[Turnandcough]

I just picked up a pair of inexpensive B&W speaker stands for some Proac studio monitors. I haven't used speaker stands in a long time but I seem to recall using sand or lead to fill them.
Anyhow - I decided this time I'd use kitty litter as it seems to be a popular choice and less hassle than sand/lead.
I'm not sure if my ears are playing tricks on me but I'm finding the sound to be a bit dull compared to the empty stands. Before I empty them out does anyone have any experience/advice.
There's only a small opening at the top of each column so they're a real PITA to fill.

[Big Red Machine]

Filling the stands slows their vibration.  Do the speakers sit on spikes so they are isolated form the stands?

[Turnandcough]

There are spikes on the base of the stands. The speakers themselves are "bluetacked" to the base.

[Æ]

I just picked up a pair of inexpensive B&W speaker stands for some Proac studio monitors. I haven't used speaker stands in a long time but I seem to recall using sand or lead to fill them.
Anyhow - I decided this time I'd use kitty litter as it seems to be a popular choice and less hassle than sand/lead.
I'm not sure if my ears are playing tricks on me but I'm finding the sound to be a bit dull compared to the empty stands. Before I empty them out does anyone have any experience/advice.
There's only a small opening at the top of each column so they're a real PITA to fill.

Your unfilled stands were probably contributing to what you were hearing, you became accustomed to the sound. Ideally your speaker stands should have no "sound" of their own. No sympathetic vibrations, no ringing, no resonances. Filling the stands definitely should attenuate any sounds from originating within the stands. Do a knuckle test, before and after. Knock on an unfilled stand and a filled stand, you should easily be able to notice a difference. The deader the better.

[ken]

I need to do the same thing.  I was told by the designer of my speakers Tim Kroll that a combination of sand and buck shot is best

[spinner]

 Now we are back to mass loading although most of you don't get it.

[Æ]

Now we are back to mass loading although most of you don't get it.

Don't get what? Care to elaborate instead of berating?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Don't get what? Care to elaborate instead of berating?

Naahh......
Elaboration is boring.
Berating is controvertial and draws more attention.

Personally, I use sand to fill the speakers I've built.
But I do that because "I don't get it".

Bob

[JerryM]

I don't get it either. I use glass bead. 

[Æ]

Naahh......
Elaboration is boring.
Berating is controvertial and draws more attention.

Personally, I use sand to fill the speakers I've built.
But I do that because "I don't get it".

Bob

You really should turn on your spell check. Controversial

I currently don't have any stand mounted loudspeakers. All my recent and future builds are floor sitters.
Here is a blast from my past. Bottom was filled with lead buckshot and encapsulated with epoxy.

[srb]

You really should turn on your spell check. Controversial

Ideally your speaker stands should have no "sound" of there own.

You really should turn on your context-sensitive spell check.  Their

Steve

[poseidonsvoice]

 
You really should turn on your context-sensitive spell check.  Their

Nice srb.

Touché!

Anand.

[Æ]

 
You really should turn on your context-sensitive spell check.  Their

Steve

Ur, Your, you're, 2, to, two, too, funny.

I fixed it.

I still wish he would elaborate. Curious minds want to know.

[Letitroll98]

Now that we've dispensed with the spelling Nazi bashing (thank you), I've been using the ultra fine grain decorative sand from Home Depot to good effect.  I would guess it is high in silica, magnetite, and homblende from appearance alone, I didn't get an analysis.  So the damping effect might be somewhat similar to play sand mixed with lead shot.  All of the above is guesstimate and open for discussion.

[Æ]

Now that we've dispensed with the spelling Nazi bashing (thank you), I've been using the ultra fine grain decorative sand from Home Depot to good effect.  I would guess it is high in silica, magnetite, and homblende from appearance alone, I didn't get an analysis.  So the damping effect might be somewhat similar to play sand mixed with lead shot.  All of the above is guesstimate and open for discussion.

I've always thought that concrete would be ideal. That is if you could fill your stands with it, without making a mess. Someone once recommended Tungsten balls (spheres), greater mass than lead.
Is depleted uranium affordable?

[ssglx]

Speaker stand fill makes a substantial difference to my ears. Lead or lead and sand mix was the worst to my ears. Certainly deadened the stands, but also sucked the life out of the sound and killed the microdynamics and thinned out the midrange presence.
My favorite balance for liveliness and natural sounding presence was steel blasting shot and dry playsand.

If you attempt to decouple the speakers from the stands, then it won't make alot of difference what you use to fill the stands.

I never tried kittly litter, but I suspect I would have liked it. Lower mass so you're not messing with the resonance design of the loudspeaker.

[Quiet Earth]

There's only a small opening at the top of each column so they're a real PITA to fill.

For filling with sand, get a tall 16oz. cup (to scoop and pour the sand) and a plastic funnel. The funnel will slow the filling process way down, but you will make less of a mess. Be patient. It's easy, but very time consuming.

You can buy children's play sand by the bag if you are worried about silica. It's not expensive.

You can skip the lead shot if you are worried about touching lead.

If there is not a lot of room to fill the inside the stand, then a lead plus sand mixture might be the preferred choice.

If there is plenty of room inside the stands (like yours), then maybe sand only is a better choice.

Do you have the correct stand height and type for your speaker? Check that with your manufacturer before you blame the kitty litter.

I would like to hear more from spinner because I think there was some sincerity in his post. 

[Bob in St. Louis]

One thing about sand.......
Make sure it's dry, especially if it's going to be in contact with wood.
When I use sand, I spread it out on a sheet of plywood, inside my house, for a week with a fan blowing on it.

Bob

[charmerci]

Is depleted uranium affordable?

Sorry, Thorium is a carcinogenic!

[Æ]

Sorry, Thorium is a carcinogenic!

I guess that's another good reason to shoot it at your enemies!