Islander Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I was under the impression that micro-movement of the cabinet would slightly smear the mid and high sounds, while the bass would be relatively unaffected. When I added cones to the bottom of my previous bass reflex speakers (55 lbs each), there seemed to be a very slight improvement in midrange clarity, so when I got the La Scalas and joined the forum, I asked about spiking and the general opinion was that the 125 lb LS speakers didn't need it. Now you've got me wondering again. On a related note, when I put my K510/K-69 tweeters on the LS cabinets, they sounded fine, but when I bolted the tweeters to heavy Plexiglas stands sitting on little dome-shaped rubbery feet with pretty small contact patches, the sound seemed to improve in clarity, possibly because the tweeters were much better isolated from any vibration from the bass bins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I guess I'm hedging a bit, and not wanting to disagree with friends. It is intersting to read everyone's responses. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I like the Gripper idea....did it as soon as Andy told me about it. Here is my idea as to why it works...Spikes connect speaker to the floor and transmit vibrations...the Grippers connect speaker to floor and at the same time insulate it from the floor. Just my opinion though...Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Well, here is my take on grippers. They work on smooth surfaced floors! Is it more important that we analyze WHY it works or that we try it and then see THAT it works? Lots of folks drop hundreds of bucks on interconnects and such, but become squeamish and analytical when they hear of a fix that only costs the price of a big mac and fries. "How dare somebody have the audacity to tell us that a five buck fix may improve the performance of a 5,000 buck pair of speakers!!" Go figure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Cornell Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Woah This post just brought back a discussion from a few years ago. I am going to pick some up. Thank you Any for reminding me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmans Robin Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I can't say I've ever seen a speaker, even a little baby one, vibrate so much that it moved. There is no ******* way that a speaker that weighs a couple hundred ******* pounds is going to dance around your room, smooth floors or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Andy, I'm really glad you are back in the neighborhood. I also have to say that the best LaScalas I've ever heard had grippers on the feet. Also, they were custom oak cabs built by Andy and the cabs were built stiffer than factory. Absolutely killer sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi Dee, BTW, who ever ended up with those scalawags?? You can PM me if necessary. Have a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Oh yes. One other thing. If you don't have grippers handy, as long as you've got some weight you could put on top of the cabs, this would enhance the floor coupling impact. It's just physics, right? Nice Scalas, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Now, Dee, that insinuates that I am a fatso or something, LOL! I thought Trey and some of the others were gonna have a heart attack when I sat on that scalawag to show them how strong the miter joints were...LOL Remember this pic?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Is it more important that we analyze WHY it works or that we try it and then see THAT it works? I feel that it is very important to understand why things work, but I guess that's just an engineering perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 OK, Mike, how about this? YOU fork out about five bucks for some grippers, put them on some LaScalas, then on a smooth surfaced floor and then YOU can tell US ALL just WHY (from an engineering perspective) they work, OK? I ain't no engineer, just a poor old speaker builder who tries stuff and uses it when it works. Deal or no deal?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Now, Dee, that insinuates that I am a fatso or something, LOL! I thought Trey and some of the others were gonna have a heart attack when I sat on that scalawag to show them how strong the miter joints were...LOL Remember this pic?? No Andy! Not true! Yes. I do remember the comments on factory built LaScalas are not built for sitting. Almost posted that one. Tell you what, that waterfall oak grain on those doghouses is some of the prettiest I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I think some grippers on our shoes will complete the process and work hand in hand with the grippers under the speakers.....better still...why not just lay the speakers down and super glue some shoes to the bottom of the cabs...lie down and slide into the shoes and there should be optimal coupling...if you want more bass...super glue the shoes on thebass bin end...need more treble and highs...super glue the shoes on the horn side. But hey, some might prefer the backs or sides...tweak away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 OK, Mike, how about this? YOU fork out about five bucks for some grippers, put them on some LaScalas, then on a smooth surfaced floor and then YOU can tell US ALL just WHY (from an engineering perspective) they work, OK? I ain't no engineer, just a poor old speaker builder who tries stuff and uses it when it works. Deal or no deal?? ....and Mike, if you get the chance to do this, it would be very interesting see if this effect can be measured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Measurements would be great. I have no way of accurately measuring my system. All I know is that when I ripped out the carpet under my Khorns and added the grippers, the change is the single best bang for the buck change I have made. Previous to this, I had added a 'top' to the false corner which completely enclosed the bass bin. Some had claimed this would improve bass performance. Sadly, that tweak did nothing in my system. That change cost me over 5 hours in work and over $100 in parts. I subsequently tried the grippers.....now, those did work very, very well. I would think you should be able to measure the change with grippers vs. without. But if you can't, no matter, my ears or my listening environment shows improved performance. The grippers are staying in my Khorns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 OK, Mike, how about this? YOU fork out about five bucks for some grippers, put them on some LaScalas, then on a smooth surfaced floor and then YOU can tell US ALL just WHY (from an engineering perspective) they work, OK? I ain't no engineer, just a poor old speaker builder who tries stuff and uses it when it works. Deal or no deal?? I've already done it on my Chorus II's...though not the specific grippers you mention. I rarely can find flat floors so I rig up 3 of something to prevent the speaker from rocking when you barely touch it. If it's sturdy to the touch, then I don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 ....and Mike, if you get the chance to do this, it would be very interesting see if this effect can be measured. I don't think my measurement microphone has low enough distortion - and I don't think I can find a room quiet enough to produce consistent frequency response measurements, not to mention that moving the speakers as little as a 1/4" can dramatically shift the frequency response. I dunno how to create a control method without an anechoic chamber... Yea, I really think the difference is that small... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Yes. I do remember the comments on factory built LaScalas are not built for sitting. What? I thought one of the selling points of La Scalas was that drunken college girls could dance on them in relative safety. That, plus the fact that they're so big, they're hard to steal. And they sound real good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Is it more important that we analyze WHY it works or that we try it and then see THAT it works? I feel that it is very important to understand why things work, but I guess that's just an engineering perspective. It's not just an engineering perspective; physicists are getting frustrated with theories that work and can be used to predict effects, but don't explain what's really going on. For instance, we can measure the effects of gravity and deal with them, but we really don't know how it does what it does.Science is all about what's under the surface, not about how to lift it or put a coat of paint on it, although that may be all that's needed to get the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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