Hey VMPSrs!
Just a question. Why no spikes on VMPS speakers. I assume that it is not by accident. If not, why? Wouldn't spikes make the speakers sound even clearer and more articulate? Improve imaging and tighten bass?
Has anyone who owns floorstanding VMPS models RM30, RM40 etc... tried using spikes?
Just curious. Thanks
I think you are welcome to try just about any tweak as long as it makes sense, and has physics to back it up.
"spiking" speakers to the floor is for one purpose. It is to "mechanically couple" the speaker to the floor.
With many speakers this "will" improve or at least reduce, the degradation to leading edge transients of the speakers.
Mechanical coupling effectively adds the mass of the floor to the speaker, so in order to move the speaker, you have to move the floor.
Generally to accomplish this the speaker is raised slightly off the floor (1/2" or more).
So why not do the same to VMPS?
1st is the bass coupling: The coupling I'm talking about here is "planar containment coupling". That is the low frequency notes create "air" or "sound" pressure. This pressure travels in all directions until it hits a boundary. In this case the boundary is the speaker baffle, which contains the pressure, on the backside and directs it to "flow down" the baffle to the floor/speaker planar junction.
If on the way down to the floor, it finds an area which does not "contain or restrict it, it then will follow that path "under the speaker". (rather than being directed and contained by the coupling of the speaker to the floor and then out to you)
Imagine water flowing down the front of the speaker. When it hits the floor, if the speaker is tight against the floor, the water will then flow forward. If it hits the floor and there is a gap, a large portion will flow under the speaker and be lost.
Second, due to the rather high weight of the FloorStanders, the frictional coupling of the VMPS is generally good enough to reduce the "reactive effects" of the speaker.
Thirdly, the mass of the WFC woofers is generally smaller than some other materials which will reduce the need for spiking and the mass of the ribbons produces miniscule reactive forces compared to standard cone drivers. The main forces in play here then are the reactive forces of pushing the air (which can be quite large too)
4th, as mentioned in earlier posts, the Slot loaded Floor standers are designed to fire along the floor, not over it.
As an alternative to spiking, you can get much of the benefit (and actually a bit more, by adding "mass" to the top of the speaker.
I have at least 100# plus on each of my subs and over 70# on each of my 626Rs. This is in the form of "rubber covered" barbell plates, or rubber coated (not palstic) dumbbells, which not only add mass, but also reduce any hint of cabinet resonances.
All of that said, if you insist on spiking your VMPS foorstanders, it should be done on the "shortest" spikes that will provide the mechainical coupling you are looking for.
The gap, then between the floor an the speaker should be filled in or sealed as solidly as possible with a solid material to not allow the sound pressure to escape under the speaker. Water tight is good
I might mention, that this should also be done if any of you "tilt" your speakers back, to raise the firing angle of the tweeter.
