[Letitroll98]

So here's a chance to post your problems and solutions placing monitor type/bookshelf speakers on stands.  What type of stands do you use?  Do you place them differently than you would floorstanders?  What are the big no-no's when using bookshelf speakers.

Except for the home theater where they have to be at display height, I've been using very low to no stands.  Either 18" stands with a slight tilt back, or on the floor with a large tilt back.  I wasn't using this stand (Mapleshade) but tried out the idea with interesting results.


This thread was suggested by TrungT

[gab]

Except for the home theater where they have to be at display height, ....

Why?

[Letitroll98]

Why?

Well, that's not really the point of my post, but it's because they work best that way in my system.  I don't use a center channel, hate 'em in fact, so phantom imaging is pretty delicate in a multi seat listening area.  In the dedicated stereo room I have more freedom and the same speakers sat on 18" stands in there.  How do you have your monitors placed?

[persisting1]

Have a pair of Core Audio Designs speaker stands. Amazing workmanship. The only issue i have with stands is what to put in between the speakers and stands. I tried different types of non resonant feet and products like blue tac. Ended up using blue tac, but was never really happy.

[Letitroll98]

Yeah, I have the same concerns, I keep flipping between hard and soft, what the stands came with to cones to blue tack to maple blocks to semi-hard plastic stick on cubes from the grocery store to felt pads.  All have advantages and disadvantages.

[gab]

Well, that's not really the point of my post, but it's because they work best that way in my system.  I don't use a center channel, hate 'em in fact, so phantom imaging is pretty delicate in a multi seat listening area.  In the dedicated stereo room I have more freedom and the same speakers sat on 18" stands in there.  How do you have your monitors placed?

I guess the point of my "why" question had to do with why a 2 channel dedicated stereo could be floor mounted & tilted back as in the Mapleshade photo and why this is "OK" but not a home theatre setup. I too use no center channel and have my Phoenix MT version mounted on 28" stands. I have never tried them lower than this. If I could quote Linkwitz as to why I did this: "Note the relatively wide dispersion of the system even in the vertical plane. Never-the-less, the tweeter height should be at or slightly above the ear when seated. For psycho-acoustic reasons that I do not fully understand, one can always tell when a speaker's acoustic center is lower than ear height. Tilting back the speaker, as is done for some products, will not correct that impression. We seem to use the floor reflection even to localize a virtual image. It immediately sounds unrealistic to me when the orchestra's sound comes from below." Ref http://www.linkwitzlab.com/sys_test.htm Main Panel #10.

gab

[nickd]

I am a huge fan of stand mounted monitors and have owned several. I wouldn't argue with the "Mapleshade" stand Idea because the gent knows good sound. That said, tweeter at ear height or darn close has always been best in my room. I do tend to like Sloped baffle designs (Watt Puppy, Spica). But again, on a proper stand (usually 18-24"high). The average performer sings while standing. if the voice (in the soundstage) is lower than 4 or 5 feet high It tends to sound less than real to me anyway.

I am currently using Audio Artistry CBT36 Lines. The image height is dead on perfect almost every time. Sometimes its hard to get that with a mini monitor on a short stand or mounted on wall or on a shelf.

[Letitroll98]

I guess the point of my "why" question had to do with why a 2 channel dedicated stereo could be floor mounted & tilted back as in the Mapleshade photo and why this is "OK" but not a home theatre setup. I too use no center channel and have my Phoenix MT version mounted on 28" stands. I have never tried them lower than this. If I could quote Linkwitz as to why I did this: "Note the relatively wide dispersion of the system even in the vertical plane. Never-the-less, the tweeter height should be at or slightly above the ear when seated. For psycho-acoustic reasons that I do not fully understand, one can always tell when a speaker's acoustic center is lower than ear height. Tilting back the speaker, as is done for some products, will not correct that impression. We seem to use the floor reflection even to localize a virtual image. It immediately sounds unrealistic to me when the orchestra's sound comes from below." Ref http://www.linkwitzlab.com/sys_test.htm Main Panel #10.

gab

Hey, another "Phantom" lover, great!  And I have read a great deal of Linkwitz's papers, blogs, and web pages.  I may not always agree 100%, but I find he's right more than not.  As to the speakers on the floor, you have to be able to go whole hog and sit on or near the floor.  This of course won't work for home theater, and ultimately didn't work for my old bones, however it was very interesting to play with.  Frequency response is waaayyy smoother and imaging is not compromised, but it does change.  Much more amorphous, but more consistent and "normal".  I think this is mostly frequency response.  Before taking my bookshelf's back to the home theater, I tried a compromise with 18" stands that have a bit of tilt back and low chairs.  This was I felt the best compromise and is something that works okay in the home theater (I just typed "nome" theater, I might start referring to it as that), but ultimately I went with normal 24" stands.  Oh, the speakers, don't laugh, Polk Rti6, which I bought on a lark and ended up loving them more than any other bookshelf speaker around these parts.