What is the purpose of the spikes? Are they just for appearance?
My SS9.5's are currently sitting on Berber carpet on the plinths without spikes. In new home, the floor will be polyvinyl and without any carpet.
For a few decades, it was thought that the best approach is to use spikes to "couple" the speaker to the floor. Now many companies are offering footers that "de-couple" the speaker from the floor.
Obviously, both of these cannot be correct for a given situation.
My read on it is that if you have a wooden floor that can vibrate, use footers that de-couple the speakers from the floor to avoid resonances being transferred to the floor. If you have a concrete or other stable floor, then spikes would probably be appropriate.
While many would disagree, I listened quite a bit with both approaches and also with just a plinth and no spikes as you do. I've never heard any significant differences. I wouldn't be so bold as to disagree if someone thinks either of these approaches improves things significantly. I've just never experienced much of a difference myself. So I'm somewhat agnostic at this point.
- Jim