Using cinder blocks as speaker stands

maxwalrath · « **on:** 24 Mar 2009, 02:37 pm »

I was wondering what the disadvantages of stacking a few cinder blocks as speaker stands are. I could picture using a few feet / spikes between the speakers and the blocks, or maybe putting a piece of wood on a few stacked blocks.

The advantages seem to be:

1) heavy
2) inert
3) cheap

What would the disadvantages of using cinder blocks be? Has anyone tried this before and compared it to actual stands?

jaywills · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 03:57 pm »

Interestingly enough, I'm using a pair of 8" cinder blocks (8x8x14, IIRC) (the type commonly used for house foundations) for stands with my Gallo Ref. 3.1's on a hardwood floor as the BrightStar gallo stands of roughly the same dimensions apparently are no longer available. The speakers' spikes rest on the blocks and the blocks' "holes" allow me to use "C" clamps to clamp the Gallos on the blocks firmly. I then use shims between the blocks and the floor as necessary to eliminate any slight rocking due to the mismatch between the blocks' flat surface and the floor. Works pretty well. However, when setting up the speakers' position (I've been futzing with the MasterSet you'll read about in another thread), I suggest putting the blocks on a washcloth while you're finding the position that sounds best so as to avoid scarring the hardwoods as you move the speakers on the blocks incrementally. Once you've found the right spot for each speaker, mark it with masking tape and remove the washcloth so you can shim (if necessary) the cinder block. Good luck. Cordially,

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:10 am »

maxwalrath...

Quote

What would the disadvantages of using cinder blocks be?

Might not look so great in the living room....

But they can work well enough for most...its a solid foundation.

Here's a link to one persons use of cinder blocks....Link...

maxwalrath · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:27 am »

Thanks jaywills and Chris...

The ideas on speaker placement determination and protecting the cabinets are great. I pictured the cinder block stack being more stable if they were stacked on their sides (as opposed to the link you posted Chris), but the instructions from that guy are solid. The idea of gluing wood to the bottom to allow for spiking is appealing, and custom painting is a great idea that makes the whole concept doubly appealing!

I'm guessing I'd want stands that were about 22"...so I'd probably be thinking about 2 10" blocks on their sides and the wood / spike idea. At about 40 lbs. per block, the stands should end up weighing 85 lbs. each. Also, if care is taken gluing / attaching the cinder blocks to a wooden base, I'd imagine the holes could be loaded up with sand - or I could just find solid blocks to start with - making the weight heavier from the get go.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:34 am »

Quote

I pictured the cinder block stack being more stable if they were stacked on their sides...

Your right....that's the way I would do it....

SET Man · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:46 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 25 Mar 2009, 04:10 am

maxwalrath...
Quote
What would the disadvantages of using cinder blocks be?

Might not look so great in the living room....

But they can work well enough for most...its a solid foundation.

Here's a link to one persons use of cinder blocks....Link...

Hey!

This will sure work if you are single.

Take care,
Buddy

maxwalrath · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:52 am »

Quote from: SET Man on 25 Mar 2009, 04:46 am

Hey!

This will sure work if you are single.

Take care,
Buddy

I'm planning on one hell of a paint job

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 04:57 am »

Here's a DIY project...but not cinder blocks...Link.....

And here's.....concrete...

2gumby2 · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 11:23 am »

I think concrete blocks work great. I'm using them in one of 2-channel systems. My wife thinks they're ugly, but she doesn't mind too much since she realizes good sound is the priority. I live in an earthquake prone area and added tiedown straps to keep the speakers more stable during earthquakes.

ecramer · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 01:09 pm »

While they do make 8" x 8" x 16" solid blocks you don't usually see them you could get 4" x 8" x 16" solids and they make 1" and 2" solids so you can adjust the height. Just stick them together with silicone and 24 hours later you will be good to go

ED

Quote from: maxwalrath on 25 Mar 2009, 04:27 am

Thanks jaywills and Chris...

The ideas on speaker placement determination and protecting the cabinets are great. I pictured the cinder block stack being more stable if they were stacked on their sides (as opposed to the link you posted Chris), but the instructions from that guy are solid. The idea of gluing wood to the bottom to allow for spiking is appealing, and custom painting is a great idea that makes the whole concept doubly appealing!

I'm guessing I'd want stands that were about 22"...so I'd probably be thinking about 2 10" blocks on their sides and the wood / spike idea. At about 40 lbs. per block, the stands should end up weighing 85 lbs. each. Also, if care is taken gluing / attaching the cinder blocks to a wooden base, I'd imagine the holes could be loaded up with sand - or I could just find solid blocks to start with - making the weight heavier from the get go.

toobluvr · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 03:54 pm »

I used solid block, 4" x 8" x 16", in configuration shown here:

In this configuration it is 23" high, and you can fire the speakers in either direction.

The height and look can obviously be varied by stacking them in different ways, or using different number of blocks, or different sized blocks, etc.

Not the purdiest thing in the world, but it can be gussied up with paint. Or maybe using some nice thick butcher block for bottom and top plate. Very solid, very heavy.

It was just temporary for me, so I just stacked.....no glue, no base. Some contractor adhesive can be used to attach them together permanently for better stability and solidity. But beware that once done, it will be very very heavy!

I gotta say, the best my Devore Gibbons 3 monitors ever sounded was perched on top of these stacked blocks. Even better than with the highly regarded Osiris stands! I inserted a PolyCrystal cone under the speaker front to tilt it back, and the soundstage got huge and open. Apart from lacking the concussive bass weight and impact of a large speaker, I was shocked at just how absolutely large, fast and exciting this lil speaker sounded in a big room.

I am convinced that stacking blocks does an excellent job sonically. Question then becomes whether the cosmetics are acceptable.

acresm22 · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 07:53 pm »

I've used cinder blocks for speakers stands and amp stands...the 16" square pavers (from Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart) make good bases for both. One trick to dress up the appearance a bit is to use joint compound (the stuff drywallers use) to fill in the pits, sand it down and then paint. I've got smooth 16" pavers under my First Horns right now, painted with a Krylon satin dark brown...looks pretty sharp, IMHO.

avahifi · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 07:59 pm »

Now try putting one of those cinder blocks (padded to protect the speaker finish of course) ON TOP of each the speakers. Really!

Have a friend remove and replace the block while you are listening with your eyes closed. See if you can hear any difference.

I bet you will and that you will like the "block on top" mode. Bad wife factor though.

Just Newton's laws of motion at work.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

maxwalrath · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 08:09 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 25 Mar 2009, 07:59 pm

Now try putting one of those cinder blocks (padded to protect the speaker finish of course) ON TOP of each the speakers. Really!

Have a friend remove and replace the block while you are listening with your eyes closed. See if you can hear any difference.

I bet you will and that you will like the "block on top" mode. Bad wife factor though.

Just Newton's laws of motion at work.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Makes sense...but the speakers in question have a gloss black finish that wouldn't get along with a cinder block. I would imagine something like a set of these would be good if they could be had for a little less money:

http://www.amazon.com/Ader-Weight-Stack-Adapter-Plate/dp/B00146K536/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1238012157&sr=1-14

One could also just grab plate weights that were coated with rubber. The only other suggestion I could picture would be some sort of thin rubber bag filled with sand...or just put a towel between the speaker and cinder block or other heavy object.

maxwalrath · « **Reply #14 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 08:19 pm »

acresm22, how long did sanding the joint compound take? Did you use a power sander or do it by hand?

acresm22 · « **Reply #15 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 08:39 pm »

Didn't take long at all, and I sanded by hand. Applied a thin layer with a 2" or 3" putty knife, so it dried fairly quickly too. It does get a little dusty though...
The pavers come in 12" square versions too, but the 16" pavers have slightly bevelled edges on top which looks a bit nicer.

BrianP · « **Reply #16 on:** 8 Apr 2009, 07:05 pm »

I got a marked improvement in bass quality by putting my sub up on a foot-high stack of four 12x12x3 concrete pavers. Thin sheets of closed-cell foam separate the blocks from each other, the (hardwood) floor, and the bottom of the sub. This is not just a subjective judgment: I get a flatter measured (at the listening position) response below 60Hz this way, than with the sub in the same room position but on the floor.

konut · « **Reply #17 on:** 8 Apr 2009, 07:17 pm »

I've done this before using pavers, wall sections, and solid block in combination to get the correct height. Covered the whole thing with thick black cloth to protect the finish on the speaker. Works great!

funkmonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** 8 Apr 2009, 07:54 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 25 Mar 2009, 07:59 pm

Now try putting one of those cinder blocks (padded to protect the speaker finish of course) ON TOP of each the speakers. Really!

Have a friend remove and replace the block while you are listening with your eyes closed. See if you can hear any difference.

I bet you will and that you will like the "block on top" mode. Bad wife factor though.

Just Newton's laws of motion at work.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

HA, as I read through the posts so far I was going to make the same point. In my bachelor days I used cinderblocks for stands and then stacked three or four 20lb cast iron free-weights on top of one speaker, and a very sold sculpture that weighed around 80lbs on the other. The result was that some very cheap speakers sounded much, much better. I had gotten the idea from a somewhat eccentric fellow that I had met in artschool, that turned out to be an audiophile. He had the blocks on top and below back in the 80's and refused to buy CD's stating that the vinyl just "sounded better."

geezer · « **Reply #19 on:** 8 Apr 2009, 08:34 pm »

Maxwalrath: I have the Gallos too. If I tried what you did with concrete blocks what would I expect to hear, based on your experience?