Setting up a high quality sound system in the home will take quite a bit of planning. Starting out with the audio equipment, you could spend weeks researching the ideal media players, receivers, amplifiers and pre-amps. Getting the right sound out of a turntable is also an essential element in the process. For the true audiophile, the search is going to be well worth it. Once a hi-fi rack is in place to hold all of the equipment, it is time to turn to the speaker system.
Selecting speakers is a whole other issue for deliberation. The quality of the sound will come down to how well the speakers do their job. However, there is an important part of the equation that many people overlook - on what do the speakers rest? If they are sitting on the ground, speakers will create vibrations that are bound to interfere with the enjoyment of the music. In the old days, this interference was common. Speaker stands became the solution by the 1980s, when aficionados realized that they could eliminate this problem by mounting speakers onto stands with dampening technology.
Back then, things were just getting started. Even the most advanced technicians had no way of knowing how far speaker stands would come in the future. The good news is audiophiles are not a new breed, and the technology has been advancing ever since. One important realization was that placing the tweeter of the speaker at the eye (i.e., ear) level of the listener improved projection dramatically. Today, great speaker stands all have these four things in common.
1. Sturdiness. A great speaker stand should be rock-solid and heavy. Any sense of movement will be exploited by sound coming from the speakers. The idea is to isolate all of this and come up with a blank space - a void - upon which the speakers will rest. If they are difficult to move and impenetrable, they have the stuff great stands are made on. Don't try the resistance test with a bare hand; quality stands will leave a deep bruise.
2. Lack of resonance. The bottom line is speaker stands are meant to create a sonic vacuum. Compared to typical furniture or the floor, the choice is quite obvious, but all stands are not up for the task. For anyone who is new to the effect speaker stands can have on a sound system, it may take a little time to appreciate the difference between different stand designs. Fortunately, there are a number of audiophiles happy to help out.
3. Easy to set up. Like anything else that requires assembly in the home, speaker stands will take a bit of work to be up and running properly. If setting stands up for the very first time, ask for some help from a friend who has been through the process before. Some users find sand to be the preferred form of dampening device for filling the columns of the stands. Others have suggested something with a rockier texture, like the material used for kitty litter. It will be worthwhile to experiment with both.
4. A great look. Never to be underestimated is the look a speaker stand will bring to the home. As the hi-fi system will be central to any room where guests are being entertained, speaker stands should be at least somewhat attractive. The good news is the stand does not have to be seen. There is little depth to any speaker stand, so they will never be in the way of any design. Putting any seating in front of the speakers is ill-advised, of course, but the options don't end there.
Other Concerns with Speaker Stands
Once the primary concerns with speaker stands are satisfied, there will be a few other issues to address. One of the most important is the floor-to-stand connection. Typically, a stand will have spikes connected to the floor which are intended to cut down further on vibrations. In fact, most of the individual audio components may have smaller versions of these on which they rest in hi-fi racks. The same principle applies: the more isolation, the better.
Some studies suggest that these spikes may not always serve as the ideal means for isolation. Spikes of poor design could even increase the level of vibrations. How can one tell the difference? On some levels, it may be an unattainable goal. However, one way is to test the stand with more pliable extensions (i.e., rubberized). By creating a soft landing place for the speaker stand, fewer vibrations may result. On the other hand, experts have found that a light amount of movement may end up producing a superior sound. The movement caused by the spikes in effect grounds any vibrations and does the job.
The other spot which needs proper isolation on a speaker stand is where the speaker itself rests. Cones are usually the means for separating the speakers from the stand's platform. In most cases, these cones have been designed with the right approach and handle the job adequately. Nonetheless, for the beginner it is an important element to consider. If a cone ends up channeling more vibrations than it isolates, it is a counterproductive accessory.
Finally, there is the element of the impact of the stand on the floor itself. Since speaker stands are heavy objects, spikes can end up digging into the floor over time. If there are carpets in the room, the likelihood will rise. Hardwood floors may become indented as well but -- the added depth of sound being the main goal -- the best approach is to choose a spot carefully and keep the stands in the same position. The narrowest spikes will probably not be noticed. Another option is to use a receptor between the floor and the spike.
In the end, there are far more benefits to using speaker stands than any minor drawbacks might spoil. In fact, the hi-fi system many audiophiles dream of will not be complete without them. With all of the options on the market today, there is no budget that can't be accommodated.
