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Isolation spikes or cones on wood flooring


Glad-2B

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History:

I have 2 La Scala Floor speakers on a nice wood flooring in my Living Room. The sound coming out sounded like it was resonating from the wood to wood contact. I put little rubber feet (the wood and rubber air conditioner isolation pads actually) at each corner of the speaker to isolate the speakers...it sounded better but still resonated. I then put little cut up carpet samples under each speaker and it appeared to sound even better...so that is where its at right now.

OK, I want to get the best sound and I was told by a audiophile brother that I should buy isolation spikes for the best performance. So, I researched it and there are tons of stuff to pick up your speakers / amps off the hard surface.

Question 1:

Should I get a metal spike with disc's (and drill holes in the bottom of my speakers... :(.)...or a wood cone type of isolation spike and use double sided tape to affix it to the bottom of the speaker cabinet? What is a audioholic brother to do?

Thank You.

Bruce

Edited by Glad-2B
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The idea is not to get the speakers off the floor, but to isolate them and keep the sound from "leaking" into the floor and adding unwanted resonances, plus anchoring the speakers so the sound at high volume does not cause slight movement of the cabinets, blurring the sound slightly.

This might be a factor with tall skinny speakers, but La Scalas have enough weight and a large enough footprint that they are very stable, making spikes not really necessary.

The floor itself may be a factor, if the speakers' feet are located between joists, allowing the floor to move in response to the music. If that's happening, you might need to move the speakers a bit, so they're sitting on the least flexible parts of the floor.

Rather than drilling holes in your cabinets, if you really want to try spikes, you can get brass spikes that attach with peel-and-stick adhesive. If you like the effect, you can leave them on, and if you don't, you can remove them, with no damage or new holes in your speakers.

Another way to isolate them is to obtain small boxes or dishes and put a half-inch to an inch of sand in them, so the feet are sitting in the sand. This is sometimes done with turntables, and could also work well with speakers.

Edited by Islander
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You might try a carpet remnant cut to the size of the base of the speaker. You probably have some floor mats laying around you could sample with before you go that route. You might even try putting floor mats in front of the speakers instead to make sure the resonance isn't coming from the sound waves rather than the speaker vibration.

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Every speaker I have ever owned has benefited from isolation. Not only will you get better bass response, but better image focus and stability too. The comment about La scalas being too heavy to benefit from spikes is just plain wrong.

Shakey

Edited by Shakeydeal
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Check these out....

918KXdTKbtL._SL1500_.jpg

Subwoofer Isolation stands! blue.gif

Here is the Amazon link ----> CLICK HERE

Dennie

Is that going to be big enough for a LaScala? If it is foam... Won't it tend to compress, which could cause the LaScala to become unlevel? I would think the feet would be better for isolation.

Edited by ellisr63
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Check these out....

918KXdTKbtL._SL1500_.jpg

Subwoofer Isolation stands! blue.gif

Here is the Amazon link ----> CLICK HERE

Dennie

Is that going to be big enough for a LaScala? If it is foam... Won't it tend to compress, which could cause the LaScala to become unlevel? I would think the feet would be better for isolation.

From the Amazon link....

Product Description

The AmpDude is an incredibly effective isolation platform that instantly improves your Amplifier's Performance. The Auralex AmpDude Amplifier Isolation platform is a smaller version of our classic GRAMMA, which is trusted by chart topping recording artists onstage and in the studio. The AmpDude is designed for compact guitar, bass and keyboard amplifiers. This patented isolation platform features an Ozite covering over an inert structural layer that floats on 3 "strips of acclaimed Auralex PlatfoamTM. This carefully engineered solution allows the true sound of your amp to come through by negating resonance artifacts. Hear All The Sound You Paid. For Add an AmpDude to your rig today. Creates A Cleaner, More Accurate Mid and Low Frequency Response. Decouples The Amp From The Floor For Incredible Purity. Improves The Sound Of Your Amplifier. Reduces Coloration and Muddy Sound. Diminishes Structural Vibrations H Supports Compact Amplifiers. Improves Sound Isolation. Supports up to 200 pounds.

My La Scala's only weigh about 130ish lbs. each( :wacko: ). So, I think these would be okay with the weight. But someone may want to use a couple for each speaker, since the size is 15 x 2.8 x 15 inches. :)

But yes, I think the feet may be a better choice for the price. ;)

Dennie

Edited by Dennie
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Every speaker I have ever owned has benefited from isolation. Not only will you get better bass response, but better image focus and stability too. The comment about La scalas being too heavy to benefit from spikes is just plain wrong.

Shakey

Try a forum search about this before you call someone's comment "just plain wrong". The idea that spikes are not really necessary for La Scalas has been around on this forum for a long time, based on many owners' experience, not just mine. Since spikes are popular with most speakers, including the tall skinny ones I use in my other room, it was one of the first things I checked when I got my La Scalas seven years ago.

La Scalas come with steel buttons for feet, so those may perform a certain isolation function anyway, without the need to add spikes.

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  • 2 months later...

Has anyone tried Mapleshade heavyweight footers under the La Scala? Seems like these would work very well.

http://shop.mapleshadestore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HFSET

From Mapleshade website: "Nothing hurts the sound of speakers more than mounting them unrigidly on carpet, on rubber feet, on damping pads, on flimsy stands or on shaky shelves. Flexible mounting lets the speaker rock back as the drives cone(s) moves forward. That means boomy bass with weakened attack and dynamic punch. Similarly, freely vibrating speaker enclosure panels muddy the midrange and treble. To make a speaker sound its best you must stop it from rocking and you must drain panel vibration efficiently. This requires coupling the speaker, via massive brass footers, directly to the floor or directly to an ultra-rigid stand. You can’t get optimal sound just by placing the speaker’s flat bottom on the floor or on a stand. Because of the large area, low-pressure contact, much of the cabinet’s vibrational energy is reflected back instead of being drained efficiently and cleanly down into the floor."

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http://www.foambymail.com/NE/neoprene-foam-sheets.html could be used and cut to size. I'd still go the floor mat testing to be sure the resonance isn't being caused by sound waves coming from the bass horn.

NE-L.jpg

They have stuff like this at the Fred Meyer where I live. Different sizes and different densities. LaScala size would run about $15 a pair if memory still serves me correct.

Also have some sizes of foam rubber that are great for camping. Throw tarp down, pad down, sleeping bag down, get in and fold tarp over ya. Then let it rain. Just be sure to set up on the high ground. :)

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Here you go, $13 for 4 of them:

http://www.grainger.com/product/RAYTECH-Rubber-Feet-5UJJ9

Parts Express has quite a collection too:

http://www.parts-express.com/cat/case-cabinet-feet/648

Rubber is used because it is a high friction material. It works, go check your car's tires ;)

You can buy the same thing from a snake oil distributor for hundreds more if you prefer...

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You can buy the same thing from a snake oil distributor for hundreds more if you prefer...

As Dave says, you speak TRVTH

A carpet remnant works for me. The last house had carpet, and there was a thick oriental rug on top of that.

Bruce

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