Over the years I have worked with, dealt with and set up MANY different standmount speakers, and of course that entails finding a great stand to use.
There are too many things to look for in quality stands to mention.
That said Brian Cheney of VMPS always favored a solid front from the speaker to the floor. He called this a beard.
WHY? because bass energy radiates spherically, and as soon as the energy leaves the bottom of the woofer the pressure wave begins dispersing and losing energy. The bass horn of the past was designed to provide solid boundaries for bass energy to be "directed" to the listener(s).
Skinny poles and open uprights, as is the case with most stands simply allow MUCH bass energy to dissipate away from the listening position. A solid front DIRECTS "some" of that energy towards the floor, another solid boundary, and towards you.
While it sounds like a small thing, it definitely has a noticable affect on bass depth, clarity and impact.
To that end I have located a manufacturer (old friend) who offers a 24" pedestal stand at a very reasonable price.
Here is a
RUBY sitting on the pedestal and you can see the front face lines up well.
Here are the pedestals alone
