How to raise my speakers 6"

mca · « **on:** 16 Mar 2011, 06:06 pm »

I just received my new Daber Audio Monitor 3 speakers. My plan is to place them directly on top of my Genesis 928 subwoofers. In order to get the speakers up to ear height, I need to find something to raise them up about 6". Since the subs are gloss black and the speakers have gloss black fronts (with cherry sides) I would like to try and find something that matches.

My first thought is granite blocks, but I am having trouble trying to find them. I thought I remember a company (Bear Industrial maybe?) that sold them, but have not been able to find them. The block would need to be 5-6" thick and I plan to use Isol-Pads on top of the subs. Another thought would be maple blocks if I could find them finished in black.

Anyone have any other ideas on what to use and where to find it

ZENTISH · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 06:26 pm »

Hi MCA, Go to the Mapleshade website and look at their IsoBlocks, they come in black as well as natural.
Good Luck, Tish

mca · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 06:41 pm »

Mapleshade has the perfect setup, 15"x12"x4" Finished Maple Platform with Isoblocks (Semi-Gloss Black), but they are so dang expensive. (They also take 6-8 weeks to ship!) I would rather not have to pay $500 if I can find a cheaper way.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 06:43 pm »

Have a table saw and a router? Take one or two 3" thick maple cutting boards from Overstock.com or http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Depot and cut them into the length and width you want, then put Green Glue between them and have a rock solid, but isolating stand for them. Stain as desired.

I get Dawn's maple boards through Overstock cheaper than direct from her and 1/4 the price of Mapleshade.

mca · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 06:50 pm »

BRM,

Do you know if they can be purchased without the finger holds? Don't these boards come with some sort of oil already applied?

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 07:52 pm »

All of mine have been dry and you have to oil them yourself. If you request w/o finger slots (only on each end) they take much longer and will be a little more. She is easy to deal with and she can custom make your item if desired. I had some early on custom designed and they were not very much more than the stock sizes. She is in northern Michigan and very honest to deal with.

Dawn's Depot
P.O. Box 609
7977 Brooks St.
Central Lake, MI 49622
United States
231-544-5321
dawn.shannon@torchlake.com

I am not affiliated with her business in any way.

Here is what I paid for a pair of "custom" w/o finger grips in 2009:
Qty    Item ID    Description    Unit Price    Amount
2    custom    16 x 20 x 3 edge grain maple blocks w/full laminations, 3/8" radius edges and corners, reversible, unfinished    100.00    200.00

   Subtotal:    $200.00
   Shipping:    10.00
Currency is in U.S. Dollars (USD)    Total:    $210.00    USD

rajacat · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 07:56 pm »

Quote from: ZENTISH on 16 Mar 2011, 06:26 pm

Hi MCA, Go to the Mapleshade website and look at their IsoBlocks, they come in black as well as natural.
Good Luck, Tish

The same product is sold for $1.50/ea here: http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/vibrationpads.htm

-Roy

doug s. · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 08:42 pm »

Quote from: rajacat on 16 Mar 2011, 07:56 pm

The same product is sold for $1.50/ea here: http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/vibrationpads.htm

-Roy

except these are only 3/8" tall...

doug s.

Red Dragon Audio · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 08:48 pm »

Quote from: mca on 16 Mar 2011, 06:06 pm

My first thought is granite blocks, but I am having trouble trying to find them. I thought I remember a company (Bear Industrial maybe?) that sold them, but have not been able to find them. The block would need to be 5-6" thick and I plan to use Isol-Pads on top of the subs. Another thought would be maple blocks if I could find them finished in black.

Anyone have any other ideas on what to use and where to find it

I have worked with a tombstone company in the past to get large pieces of granite for custom platforms.

neobop · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 01:18 pm »

$500 to raise your monitors 6" ?
Surely you could figure something else out. How about bricks? Maybe some black felt and some paint to go along with it. You could even bondo the outside of the brick and paint over that. Regular MDF or plywood would work. If Granite is hard to find, how about Corian? A counter top place will cut it for you. I don't know how much it costs. Those $1.50 pads could be used under something else.
neo

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 02:19 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 16 Mar 2011, 08:42 pm

except these are only 3/8" tall...

doug s.

Next item down doug s., "2″ Pads: $1.50 Ea. Cork center". This is the item that is the same as the Maple Shade Isoblocks that sell at $24 for a set of four. I like Maple Shade, some of his products and many of his recordings are fantastic, however some things he sells are blatant ripoffs. "Isoblocks were specifically designed and optimized (through extensive listening tests) to be the best possible footer for supporting our air-dried maple platforms." What horse hooey, including the price he sells his maple platforms for.

Quote from: neobop on 25 Mar 2011, 01:18 pm

Surely you could figure something else out. How about bricks?

Great neo. I use bricks, fabric, and some spray glue to make mass loading devises to dampen resonances on top of my components. Works great, I should charge $150 ea for them.

rollo · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 03:37 pm »

Lots of ways. Granite rings so it must be damped. Dynamat or equal can be used. Woods such as maple and Spruce are candidates as well.
My suggestion is whatever plinth you decide on spike it to the floor use some blu tac between speaker and plinth. Vibrapods between the bass and mid units. The isoblocks are not for this application. They are better suited for use plinthes for TT and or components.
Check out Spruce as an alternative to Maple. A Mother of Tone [ Altman DAC guy] favorite and very affective. Its less expensive and has a fuller sound than Maple.
Or go to a machine shop and have them make you 6" spikes. Or cones from brass stock again 6" long. Have fun.

charles

Phil A · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 04:48 pm »

Instead of raising them 6 inches, how about something that can angle them up slightly? Probably don't need much. You can use material of your choice. In the office system, I have some stuff at got at Home Depot.

Phil A · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 04:52 pm »

You can even use slightly different height (taller ones in the front) vibration dampers from the site posted earlier in the thread - http://shop3.mailordercentral.com/supersoundproofing/products.asp?dept=25

doug s. · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 10:24 am »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 25 Mar 2011, 02:19 pm

Next item down doug s., "2″ Pads: $1.50 Ea. Cork center". This is the item that is the same as the Maple Shade Isoblocks that sell at $24 for a set of four. I like Maple Shade, some of his products and many of his recordings are fantastic, however some things he sells are blatant ripoffs. "Isoblocks were specifically designed and optimized (through extensive listening tests) to be the best possible footer for supporting our air-dried maple platforms." What horse hooey, including the price he sells his maple platforms for.

no argument from me that some of mapleshade's stuff is a bit out there... i was simply pointing out that all the isoblocks, (even the 2" square ones), are all 3/8" tall.

doug s.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 04:15 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 26 Mar 2011, 10:24 am

i was simply pointing out that all the isoblocks, (even the 2" square ones), are all 3/8" tall.

doug s.

I hate to be a jerk about this, so hopefully you'll forgive me ahead of time, but that's what I was trying to say. The ones listed below the item that is spec'd at 3/8" thick are cork centers and are much, much thicker than 3/8". It's only the ones without the cork centers that are 3/8". The misunderstanding of my post is prolly all my fault for going on about Maple Shade and clouding up the issue.

Anyway, back to the more important part of the op's question, he also mentioned he wants to match the piano black finish of his speakers. Using the wood bases will be much cheaper and more effective in resonance control than granite, but you have to get them finished in piano black which adds to the cost. There are auto finish paints that will do this, but you need a really good filler type primer to prepare the wood surface properly. We used to get a pretty good replication on wood by using a shellac based primer with a high gloss enamel finish, but I don't know what's available 35 years later in the EPA regulated world of coatings nowadays. Maybe a black gloss poly front bonded to the wood with a cherry stain on the rest to match the speakers?

mca · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 05:55 pm »

I am having a local wood shop price out a couple of stands for me. Layers of MDF cut to the size of the speakers and then wrapped with gloss black laminate. Will size them a little short so I can put pads or ? Between them and the subs.

mca · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 06:00 pm »

Here is a pic of the temporary setup

F-100 · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 06:01 pm »

How about this Lovan 6" Steel Speaker Stands?

http://www.racksandstands.com/Lovan-L-JA3BB-966-LV1025.html

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Mar 2011, 02:39 pm »

Quote from: mca on 26 Mar 2011, 05:55 pm

I am having a local wood shop price out a couple of stands for me. Layers of MDF cut to the size of the speakers and then wrapped with gloss black laminate. Will size them a little short so I can put pads or ? Between them and the subs.

How about this?

Thanks,
Anand.