[Loftprojection]

This is probably a very basic question but I just installed wood floor in my music room and now I don't know what to do with the spikes on my speaker stands.  I definitely don't want to push them in my brand new floor, haha!

Thanks for your advice.

[bubba966]

I've seen people use pennies for that...

[tvad4]

ConeCoasters from Sound Anchors. http://www.soundanchors.com/page23.html

[gonefishin]

You can look at Madisound.  Scroll down until you see the tip toes, spikes and feet (about one half the way down the accessories page).  There should be a few options there.

   I know that you only want the footplate.  But they're cheap enough where you where you won't go broke by buying the set...even if your only using the plate.

    Good Luck!

 dan

[R_burke]

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=STARAPCD2&product_name=APCD2%20Solid%20Brass%20Coupling%20Disc%20-%20Each

These are $6.99 each, not cheap, but they'll work

[Loftprojection]

Hey, thanks guys, even more options than I thought!

[Dave G]

Go to the ACI website (ACI has a its own circle here) at http://www.audioc.com/accessories1/misc/points.htm and scroll down to see a set of 4 floor protectors for about $10.

Dave

[Jay S]

I've used pennies before.  I am happy to offer sets of 8 that have been properly broken in in an audiophile system for $9.95 + shipping.  

Seriously, I took out the pennies and resigned myself to the spikes digging into the floor.... my speakers weigh 70lbs each and the stands are easily 30-40 lbs (wood stands with concrete blocks hidden in the base).  Surprisingly, after 2+years the spikes left minor pin holes in the wood.  That said, better to play it safe.

[Tweaker]

The sound of any equipment that is mass coupled with spikes is affected by the surface that it's coupled to. I would advise  for best sound, from my experience, to not use any protective discs and couple directly to the floor. Especially if you have maple hardood flooring. If you can't bring youself to do that I would recommend the brass discs suggested by R_burke. They are made by Audiopoints and are very high quality.
Good luck!

[url] http://www.audiopoints.com/audiopoints.html

 (buy them from the Audioadvisor)

[tvad4]

If you don't want to scratch your new hardwood floors, I'd recommend the ConeCoasters over the Audiopoints disks. Because of their felt bottoms, the ConeCoasters protect the flooring finish. You're kidding yourself if you think brass disks are going to couple your speakers to the floor. This is a myth. Only using spikes directly in contact with your floor will couple the speakers.

If you really want the best of both worlds (isolation and floor protection), I'd suggest an Aurios Pro isolation bearing under each speaker spike, with a piece of Grip It shelf liner under each Aurios Pro to protect your flooring.

[Loftprojection]

Hey thanks for all those nice suggestions.  

If I may ask a little more...

Anybody who has hardwood tried a blind test between "spiked in" speakers versus using one of those "disk" you suggested above?  Did you find it was really worth the "damage" on the wood?  (better bass, soundstage?).

Thanks again for your comments.

[kirch]

I couldn't stand the thought of damaging my floors, especially if I had to move my speakers, which would mean loooooong deep scratches.  And of course, the wife factor alone was daunting enough.

I did the penny thing first, but found the speakers could slide off if I had to move them to clean or whatever, so I glued very small washers onto dimes.  This way, if the speakers had to be moved or were bumped into (I have an 8 year old), they would be less likely to jump or slide right off the coin.  So far it's worked perfectly.  Sure it set me back 80 cents, but you know what?  I'm worth it.  Sometimes money is simply no object.

kirch

[jcoat007]

Try these:



http://www.audiopoints.com/apcd2.html

[ctviggen]

Those are great!  I've used them for both wood and tile floors.  The only detriment is that they're hard to get under the speakers -- invite a friend over -- and once on the floor, you have to have good fingernails/paper to pick them up.

[Tweaker]

I'd like to comment on the ascertation by a member that:  

You're kidding yourself if you think brass disks are going to couple your speakers to the floor. This is a myth. Only using spikes directly in contact with your floor will couple the speakers.

I guess the laws of physics are a myth too, then. Putting a disc between floor and speakers does not somehow magically sever the flow of vibration from the speaker to the floor like cutting a wire in an electrical circuit.  That implies that the brass disc is somehow storing up every bit of energy (in the form of vibration) that is flowing into it without passing it on.  
Nonsense, of course. Yes, ideally the cone is coupled directly to the floor, but since it was asked if there were some alternatives,so as to protect the floor, people replied with some good ones  all of which will both protect the floor and transfer at least some of the vibrational energy  as well. Just not  nearly as well as without the disc. Although anything with a felt bottom will be an even poorer conduit. The reason several of us have recommended the Audiopoint disc is because there seems to be more attention paid to the geometry of the cones and  discs to maximize the vibrational flow from the speaker or component to the floor or platform.
   My advise is to try as many of the suggestions as possible, including the felt bottomed thing. Sometimes what sounds the best is not what common sense tells you should. Most everyone offers 30 day money back guarantees so you can't go wrong. And if you can't tell the difference between any of them -great! Just get the cheapest, or use pennies. I would also suggest trying a Maple cutting board instead of discs as I have found that is what sounds best in my system under all my components. (I have carpet so I can't do that with my speakers without raising them too high).
  This is an area that requires some patience. Be forwarned!

[tvad4]

Tweaker, what I was suggesting is the notion that adding brass disks somehow aids coupling is false. I admit I worded my statement poorly. If one wants to couple, then go direct to the floor with spikes. If one wants to protect flooring, then go with the felt bottomed ConeCoasters. The felt aids in the ability to slightly adjust the speaker positions by sliding the speaker without marring the floor. Yes, these would have less "coupling" effect than Audiopints, but listening is the only way to determine if the difference is discernable. Another audiophile who spends a great deal of time tweaking his system swears by the Aurios Pros method, which de-couples the speakers from the floor thereby reducing vibration transmitted through the flooring and to the components.

As always, try two or three methods and choose which sounds best (and in this case offers the desired floor protection).

[Tweaker]

tvad4,
The Audiopoint disc is just a good compomise between protection and coupling. Does a little of both.

You hit it on the head about  trying many different things because, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes what shouldn't work does, or what works for one component won't for another, and what sounds good to me may not sound good to you. I have Mapleshade Surefeet cones under everything (although being so massive I think they are not ideal for my smaller/lighter gear) and discovered, because I am an impulsive tweaker, that the sound of my amplifiers improved quite a bit when I turned the cones point up! That was a surprise (to me). Tried it with my Behringer Ultracurve and had the same results. Tried it with my preamp and DSP and I liked the sound better point down. Some suggest placing two cones point down and the other point up but I have not found that to produce the best sound. So some gear likes isolation, and some like to be mass coupled, and perhaps some a combination of both. And of course someone with the same identical gear might prefer a different sound and have the cones etc. arranged differently. It's kind of like seasoning to taste.  The key is to try and find a sound that  appeals the most to you even if it may deviate from  neutrality. Takes some patience but there is lot to be gained. One thing is for sure, you don't know how much better an already good sounding   amp, preamp, etc. can sound untill the stock feet are removed, thrown in the garbage, and replaced by quality cones, or whatever you find works best. Applies to speakers even more, of course, except you don't have to remove no  steenking rubber feet!
 And then of course some may read this and find it all a load of crap, and I almost envy the ones that do because I have driven myself nuts sometimes tweaking my system. Ultimately worth it though because I am very happy with the results.

[budyog]

I have hardwood floors and the floor protectors from ACI work just great. They will let you slide the speaker and stand around so you can adjust to the inth degree.

[eric the red]

20 bucks will get you a set of these
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accstwek&1120667605

[thepogue]

can't ya cut lil squares outta them...and then set the speaks on them?..just a thought....I used pennies...but I'm thinking of usgrading to dimes!!


Pogue