Audio Tweaks - Tweak Ref. 264

Description		Disclaimer
Positioning spikes for optimum sonics

Reference #	Submitted by	Submitter rating	Cost
264	Martin Stephenson	Excellent	$0.00

Source		Brand
		n/a

Construction
n/a

Setup


Use
By now, all but the "willfully ignorant techno-beanies" understand that spikes under a speaker are a good thing (Doug Purl, are you out there?!). But I get the impression few pay attention to the details such as -where- to place the spikes and -how many- to use. Because I plan to spike my speakers, I've done numerous tests in the last few days to find the optimum location, and I find the results interesting, as in "where the spikes sit under the speaker makes a night and day difference, which affects everything you listen to". (I did my tests on one speaker using cones for the sake of convenience, but the principles will apply to two speakers using spikes). Early on, I quickly eliminated the prospect of four spikes - three points do work better. So unfortunately, this means that everyone that has speaker stands supporting the speakers at four points will have some work to do! (The work the stand designers should have already researched in the first place...). All tests done with two spikes in back, one in front. Tests also included the configuration of two spikes in front, one in back. This seems to make a lot of sense, since the drivers are in the front and better supported, and it gave interesting results, in a way, a sonic reversal of the characteristics of 2-back/1-front. It's a sound that had solidity in the bass and a crisp midrange/highs, not dissimilar to the 2-back/1-front configuration situated away from the edges (but not quite that either). However, it gives a sonic character that is more "hi-fi", more 'boxy' (a more narrow soundstage), and timbral colorations that make it ultimately further away from the ideal of neutrality. So that idea was discarded, and all following comments are from 2-back/1-front setup.

Performance
Sound: With the steel cones at the very extreme edges, the sound is quite natural and fluid. Timbres are more accurately reproduced (showing the character of each instrument better), instruments are better separated, dynamic contrasts are well defined, vocal characteristics appear natural (if not particularly prominent), and the speaker sounds more "open". As you move the spikes inward, the sound takes on a certain characteristic and the effect is exagerrated the further inward you go (although you can only go inward to a certain degree before the support becomes unstable). Tones, for example, take on more of a similar coloration. However, some very interesting things happen which might make someone want to choose a location more inward than the extreme edge. Bass gets more solid and noticeable, the attack on dynamics gets stronger (ie. the strike of a cymbal is better felt), midrange tones have more 'bloom', vocals have more presence. All in all, it makes for a more "exciting" sound. But is it 'correct'? I'll leave that up to the individual's ears to decide, but my opinion is that it is a coloration, albeit a pleasant one. My feeling is that if you have speakers more on the low end of the audiophile scale, you may wish to go inward a bit - they're already coloured, what the hey. If you have very accurate reproducers and don't dare do anything to possibly upset the timbral balance you paid so much for, have the spikes at/near the extreme edges.

Other
I will choose to place my spikes near the edges, but I do not conclude that this is necessarily the best place. I believe the other 'real/viable' choice is to locate the spike a little inward from the edge (1cm or 1 inch or so, depending on the size of your speaker. This doesn't exactly give you "the best of both worlds", but it may be close enough to that. Going too far inward can produce a seductive sound with solid bass, but I don't recommend it, as it appears to be too far from neutral. In any case, all three of these resonance points should be equal distances from the edge of the speaker bottom. If you're using spikes and not cones, and you wish to choose one of the above configurations to optimize the sound of your spike/speaker coupling, you will need to either drill 3 new holes in your speaker stand top plate, or the speaker bottom at the appropriate places (of course if the speaker support is much smaller than the speaker bottom, you may not be able to optimize your spikes!). For this, you will of course need Target's speaker stand spike kit (I know they can be a bit difficult to locate, so if you have trouble finding them in your area, drop me an email and I'll send you a kit at a reduced price, while I still have a few packages on hand). If you're drilling holes in the speaker bottom to fit the spike, of course you would drill at least 1cm from any edge (or more if your sidewalls are thicker), so as not to damage the structural integrity of the speaker.

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