Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Hi guys I have a pair of Q Accoustics 2050 floor slanders which I'm quite happy with at the moment. They are on a carpeted floor. I was wondering if I should maybe put down some thick accrylic or something else maybe and attach the spike to the speakers. Your thoughts please Thanks Edited September 30, 2014 by Bill125812 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telecine Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Put the spikes on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpearce38 Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I've heard concrete pavers are good if you have wobbly floor, if you have a concrete slab spikes as suggested is the way to go make sure they make a nice big hole in the carpet so the misses notices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Oh she notices everything. But Im not scared. Anyone believe that : - ) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emesbee Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I have VAF DC-X floor standers on a carpeted timber floor. Whatever the sonic benefits (or otherwise), I find that spikes are almost essential in this case for stability, as floor standers tend to be rather top heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telecine Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Oh she notices everything. But Im not scared. Anyone believe that : - ) Tell her that the floorstanders will leave bigger marks on the carpet without spikes. On this occasion, that is actually a true story ; ) Edited September 30, 2014 by Telecine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I have very thick pure wool tufted cut pile(loop pile that is cut in the manufacturing process so one thread becomes two so to speak) in my room and under that I have a quite thick acoustic rated underlay and my lightweight speakers(floorstanders)with spikes on, just make it into the carpet backing and I can hear the spikes making holes in the backing when they are moved which is quite often as I shift my self about the room for ....well enough said. I didn't use the spikes originally because of the hole making process but I've since stopped worrying about it because my lightweights are easily knocked over being tall and thin, the spikes add stability but I'd suggest that is all. There is no decoupling going on, no separation of the speakers in transference. As emsbee has said they get top heavy particularly thin ones, when you upgrade to 802d's your problems will be solved and possibly any on going marital conflict...worth investigation just to check the validity of that last statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Please attach the spikes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaky Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I don't know why, but putting stone or concrete pavers [they have to be one large one under each speaker ] will tighten your bass up, and make them seem faster in bass response. Place the pavers on the carpet, and then spike the speakers and sit them on the pavers. It depends what sort of floor you have, I doubt it would make very little to any difference on a poured concrete slab floor, but for anything else , it is a easily heard difference I think what's happening is that if placing spiked speakers directly into the carpet, the speakers are basically sending any low frequency bass vibration directly into the floor, so exciting any room modes you have to their max. In my experience, when pavers are used, this gives a larger footprint, spreading the intensity of those vibrations and dissipating over the larger area, so generally lowering them. Also allowing the carpet between the floor and paver to decouple them from the room even further. It's a cheap thing to try out, and recommended if you live in a apartment and are using floorstanders, you neighbors will thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Tweaky what your doing is not de coupling, what your doing is providing a firmer footing via the paver/slab and coupling to it via the spikes. Speakers for best efficiency need to stand and deliver ... You cannot decouple otherwise they'd wobble around and all energy will go in that instead of pressurising the air waves.Bass generated by the speaker and things resonate in sympathy. Bass waves will go through walls floors and things vibrate and resonate. If you want to stop that have to use sound proofing and deadening ... That's only thing will keep your neighbours happy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Macfarlane Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Most speakers ,apart from hugely heavy ones are designed to be used with the spikes fitted and the spikes directly into the floorboards or cement floor below the carpet, otherwise they don't work. For floors that are not carpeted ie boards then 'footers' should be placed betwixt spike and boards to prevent damage. Speakers should then be levelled so there is NO rocking and the spike nuts should then be tightened ,gently, with a spanner. To aid 'carpet peircing' the speaker can be rocked side to side and front to back BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO DROP THE SPEAKERS Edited September 30, 2014 by Ozcall 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Place the pavers on the carpet, I'm filing this advice for future arguments and I can see the scene now; me asking for front door to be opened, she asking me where /what am I doing with that large square stone/concrete paver. Somewhere about there I lose the huge hoard of brownie points built up through many sacrifices over many months if not years. Sorry, but it's straight to the sin bin for you I'm afraid for this idea. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 + 1 - spikes for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Well looks like I will have to put up with the eternal Roth of she who must be obeyed and attach the spikes. The carpet is laid on concert so I should be able to get a solid base Will wait till she's out shopping then with stealth do the deed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Just never move them...she'll hear the 'pop' they make as yet another bloody hole goes in her beautiful carpet and then you'll get the frown accompanied by that rare sight of an eyebrow raised and no, she doesn't mean come to bed dear... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Ahhhhh Luc Fond memories. But as you said. Probable won't be the come to bed raised eyebrow. More than likely it would be the your sleeping on the lounge look. But hey, might as well live on the edge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Yup. Were tough buggers aren't we...no woman is gonna put us in our place is she! The edge, yes I peer over it now and again and then look back over my shoulder and whisper" Nope, not just yet. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 I'm my case. I look back over my shoulder to see her grabbing me and whispering. Where the hell do you think your going 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaky Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Spikes fist appeared on speakers stands in the 80's, designed to hold what would of previously have been called "Bookshelf Speakers" think Celestion SL6's , became '"Stand Mount's". The original Celestion SL6 stands didn't come fitted with spikes People were complaining of things like "The Cat jumped up on them and knocked them over" etc, so somebody in HiFi Answers replied saying they had the same problem, and suggested the solution they found was putting spikes at the bottom of the speaker stand to enable a firmer grip into the carpet to stop this happening. A side effect of the spike was also reported, that doing this seemed to improve the amount of bass they could get out of these "Stand Mounts". The flood gates had opened. So as people always like to get something for nothing, many who owned SL6's [They sold huge quantities world wide] tried this, and reported the same bass enhancement. This is way before Home Cinema as we know it now, and as such, way before most people had heard a subwoofer, let alone knew what one was or how to hook one up, so using the small sealed boxed SL6, they had no real appreciation of what good bass should sound like , well until the SL600 and the matching Diapole subwoofer system [sL6000] in 1987. Small speakers on stands sold in there millions worldwide, they still do, mainly due to audiophiles having to appeal to the much dreaded WAF .... everybody would prefer a larger speaker. The aftermarket speaker stand manufacturers found that models without spikes on them weren't selling, so soon all speaker stands had spikes on them, it became a 'Must' if you wanted to sell them. Then a new speaker design started to appear,the slim floorstander speaker, for those who wanted more bass, but didn't take up any more floor space than a stand mount, also designed to appease the WAF. Of course by now everything had to have spikes on it, speakers, stands, equipment racks ..etc So as many HiFi myths have suddenly become truth's without any scientific study, just on the adoption of many with a blanket recommendation, what works for one doesn't mean it will work for you. Ask yourself this. What is the perfect speaker stand? .... Answer is: No stand at all. .... a speaker standing in free space without interacting with anything else in the room. Now ask yourself this. Do you think, mounting a speaker on a stand, or a floorstanding speaker that has spikes piecing through carpet, to bed themselves to the floor and interact with it, adhering to that ideal? I don't, that's why I recommended the paver on the carpet and the speaker on the paver, it's as close to decoupling the speaker to the floor and spreading any vibration coming from the speaker over the largest footprint as you are going to get, short of Vibrapods , sorbothane balls or a Townsend Isolation speaker platform. http://www.townshendaudio.com/hi-fi-home-cinema-equipment-vibration-isolation/hi-fi-home-cinema-vibration-isolation-speaker-platform/ I've used spikes for years, and I used to believe in them, that was until I opened my mind and I tried the most logical route, the total opposite one, and went the decoupling mode. I won't be returning to spikes. Give it a try at least. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Hi Tweaky I'll give your idea a try first. Compare the difference and then make up my mind. Your reasoning sounds good though Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Macfarlane Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Hi Tweaky I'll give your idea a try first. Compare the difference and then make up my mind. Your reasoning sounds good though Cheers Bill , pavers on carpets have a negative impact on sound quality in my experience as the speakers and pavers still wobble on the carpet. I have experimented with pavers myself and found that the sound lacked precision and definition particularly in the bass region. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Make a plinth and use spikes to go through the carpet and couple to the hard floor . If you can find feet that will decouple the speaker from the plinth and floor and place these between the plinth and speaker . Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Hi Malcom I have looked at vibrapods page enough to support my speakers on a plinth. Good idea. Nothing I might have a project for the long weekend Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregWormald Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 My trials convinced me that spikes were the best. No speaker rocking, less vibration, and better clarity--especially the bass. The holes the spikes make in carpet are quite small and if you have to move the speakers later my experience tells me that a quick squirt with a bit of water on the fibres around the hole and then a brush/vacuum removes all evidence. This is not so when the evidence is a compressed area of carpet somewhere close to a square foot (before metric measures). Greg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill125812 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Hi Greg. I have attached the spikes this afternoon. The carpet doesn't actually touch the base of the speakers as its a short pile wool carpet. Now for the listening test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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