagging rear end and tail from an 70lb Labrador or the inquisitive hands of very young humans, which can be reason enough many stand mounts end up on bookshelves. I think the viewers here are commenting with some interesting and useful modifications of store bought stands to beef them up or enhance their appearance. Great ideas to consider. I recently stumbled across some super inexpensive, compact end tables ( flat pack mail order) that were available in two different heights perfect for stand mounts. Made from laminated MDF and plastic, on their own they're too light, but with modifications like using a patio paver or two on the bottom shelf for ballast (painted first with stone textured spray paint) and filling the hollow plastic corner posts with sand if you're so inclined, they become significantly weighted stands suitable to sit a speaker on. And because they have one or two lower shelves, they can accommodate curio items for display (or a plant?) which makes them a bit more decorous for other members of the household (so they're not just serving as "speaker stands".) Sometimes this can help convince other household members to be OK that you want your speakers "off the wall" and set a foot or three into the room. What I've read about coupling or decoupling speakers is sometimes confusing about the final end goal. I ended up with the idea that in a world ruled by Star Wars & Star Trek technology, you'd want a speaker that could be fully immobilized floating in space at the right height off the floor. It would be completely decoupled from the floor and yet would not move so much as a micron as the drivers are firing. So much for that perfection. For us humanoids, we'll settle for stands that we can use to locate the speakers into the room a little, the dog won't knock over when it comes running by after hearing the kibble poured into the food bowl and are somewhat pleasant to look at as you are listening to and admiring your speakers.
The hollow steel stands caught my eye because you can weigh them down, run cords down the tubes for a "cleaner" look and if you're into DIY type stuff, you could paint them, wrap them in fabric matching the room etc... Endless ways to customize them, while having the core be steel, not sure how they would do with little humans or tail waggers tho!
I found some adjustable, side clamping speaker stands at a yard sale but they were missing the feet. I got some black rubber stoppers from Ace and screwed them on to the bottom of the stands. About $8.🖖🏼
Good review. My favorite stands for bookshelf desktop and computer speakers are Audioengine's DS1 and DS2 stands. They are wedge type stands made of a beefy rubberized material, and do a good job.
I use the Monoprice Elements Speaker Stand - 23 Inch (Pair) about $59.00 for a pair. Puts the Klipsch RP-600M at a good height for listening while sitting on my couch. They have a notch top and bottom for cables so not gonna work with infill unless you put the infill in a plastic bag.
I bought an $18 walnut / metal computer monitor stand, for my computer desk, to put a pair of SSCS5's on. I covered the bottom of the stand, including on the stands where they connect, in car audio sound deadener (Amazon Basics brand) I happened to have on-hand. I then cut some good old foam mouse pad to size for the speaker cabinets to sit on. There is no resonance from the stand or transference to my desk. I also have room under the stand for my amp and tube pre-amp as well as heat shielding from the sound deadener.
Monolith 28" for Elac DBR62s. Very sturdy and easy to assemble (comes with the necessary tool). Haven't filled them, but I haven't noticed any resonance. But I can't do very high volume levels or my neighbors will complain.
I used hockey pucks back in the day, 25 years ago when I was a teen. Put them under my speakers to stop the CD from skipping 🤣🤣🤣. I live in Canada, always hockey pucks laying around up here.
I have a pair of the metal Monolith stands. I used coarse ground walnut shells (from Harbor Freight, used for polishing) for damping. Works well enough for damping the ringing while not being heavy like sand. Sand would be almost 50 pounds for the pair, the shells are half that. I also have the cherry Monolith stands, two pairs. It has taken some force to get two of the four together. Not as heavy as the steel Monolith stands, but sure look nice.
And that's what I have. 😅 As sqare stool, 2 yoga blocks mounted to a plate and some isolation knobs under the speaker. all painted in the wall colour, so they really blend in.
I have those exact ones. My Hsu Bookshelf speakers sit atop. My Hsu VTF2 pairs very well. But the stands, I place a silicone pad between the speaker and stand.
Great video, Randy. If you're lucky, you can find great speaker stands at a Goodwill store, especially one located near a fancy neighborhood. Wealthy folks tend to donate really nice stuff, in very good condition. I bought stands in all different heights, and from $5 to $10 a pair!
For deadening material in both my old Paradigm speaker stands and British Sound Organization equipment stands, I used a granulated glass sandblasting media. Much denser than kitty litter.
I used a couple of hockey pucks to temporarily raise my living room soundbar so it wasn't blocking a sensor. They worked so well I just left them in place.
Hockey pucks. I have wooden floors that make it necessary to isolate my subwwoofers from the floor. I use two hockey pucks on each foot to raise them. The bottom puck is a soft puck and the top is a black hard puck. The soft puck seems to better decouple the speaker from the floor
I got a set of Dr Pro speaker stands from Guitar Center on Clearance for $89.99. Usually they are $149.99 so it was a smacking deal in my book. I had no quality issues with my set. Fit/finish was solid and clean. I filled them with sand I got from the local pet store on the cheap at like $10 for 10 lbs. My new Klipsch Sevens fit on them exceptionally well. Just about a finger digits length front and back hanging off. To be honest I want a pair of the ones Andrew Robinson uses. Even though those bad boys go for about half the cost of the Klipsch Sevens!
No room for stands in my setup, so I went with isolation studs and insulated metal floor pucks that fix in position the pointed studs. About $20 for a set of 8, to my recollection. I stacked adhesive cork to the base of each metal puck to further isolate from the tiled floor. The studs required installation to the corners of each speaker box base, drilled and glued the metal sockets for each stud. Studs are adjustable so that I could position the speakers with a slight upward elevation, facing forward. Haven't considered the hockey pucks...but this one could be even better...with the existing studs. I supposed I would drill a small center point in each puck to fix the stud point position.
I’m getting a new RSL subwoofer 10s MK II soon. I have a desktop system and place the sub below. I don’t want my next subwoofer aiming at my ankles. I’m purchasing an On Stage RS4000 guitar amplifier stand to offer stability and tilt. I wonder how much the tilt can raise the soundstage and height of bass? Something for me to determine.
My company sells 4" diameter neoprene pads used for compression testing concrete cylinders in 50, 60, and 70 durometer. I use them under my SVS sub and other items, about $8 each, works like a charm 👌
I bought the thick, cheap, MDF shelves at Menards and cut them to make custom height stands for my Monitor Audio Bronze 100s. They are kept on them with blutack. Somebody like 18-22" high? Keeps the speakers under the bottom edge of my projector screen and tweeters at a good height for the couch.
New to your channel my main man and Off topic but I think I see my old Sansui QRX-5500 Quad Receiver glowing in the background, maybe not, but it was hard to miss :)...had it paired simultaneously (if wanted) with an Onkyo AVR TX and the Sansui Quad turntable, SACD, 2 Equalizers. HaHa I could run all sources through both same time. A Frankenzilla System. The OUtlaws "Lady in Waiting CD4 LP and others sounded amazing. Moved into a smaller place and had to part (wife said) Thanks for the outstanding content Hard Charger! Appreciated!
Hey Randy I hope that you can help me,,,I can't do the bluetooth thing, so how about the oldfashioned wired and cable powered amps and pre amps...originally I bought the Q4 headphone amp and the BT30D bluetooth amp. Do Fosi, or hey maybe Douk, or Aiyima have some equivalent that 's not bluetooth?
Instead of using sand/gravel to fill my Monolith stands, I found acoustic foam on Amazon that came in 24" high sheets and was 1" thick. I cut the foam into a 2.5" strip and folded it into a semi-circle and slid it into the tube. One sheet will do multiple pairs of stands. Opposed to the stands Randy is showing, I got the black smoked glass very that has great carpet spikes.
Was it like $25? That’s all I can find similar to what I’m thinking you’re describing. I have zero interest in putting sand or rock in mine but they definitely need something. Foam would be preferred! Thanks!
I got the Rockville speaker stands for $79 for my front surround bookshelves. They’re wood grain with black. They look very nice. I filled them with sand and they could hold very heavy speakers. I love ‘em
I also use the Rockville stands in white. I use Self Adhesive Isolation Feet - Set of 20 0.75"Silicone Hemisphere Bumper Sound Dampening Rubber Pad for Speakers. Amazon $9 for 20 of them. Good isolation and no slipping.also protects the bottom of the speaker!
Pangea stands look a lot like the steel monolith stands, but without the rust and with better fit and finish. Easy to fill with sand with a solo cup and a small funnel.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the IsoAcoustics in action at a HI-FI Show. I can say that it really works and I'm not an expert, but I could tell the difference. If you're thinking of buying one, I think it's a good idea to test it on your speakers first. At the moment I don't use any on my desktop, but I'm also happy with what I hear.
Rockville monitor stands, they come with rubber feet and spikes for carpet. Fill with lead wheel weights and sand. I use high density foam wedges also to get the correct angle. Under $100 a pair
I got a couple of speaker stands due to keeping my speakers off the floor. I have a couple of vintage sets (AVID 102 and restored Sansui SP-1000) and the sound is noticeably different after raising them.
I’d like to see stands like those for the KLH 5 offered for the Lintons. The Wharfedale is narrower than the 5 and wider than the 3. A 12” wide wooden, tilted stand would be great.
Randy, love the channel. Here's a review suggestion: BIC America F12. Best performing and hands down best looking entry-level sub. Wait, no, I'm sure it will spec out as just another ported black cube, but it's not. They have raised the price quite a bit since I bought mine, but I own three of these things and swear by them. They really should be on anyone's cheap audio list. No chuffing, no clipping, just much deeper bass than you expect for the money. Check it out.
2 Sterilite 3 drawer carts found at yard sale for 5 bucks topped with shelves form old shelf I had and 1/2 inch cork pads. Ultra cheap and extra storage to bootand woks great for my Q 150s
I was gonna do a DIY but recently stumbled on US based Rockville Pro-Audio and got heavy wood SS stands that were a good solution with 3 different speakers. Added some Sorbothane and sounds no different than my metal stands with sand costing 2x more.
Wow, Rockville Pro-Audio has a decent selection of fairly inexpensive speaker stands. Thanks for sharing! Maybe @cheapaudioman Randy can check it out and add the link?
I heard resonance once when my subwoofer next to a wall-mounted CD cabinet made it rattle (and I wasn't playing the sub loud). However, while I can feel resonance in regular speakers and objects near them, I don't hear it. Fortunate, because I doubt there's a realistic way to totally stop it.
Measure the thread count/pitch/depth on your stand's screw in spikes and install threaded casters with hard rubber wheels. Home stores have boards to try to ascertain the size.
I just received some spring tensioned speaker de-coupler placed under my speaker stands. My goal was to reduce my desktop from shaking my tube amp and my desk in general. I'm waiting on isolation spike pads to go underneath my speakers themselves. Those will replace my Iso-acoustic sorbothane with the spike pads style because I see them being more effective. I plan to use my sorbothane as a center support of my speakers and stands. So far, with the springs, my desktop vibrations has reduced immensely.
I repurposed my sorbothane and fit them under my tube amp and distributor box. Try that! I do not feel any vibration on my amp. I feel that any vibration is a distortion of sound.
I use a pair of landscape pavers under each speaker on my desktop to raise their tweeters up to ear level. They are perfectly inert with zero resonance, I could select a combination for the right height, and in a brown color and slight trapezoid shape, they aren’t outright ugly like a gray concrete block would be. At $1.50 each, $6 for the full set, I have speaker stands that are a small fraction of the price of the ones that you are mentioning that are 100% as functional, if not better.
I grabbed the Q Acoustic stands for my 3030i, the next week I grabbed a pair of Dali Oberon 9 full frequency range floor standing speakers. I have yet to try out my 3030i with the official stands. 😂 it has been over two years… I need to get my ass in gear.
I recently bought an Isoacoustic Aperta Sub and wow! It made a lot of difference. It seems like i bought a new subwoofer. I love it though its not cheap but i think its worth it. Try looking around and be friendly to the sales person as sometimes they will give you an employee discount, it’s possible as it happened to me. 😄
I wonder if people who notice a difference after adding isolation pads or similar, also alter the height of the speaker. Even a small change in speaker height will likely affect the sound much more than reduced resonances. So in order to properly evaluate the benefit from isolation, you would need to keep the speakers at the same height. Many people ignore the effect of speaker placement and spend tons of money to make a lot smaller changes than what could be made from just moving the speakers a bit.
i bought 2 sets of the monolith cherry wood speaker stands, a set for the living room and the other for the bedroom, expensive and don't work any better than anything else you could use, but they look nice :) a product that i like is monosaudio speaker isolation feet (amazon), made for speakers, but i use them between components. what's nice about them is with existing holes in their center and supplied hardware they can be permanently attached to components as feet /isolators. love the channel, all my dacs, amps and speakers have been purchased through your recommendations ; )
Sand makes a good damping / mass loading material to fill speaker stands with. The top and bottom plate sizes are important - the top plate needs to be close to the footprint of the speaker.
amzn.to/3ytncNX walnut with Eximus
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Desk top
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As an audiophile purist, I use 2 eunuchs to hold my speakers, because these are 100% neutral.
Plus, I know my wife is safe when I'm not home.
Tell me your a Mel brooks fan without telling me your a Mel brooks fan
@@Durkhead I've been accused of being Abby Normal.
A funny thing happened in the way too the forum. You'll never learn you'll always be a eunuch
What shoe size are your stands equipped with?
@@jdm-uk-yank Genuine eunuchs don't have shoes. If yours do, then they are likely counterfeit and you need to check under the toga. I think there's a mod for that though, so no need to return them.
The appropriate height stands for the listening position is a big deal and definitely worth a bit of discussion.
Best practice for speaker placement is a *shockingly* under-addressed topic among YT audio reviewers. There's a guy somewhere in Iowa who puts five-figure-price-tag systems against a cinder block wall in his basement. There's a husband and wife who audition everything with the speakers straddling a TV stand. One of the most well-known guys in the space auditions powered bookshelf speakers by putting them on top of a floor-standing pair of speakers, which are in turn backed hard up against a pair of Federalist-era eight-pane glass windows. Which I'm sure don't rattle even the tiniest little bit.
I bought a couple of cheap stands (~$60/pair) off of Amazon a while back that I’ve modded the crap out of. Replaced the original steel platforms with MDF, sawed the center support down to the right height, repainted the glass bases, filled the center steel support with sand, added isolation footers, added isolation foam between the speakers and platforms. The best thing about these stands is that since they were cheap, I could afford to take risks with modification experiments. To get anything noticeably better, I’d have to spend $500+, and that would be more for aesthetic improvements rather than audible ones.
So nice of you to give us your very valuable opinion on these speaker stands that you haven't even seen irl. Very appreciated.
Depending on your gear and type of listening, stands are almost necessary for bookshelf speakers in my opinion. They could very well be DIY though. I will say that when I tried Iso-Acoustic pucks between my speakers and the stands I felt their was a clear difference. To me the biggest phenomenon was being able to play the speakers at higher volume while still keeping perfect clarity. I was momentarily mind blown 🤯
Love my monolith stands. I have a pare of Emotiva B1+ bookshelves on those. Got those because Randy said they were a great deal over a couple years ago and always smile when I walk past them. For me they were the perfect height for rear surrounds and did not break the bank, but have that premium look. Thanks Randy.
im using iso-acoustic gaia iii, isolation (might be considered a puck), first speaker i used it on was my polk sda 1B speakers that i refurbished myself. the gaia iii cleaned up the sound considerably. On my next speakers, the Spatial Audio hologram M3 Triode Master open baffle speakers. the isolation works well with these! I'm very happy with the results!
JUST got myself some stands last monday for my JBL Stage A130's and the difference between the stands and the table they were sitting on was monumental and an absolute no doubter. I'm new to the audiophile landscape so sometimes I find myself searching for things often talked about, for instance sound stage and imaging. With the speakers set on the stands I finally got a taste of what that means!
What stands did you go with? Thank you!!!
What amp do you run with the stage a130? They are fun but i really love how they look so I give them plus points for that
Glad to hear you could really hear a difference. I'm curious if the new stands changed the placement of your A130's in the room? Wondering what you think was the predominant factor that enabled the stands to make such a noticeable improvement to the speaker sound in your space? Thanks!
@@eddents it was probably due to getting them away from walls and furniture that would further accentuate the resonances of this speaker. I really like this speaker, but it is fairly resonant (cabinet) at moderate to higher volumes
Good, useful information explained in a natural, sane way! And won't break the budget!
Very good product knowledge video as usual. Back in the 80's I was an audio salesman. When I would set up the sound room all the smaller speakers would be eye level while the largest speakers would be a foot or so off the floors. Rack systems were floor level. The Bose 901's were my least favorite. They required a dedicated EQ and it was a muddy sound.
Fun fact: Any tubular style of speaker stand, designed with the intention of using (one of) the tubes as a cable chase, can *also* be ballasted. Just plug the bottom cable hole from the inside and you're stylin. I've got a friend who, when we were in college, ran his speaker cables through the tube and then ballasted around the speaker cables. I'm less sure how I feel about that, but he proves that it's doable.
No hockey pucks for me, did DIY some stands with some old wooden beams and some plywood I still had. The feet underneath are those simple spikes with the tiny cups that they sit in. Stands are bolted to the speakers using the mounting holes where I previously had those same feet. Had some veneer leftover from the speaker build so they are finished in the same style :). Sonic improvement is definately there. Could be tweeters that are now at ear level, less reflections from the desk, added mass from the stands or combination of it all!
Monoprice also has a stand with a larger top plate too if anyone's like me with big bookshelf's (Swans M300 MK2), I bought some garnet sand shipped from Home Depot which is heavier than regular play sand(silica/quarts) and cat litter but not as expensive as metal fillers and the sound difference is night and day.
Great vid, Randy. This was great!
I bought the Monoprice stands for my Polk bookshelf speakers and love them! They are very sturdy and look great!
Great video. Just ordered a pair of isoacoustic stands for my desktop system.
I’ve been searching for stands but like most modern hifi gear I have t been able to find any that I find aesthetically pleasing.
Exercise matt 1/2 thick, cut to the size you like. I use it under my KEF speakers and also under my subwoofer. You can use sand to fill in the speaker stands. Good job as always. 👍
I use adhesive-backed edge guard under my speaker feet, tripled.
I use yoga blocks for my desktop Uni-Fi 2.0. The foam blocks. Been wanting to try a pair of cork blocks but I haven't gotten around to buying those yet. Highly recommend!!! Great topic Randy! 👍👍👍
I'm using cork yoga blocks. Sounds good to me! I tried foam blocks, but I couldn't take the smell. Left them out in the garage for a year or two and they lost that smell,
Loving the Kenwood in the background.
Thanks for the review and perspectives. Not the most engaging subject, but stands have their place and purpose.
I got that first set of Monolith stands in December. I chose them over similarly priced options because reviews seemed more positive and they have a higher weight limit than most other inexpensive options. They're very stable and reasonably heavy without being filled. The one complaint I have is that they only came with carpet spikes and nothing for hardwood floors, but that was easily remedied. I also think they look good and will integrate well with most speakers and rooms.
what was the remedy. I just picked up a pair myself but haven't set them up yet. Planning to do it next week but they will be placed on hard wood floors.
I made my own speaker stands using concrete deck blocks, cinder blocks, high strength epoxy, paint, fairy lights, plexiglass and rubber furniture feet. Each stand weighs in around 100 lbs and the isolation is excellent! The project took about 4-5 days, most of that was waiting on paint and epoxy to dry, and cost me about $80-$90. I get compliments on them all the time and the performance is excellent. When I move this summer I'm going to sell these and build another set but refine it a little further maybe with wood veneer instead of paint, plug-in lighting instead of battery powered fairy lights and maybe an isolated platform on top depending on the height I need at the new spot. I live in a studio and built them indoors so you don't need a workshop or any fancy tools besides a plexiglass blade. I bought everything except the plexiglass at the local Ace Hardware.
The heavier, the better. I have super heavy-duty Target stands, each of which is loaded with 45lbs. of sand. The icing on the cake is spiking them to the floor. Really tightened up the bass!
Yeah, I've used cider blocks (painted black) for years. Usually get them for free if you keep your eyes open.
I needed something not only attractive but that also looked good with a vintage system. I settled on some walnut kid’s stools from Amazon, about $40 a piece. They are a tiny bit low at about 13” but I listen on my low sofa, so it works. They almost exactly match the wood color of the Dynaco A25’s and have brass feet, similar to the nameplate. For isolation and safety the speakers are stuck on with a bunch of blue tack as I didn’t want to drill into them. I’m sure I there’s something out there I could do for slightly better sound but this is a good compromise for me.
I bought some monolith stands per your recommendation in a past video and i don't regret it. They are heavy duty and they work great. Thanks for the tip, Randy!
Square stone trivets between the speaker and stand/desk/console will greatly improve isolation as well. If you stack two of them, even better. They usually have cork bottoms, so you're creating different layers of density to isolate the speakers. They usually weigh 3-5 lbs each, so be mindful of that.
I used granite tiles for my own setup, to decouple the speakers from my desk. Silicone feet under the first tile, then sorbothane feet under the second tile, and another set of silicone feet under the speakers. Lets me change toe-in angle without issue and basically eliminates any vibration from the speaker cabinet itself being transferred into the desktop.
Most speaker stands I've come across have a top plate that is too small for the speakers I've owned.
I was a speaker stand denier too. Thanks for the video 😊
I don't know how accessible NorStone products in US and Canada but in Europe they are very popular. I have a pair of them and the pair of them works pretty well. All metal, adjustable spikes, hidden cables.... really good. The NorStone Stylum 2 is nearly perfect. Good height, various colors and they can hold 50 kg per stand... so it's ideal for even bigger bookshelf speakers. I really dig them. Makes a difference in sound.
Speaker stands are one of the few areas where you can get creative, like bar stools. I bought two pairs of unfinished solid wood plant stands from Hoot Judkins 25 years ago. Strong enough to sit on. I also bought a pair of what I believe to be Paradigm metal stands at a thrift store for $19. Super heavy and welded together. Garage sales might be a good place to stumble upon some "creative" speaker stands. And Froot Loops belong in a bowl, NOT a speaker stand.
I have the Monolith 28in ones I filled with sand. They’re beautiful stands( very heavy with the sand), but I took it one step further for looks. I got some black construction paper and cut about a 2 1/2 in width and run it on the backside the whole height of the stands. Takes away that gap in the center and really looks nice. Gives the stands a whole new look. I noticed if you looked at them from an angle you didn’t see the gap. That center gap opening was bugging the hell out of me.
I’m in the process of building tall speaker stands for my loudspeakers. Have a bunch of great lumber and making use of it. 🤞 I’m not a carpenter but I have some power tools and RUclips.
Great topic Randy. Most ready made "affordable" speaker stands don't vary much beyond the black metal "style". Thanks for sharing these choices with some modicum of wood involved in the design. Wood (or even faux wood) has a more appealing look to me in general than just all metal, but on its own, fails being heavy enough to prove reasonably stable. Sadly, most stands will have trouble handling the happy swipes of wagging rear end and tail from an 70lb Labrador or the inquisitive hands of very young humans, which can be reason enough many stand mounts end up on bookshelves. I think the viewers here are commenting with some interesting and useful modifications of store bought stands to beef them up or enhance their appearance. Great ideas to consider. I recently stumbled across some super inexpensive, compact end tables ( flat pack mail order) that were available in two different heights perfect for stand mounts. Made from laminated MDF and plastic, on their own they're too light, but with modifications like using a patio paver or two on the bottom shelf for ballast (painted first with stone textured spray paint) and filling the hollow plastic corner posts with sand if you're so inclined, they become significantly weighted stands suitable to sit a speaker on. And because they have one or two lower shelves, they can accommodate curio items for display (or a plant?) which makes them a bit more decorous for other members of the household (so they're not just serving as "speaker stands".) Sometimes this can help convince other household members to be OK that you want your speakers "off the wall" and set a foot or three into the room. What I've read about coupling or decoupling speakers is sometimes confusing about the final end goal. I ended up with the idea that in a world ruled by Star Wars & Star Trek technology, you'd want a speaker that could be fully immobilized floating in space at the right height off the floor. It would be completely decoupled from the floor and yet would not move so much as a micron as the drivers are firing. So much for that perfection. For us humanoids, we'll settle for stands that we can use to locate the speakers into the room a little, the dog won't knock over when it comes running by after hearing the kibble poured into the food bowl and are somewhat pleasant to look at as you are listening to and admiring your speakers.
The hollow steel stands caught my eye because you can weigh them down, run cords down the tubes for a "cleaner" look and if you're into DIY type stuff, you could paint them, wrap them in fabric matching the room etc... Endless ways to customize them, while having the core be steel, not sure how they would do with little humans or tail waggers tho!
Thank you those Monoprice look good for my coming B&W 705 S2.
I have used IsoAcoustics Iso-stand series for a lot of years on my desk. They work really well!
I found some adjustable, side clamping speaker stands at a yard sale but they were missing the feet. I got some black rubber stoppers from Ace and screwed them on to the bottom of the stands. About $8.🖖🏼
Good review. My favorite stands for bookshelf desktop and computer speakers are Audioengine's DS1 and DS2 stands. They are wedge type stands made of a beefy rubberized material, and do a good job.
I have the Monolith 28” stands filled with medium sandblast media from Tractor Supply. Works like a charm and it’s cheap.
I use the Monoprice Elements Speaker Stand - 23 Inch (Pair) about $59.00 for a pair. Puts the Klipsch RP-600M at a good height for listening while sitting on my couch. They have a notch top and bottom for cables so not gonna work with infill unless you put the infill in a plastic bag.
I bought an $18 walnut / metal computer monitor stand, for my computer desk, to put a pair of SSCS5's on. I covered the bottom of the stand, including on the stands where they connect, in car audio sound deadener (Amazon Basics brand) I happened to have on-hand. I then cut some good old foam mouse pad to size for the speaker cabinets to sit on. There is no resonance from the stand or transference to my desk. I also have room under the stand for my amp and tube pre-amp as well as heat shielding from the sound deadener.
Monolith 28" for Elac DBR62s. Very sturdy and easy to assemble (comes with the necessary tool). Haven't filled them, but I haven't noticed any resonance. But I can't do very high volume levels or my neighbors will complain.
I used hockey pucks back in the day, 25 years ago when I was a teen. Put them under my speakers to stop the CD from skipping 🤣🤣🤣. I live in Canada, always hockey pucks laying around up here.
I have a pair of the metal Monolith stands. I used coarse ground walnut shells (from Harbor Freight, used for polishing) for damping. Works well enough for damping the ringing while not being heavy like sand. Sand would be almost 50 pounds for the pair, the shells are half that. I also have the cherry Monolith stands, two pairs. It has taken some force to get two of the four together. Not as heavy as the steel Monolith stands, but sure look nice.
Another option for desktop (or for raising up/decoupling speakers on stands) is yoga blocks.
And that's what I have. 😅 As sqare stool, 2 yoga blocks mounted to a plate and some isolation knobs under the speaker. all painted in the wall colour, so they really blend in.
I have those exact ones. My Hsu Bookshelf speakers sit atop. My Hsu VTF2 pairs very well. But the stands, I place a silicone pad between the speaker and stand.
The foam wedges can be useful for GP speaker setup. Currently have some under my RP600s in the living room on the 24" monolith metal stands.
For a desktop setup, even the Kanto stands are pretty good (S4 and S6).
I have the S6 for my Wharfedale 12.1 and they are great.
Great video, Randy. If you're lucky, you can find great speaker stands at a Goodwill store, especially one located near a fancy neighborhood. Wealthy folks tend to donate really nice stuff, in very good condition. I bought stands in all different heights, and from $5 to $10 a pair!
You can also use the gel "drum damper pads" that come with Buchardt speaker stands. 🥁
They work really well from my experience. 😎
The most well known brand is Moon Gel.
The hockey pucks are great went to school for audio. They said when a building a studio a great way to make a floating floor is with hockey pucks.
Fill the metal Monolith stands with dry sand and enjoy audio bliss 😎
For deadening material in both my old Paradigm speaker stands and British Sound Organization equipment stands, I used a granulated glass sandblasting media. Much denser than kitty litter.
Can you recommend an audiophile quality seam sealer to keep the pudding from leaking?
I used a couple of hockey pucks to temporarily raise my living room soundbar so it wasn't blocking a sensor. They worked so well I just left them in place.
Hockey pucks. I have wooden floors that make it necessary to isolate my subwwoofers from the floor. I use two hockey pucks on each foot to raise them. The bottom puck is a soft puck and the top is a black hard puck. The soft puck seems to better decouple the speaker from the floor
I got a set of Dr Pro speaker stands from Guitar Center on Clearance for $89.99.
Usually they are $149.99 so it was a smacking deal in my book. I had no quality issues with my set. Fit/finish was solid and clean.
I filled them with sand I got from the local pet store on the cheap at like $10 for 10 lbs.
My new Klipsch Sevens fit on them exceptionally well. Just about a finger digits length front and back hanging off.
To be honest I want a pair of the ones Andrew Robinson uses. Even though those bad boys go for about half the cost of the Klipsch Sevens!
No room for stands in my setup, so I went with isolation studs and insulated metal floor pucks that fix in position the pointed studs. About $20 for a set of 8, to my recollection. I stacked adhesive cork to the base of each metal puck to further isolate from the tiled floor. The studs required installation to the corners of each speaker box base, drilled and glued the metal sockets for each stud. Studs are adjustable so that I could position the speakers with a slight upward elevation, facing forward.
Haven't considered the hockey pucks...but this one could be even better...with the existing studs. I supposed I would drill a small center point in each puck to fix the stud point position.
I’m getting a new RSL subwoofer 10s MK II soon.
I have a desktop system and place the sub below.
I don’t want my next subwoofer aiming at my ankles.
I’m purchasing an On Stage RS4000 guitar amplifier stand to offer stability and tilt.
I wonder how much the tilt can raise the soundstage and height of bass?
Something for me to determine.
the Isoacoustic pucks are even better.
I agree
So much money lol
Yeah had to get the Hopwell desktop stands.Need that ear level for monitoring stereo mix recordings and desktop space issues.🗽🎧📼
My company sells 4" diameter neoprene pads used for compression testing concrete cylinders in 50, 60, and 70 durometer. I use them under my SVS sub and other items, about $8 each, works like a charm 👌
I bought the thick, cheap, MDF shelves at Menards and cut them to make custom height stands for my Monitor Audio Bronze 100s. They are kept on them with blutack. Somebody like 18-22" high? Keeps the speakers under the bottom edge of my projector screen and tweeters at a good height for the couch.
Love the heavy metal sanus and monoprice stands. Filled them all with sand. It took the ringing out them
New to your channel my main man and Off topic but I think I see my old Sansui QRX-5500 Quad Receiver glowing in the background, maybe not, but it was hard to miss :)...had it paired simultaneously (if wanted) with an Onkyo AVR TX and the Sansui Quad turntable, SACD, 2 Equalizers. HaHa I could run all sources through both same time. A Frankenzilla System. The OUtlaws "Lady in Waiting CD4 LP and others sounded amazing. Moved into a smaller place and had to part (wife said)
Thanks for the outstanding content Hard Charger! Appreciated!
Oh wow! That Marantz behind you is such a flex. I want one.
Hey Randy I hope that you can help me,,,I can't do the bluetooth thing, so how about the oldfashioned wired and cable powered amps and pre amps...originally I bought the Q4 headphone amp and the BT30D bluetooth amp. Do Fosi, or hey maybe Douk, or Aiyima have some equivalent that 's not bluetooth?
Instead of using sand/gravel to fill my Monolith stands, I found acoustic foam on Amazon that came in 24" high sheets and was 1" thick. I cut the foam into a 2.5" strip and folded it into a semi-circle and slid it into the tube. One sheet will do multiple pairs of stands. Opposed to the stands Randy is showing, I got the black smoked glass very that has great carpet spikes.
Was it like $25? That’s all I can find similar to what I’m thinking you’re describing. I have zero interest in putting sand or rock in mine but they definitely need something. Foam would be preferred! Thanks!
I got the Rockville speaker stands for $79 for my front surround bookshelves. They’re wood grain with black. They look very nice. I filled them with sand and they could hold very heavy speakers. I love ‘em
I also use the Rockville stands in white. I use Self Adhesive Isolation Feet - Set of 20 0.75"Silicone Hemisphere Bumper Sound Dampening Rubber Pad for Speakers. Amazon $9 for 20 of them. Good isolation and no slipping.also protects the bottom of the speaker!
I have the same stands and I also filled them with sand, no complains at all and Made in The USA!
Pangea stands look a lot like the steel monolith stands, but without the rust and with better fit and finish. Easy to fill with sand with a solo cup and a small funnel.
I use angled foam blocks on my desk. I can verify that the isolation is very helpful. I assume stands do similar things.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the IsoAcoustics in action at a HI-FI Show. I can say that it really works and I'm not an expert, but I could tell the difference. If you're thinking of buying one, I think it's a good idea to test it on your speakers first. At the moment I don't use any on my desktop, but I'm also happy with what I hear.
To eliminate resonance from metal on metal contact just get an old inner tube and cut the appropriate size "patch" to fit between the metal pieces.
Rockville monitor stands, they come with rubber feet and spikes for carpet. Fill with lead wheel weights and sand. I use high density foam wedges also to get the correct angle. Under $100 a pair
Lol the Van Damme speaker stand pose 😆
I got a couple of speaker stands due to keeping my speakers off the floor. I have a couple of vintage sets (AVID 102 and restored Sansui SP-1000) and the sound is noticeably different after raising them.
I'm leaning towards the monolith speaker stands for my klipsch r51pm
My favorite speaker stands are still the Polk T15 speakers.
I’d like to see stands like those for the KLH 5 offered for the Lintons. The Wharfedale is narrower than the 5 and wider than the 3. A 12” wide wooden, tilted stand would be great.
Randy, love the channel. Here's a review suggestion: BIC America F12. Best performing and hands down best looking entry-level sub. Wait, no, I'm sure it will spec out as just another ported black cube, but it's not. They have raised the price quite a bit since I bought mine, but I own three of these things and swear by them. They really should be on anyone's cheap audio list. No chuffing, no clipping, just much deeper bass than you expect for the money. Check it out.
2 Sterilite 3 drawer carts found at yard sale for 5 bucks topped with shelves form old shelf I had and 1/2 inch cork pads. Ultra cheap and extra storage to bootand woks great for my Q 150s
I was gonna do a DIY but recently stumbled on US based Rockville Pro-Audio and got heavy wood SS stands that were a good solution with 3 different speakers. Added some Sorbothane and sounds no different than my metal stands with sand costing 2x more.
Wow, Rockville Pro-Audio has a decent selection of fairly inexpensive speaker stands. Thanks for sharing! Maybe @cheapaudioman Randy can check it out and add the link?
I heard resonance once when my subwoofer next to a wall-mounted CD cabinet made it rattle (and I wasn't playing the sub loud). However, while I can feel resonance in regular speakers and objects near them, I don't hear it. Fortunate, because I doubt there's a realistic way to totally stop it.
Measure the thread count/pitch/depth on your stand's screw in spikes and install threaded casters with hard rubber wheels. Home stores have boards to try to ascertain the size.
I am going to weld my own together soon I think
foam yoga blocks are great for desktop
Is it plausible to use foam on the desk then the isoacoustics for a extra layer, or will the foam suck the energy of it ?
I just received some spring tensioned speaker de-coupler placed under my speaker stands. My goal was to reduce my desktop from shaking my tube amp and my desk in general. I'm waiting on isolation spike pads to go underneath my speakers themselves. Those will replace my Iso-acoustic sorbothane with the spike pads style because I see them being more effective. I plan to use my sorbothane as a center support of my speakers and stands.
So far, with the springs, my desktop vibrations has reduced immensely.
I had to reduce the spring tension in order to work more effectively. There are 7 springs that come with my pads. I removed three of them.
I repurposed my sorbothane and fit them under my tube amp and distributor box. Try that!
I do not feel any vibration on my amp. I feel that any vibration is a distortion of sound.
I've been looking for some stands for my jbl 100 classics to get them up higher than the small factory ones
Isolation definitely makes a difference, I have foam Isolation pads that are usually used in recording studios and they are great.
I use a pair of landscape pavers under each speaker on my desktop to raise their tweeters up to ear level. They are perfectly inert with zero resonance, I could select a combination for the right height, and in a brown color and slight trapezoid shape, they aren’t outright ugly like a gray concrete block would be.
At $1.50 each, $6 for the full set, I have speaker stands that are a small fraction of the price of the ones that you are mentioning that are 100% as functional, if not better.
I grabbed the Q Acoustic stands for my 3030i, the next week I grabbed a pair of Dali Oberon 9 full frequency range floor standing speakers. I have yet to try out my 3030i with the official stands. 😂 it has been over two years… I need to get my ass in gear.
4:19 that just makes your speakers look like they're taking a stroll
I recently bought an Isoacoustic Aperta Sub and wow! It made a lot of difference. It seems like i bought a new subwoofer. I love it though its not cheap but i think its worth it. Try looking around and be friendly to the sales person as sometimes they will give you an employee discount, it’s possible as it happened to me. 😄
What about DIY speaker stands? Any methods or recommendations?
I used rolls of bounty paper towels. Not the best looking but definitely works when you need something.
I wonder if people who notice a difference after adding isolation pads or similar, also alter the height of the speaker. Even a small change in speaker height will likely affect the sound much more than reduced resonances. So in order to properly evaluate the benefit from isolation, you would need to keep the speakers at the same height. Many people ignore the effect of speaker placement and spend tons of money to make a lot smaller changes than what could be made from just moving the speakers a bit.
16 inch cinder blocks for large bookshelf speakers
i bought 2 sets of the monolith cherry wood speaker stands, a set for the living room and the other for the bedroom, expensive and don't work any better than anything else you could use, but they look nice :)
a product that i like is monosaudio speaker isolation feet (amazon), made for speakers, but i use them between components. what's nice about them is with existing holes in their center and supplied hardware they can be permanently attached to components as feet /isolators.
love the channel, all my dacs, amps and speakers have been purchased through your recommendations ; )
I'm looking at the Monosaudio isolation feet for components. But I don't know how firm they are? They also seem kind of small.
@@jeffwalther they're 1 1/2" dia (40mm) and 3/4" tall (20mm), made out of aluminum. each pad can support 200 lbs, so 800lbs for 4.
Sand makes a good damping / mass loading material to fill speaker stands with.
The top and bottom plate sizes are important - the top plate needs to be close to the footprint of the speaker.