[The Salaryman]

Hi all

I'm new here and have a question. We had these old Eltax Liberty 5+ floorstanders that were getting a little long in the tooth and looking tired so went and got a pair of Mordaunt Short Aviano 1s today along with some Soundstyle z2 stands. We've never not had floorstanders before so were new to stands - assembled the thing and it seemed very precarious - like it would nearly be knocked over by the wind. These stands have a base much smaller than the speaker and don't screw into anything on it. Then our tomcat lept at the right speaker before it was even connected, knocking it onto the wood floor from a height of about 1.8 feet up.  Fell on its top back corners and scratched the bottom on the way down. Has a knock on the middle of the rear on the right too. How badly would it be damaged? Just costmetic? It seems to be working (got it burning in with some Coltrane) but I am terrified it is now badly compromised. 

They now are sitting on the floor next the TV stand where our amp and cd player live. On a book. I'm not sure what to do - surely stands are meant to hold them in place securely? Do they need mounting on the wall to be safe?  What can we do? I feel a right idiot for getting bookshelf/standmounts without a shelf for them, and am amazed a stand would be so precarious.  What can I do to get the best out of these little guys while keeping them safe from being knocked over? 

Any advice to this hifi noob would be greatly . I am in total despair and confusion. 

[jimdgoulding]

Probably a lot more guys can offer better advice but Atacama has a large footprint as footprints go.  You can get a look by clicking on 'systems' just under my avatar.  Their newer designs appear to be more stout and higher quality.  And they come in black.  There is one stand manufacturer who makes stands that look like stools you sit on with four poles spreading pretty far apart as they reach the ground.  The Atacama's can be loaded with sand or shot.

[Wayner]

Forget speaker stands. They are all designed stupid and waiting for an accident, just like the one you had. I worry about people that have small children and what possible scenario could happen with them.

I suggest finding some smallish 4 corner tables to put under each speaker. I have some that I got from a local furniture store. The one in particular is about 13" X 16" x 17" high, in oak. I'm not really fond of cats either as this is just something that they do and I would never have one. If you decide to get a couple of small tables, use some mat tac to glue them down to the table. This will keep kitty from a repeat performance.

Wayner

[srb]

The Soundstyle Z2 stands appear to have a top plate that is 5"W X 6.5"D and a base that is 8.9"W X 12"D.  The Aviano 1 is 7.2"W X 10.7"D.  It's a good idea if possible to have a top plate at least as big as the speaker's base, but that's not the case with this pairing.
 
Some people have luck with using Blu-Tak putty to affix the speaker to the top plate, but I'm not sure that would hold against a heavy leaping tomcat.  The better solution would be to install one or two threaded inserts into the bottom of the speaker and drill a hole through the stand top plate for a bolt(s).  One method is to install a flanged insert from inside the speaker (woofer removal required) and the other would be to install a double-threaded insert (that have internal machine threads and outside wood threads) into the bottom of the speaker from the outside, which threads into the wood of the cabinet.
 
The remaining vulnerability would be if such a leap from your cat would be able to topple the entire speaker and stand.  If so, fastening the base to either a larger bottom plate or attaching larger "outriggers" would be a solution.

I wouldn't worry too much about the damage to the speaker, if it seems to sound OK, then it is probably just cosmetic.  If you're uncertain, you can always carefully compare it to the unfallen speaker.
 
Steve

[The Salaryman]

Cheers! Great suggestions here. You guys are superb!

[ebag4]

Many speaker stands will be very wobbly until you install the floor spikes, are the spikes installed in the bottom plate?

Best,
Ed

[The Salaryman]

Good question, Ed. Indeed they are.  The speaker is a lot bigger than the stands, and even with the spikes digging into the floor its an arrangement that feels like balancing a dinner plate on a fork. We might well use wall brackets instead, unless we can get some little tables or secure the speakers down else.  The issue seems to be more with keeping the speaker on the stand rather than the stand up.  Cats, passing tucks and buses, all conspire to make it an accident generator it seems. Most odd that there are not better solutions out there than just balancing speakers on a stick and hoping nothing brushes past.

[timind]

I had a similar situation with stand tops that were too small for my speakers. My solution was to make top pieces out of 1/4 inch plexiglass, adding approximately one inch on all sides. I then drilled holes in the plexiglass to match pre-drilled holes on the stand tops. Bolted the plexiglass in place and was ready to go. I also used the buu-tac to secure the speakers to the stands. Once the blu-tac takes hold you have to fight to release the speaker.
It worked very well.

[lonewolfny42]

Then our tomcat lept at the right speaker before it was even connected, knocking it onto the wood floor from a height of about 1.8 feet up.

Simple solution....shoot the cat.



It's a water pistol.... ...a couple of drops...they won't go near the speakers again.



Enough joking...

Check this story out....Link...

or....this will work..



Just get creative....for a safe and stable base.


*footnote....3 dogs and 2 cats reside in my home...cats dig the music .....dogs like TV.

[*Scotty*]

Here is the solution to the problem of the jumping Demon cat that I resorted to.

This was a radical step that may not be appropriate for all households but it has worked for six years so far,knock on wood.
Scotty