Building speaker outriggers
zingo
Posts: 11,258
This weekend while building a new fence, I'll be building a pair of speaker outriggers out of 1/2" x 2" oak that stick out about 3" on each side of the speakers. I picked up some steel spikes from Parts Express, and some M6 bolts to fit the factory threads on the bottom. With only 10" wide speakers, they get a little wobbly when my daughter starts dancing around, and it didn't want to shell out $250 for commercial outriggers until I wasn't successful myself. I'll stain the soild oak slates black to match the speakers, and my only concern is making sure I drill the mounting holes to match the mounting holes.
Post edited by zingo on
Comments
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This looks like a really nice fix for a real problem. Many of you have dancers in the family and a "tippy tower" can be dangerous.Main Family Room: Sony 46 LCD, Sony Blue Ray, Sony DVD/VCR combo,Onkyo TXNR 708, Parasound 5250,
Polk SDS-SRS with mods, CSI 5 center + Klipsch SC2, Polk RT2000P rears, Klipsch KG 1.5's sides, Polk Micro Pro 1000, Polk Micro Pro 2000, Polk SW505, Belkin PF60, Signal Cable Classics,Monster IC's, 2 15 amp circuits & 1 20 amp circuit.
Living Room: Belkin PF60, Parasound HCA2200, MIT ProlineEXP balanced IC's,Emotiva XDA-1 DAC/Pre,Emotiva ERC2 transport,MIT AVT2, Polk LSI 9's. -
I built outriggers a while back. I used steel square tubing and just painted them black. It worked out pretty good. I used some cheap butcher blocks that I stained black underneath with speaker spikes on the bottom of them. I get a little better bass response with the downward firing port not going into the carpet.
Panny 55-st30 plasma
Pioneer vsx-1121
Parasound 2100 pre
b&k tx4430 amp
Oppo bdp-83
Monster HTS 3500
polk TSi500s Vr3 Fortress modded
polk CS20 center channel Vr3 Castle modded
polk Owm 3 surrounds
polk PSW505 -
^ Those look really nice. Zingo I am sure yours will too.
This makes me think I should try it with my LSi 15's :question:"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I should have pictures by Sunday; I just want to give the stain long enough to dry as it will be on carpet. :eek: I would not prefer to SEE where my speakers used to be...
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Slinger, that looks really nice. But wouldn't it be better to have put the spikes in the butcher blocks and sit the speakers on top? The whole idea is to couple the cabinet to the floor I alway thought. Are the blocks sitting on spikes as well or are they just on the carpet?--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
Thanks and yes there are spikes under the blocks. The ones under the blocks are daytons and the the brass ones are from that group buy from meniscus that doro did a while back.Panny 55-st30 plasma
Pioneer vsx-1121
Parasound 2100 pre
b&k tx4430 amp
Oppo bdp-83
Monster HTS 3500
polk TSi500s Vr3 Fortress modded
polk CS20 center channel Vr3 Castle modded
polk Owm 3 surrounds
polk PSW505 -
Zingo, what kind of speakers are these for?Panny 55-st30 plasma
Pioneer vsx-1121
Parasound 2100 pre
b&k tx4430 amp
Oppo bdp-83
Monster HTS 3500
polk TSi500s Vr3 Fortress modded
polk CS20 center channel Vr3 Castle modded
polk Owm 3 surrounds
polk PSW505 -
B&W 804 which sound great because they are so heavy, but that also makes them easy to tip over. The factory threaded inserts in the bottom will make the installation a lot easier.
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Aside from that awful Chicago team fanatic stuff on your wall....great idea and setup. I just vomited in my mouth a little when I said Chicago.......
MarkCTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint. -
Thanks doro. Don't hate, Chicago rules...
Zingo I look forward to seeing how yours turn out.Panny 55-st30 plasma
Pioneer vsx-1121
Parasound 2100 pre
b&k tx4430 amp
Oppo bdp-83
Monster HTS 3500
polk TSi500s Vr3 Fortress modded
polk CS20 center channel Vr3 Castle modded
polk Owm 3 surrounds
polk PSW505 -
Preliminary installation of the outriggers; cut, drilled, and bolted on place using M6 bolts into the factory threads. No spikes have been installed, but already the speakers are about twice as stable. It will now take quiet a ruckus to knock them over!
As they blend in pretty well to the carpet, I'm questioning staining them black as they would really stand out. The same thoughts with the spikes as if I left the oak unstained, there would be black dots at the end of each outrigger. I'll have to live with them for a few days and see how I feel about it. Either way, they are much more stable, so primary objective accomplished.
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That's not a bad idea. I wonder if it is better, worse, or the same as speaker spikes regarding sound quality? I love tweaks that make the sound better.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
I'd probably get some spray paint that more or less matches the carpet. I think you're right, painting them black would make them stand out more, not look as good."Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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Leave 'em unstained. Maybe a clear, satin finish to seal the wood to prevent warpage.
Sidenote: Slinger I trust your system sounds as sweet as it looks!
TonySamsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work -
My wife agreed that the unstained blended better than black. I do have clear sealer, and that is a fantastic idea; thanks! Since my current spikes I'd have to through mount in the wood making them visable, I almost feel like little spikes would be better that would be hidden underneath, but still grip the carpet.
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Here is another idea.
POLK SDA 2.3 TLS BOUGHT NEW IN 1990, Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-198
POLK CSI-A6 POLK MONITOR 70'S ONKYO TX NR-808 SONY CDP-333ES
PIONEER PL-510A SONY BDP S5100
POLK SDA 1C BOUGHT USED 2011,Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-194
ONKYO HT RC-360 SONY BDP S590 TECHNICS SL BD-1 -
Here are the outriggers I built for my B&Ws, same idea as Zingo.
I have access to a machine shop so I made mine out of steal, then powder coated for durability.
My original plan was wood, but thought they would be to bulky, I like your's Zingo!
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Looks good.
I think I'll consider rounding the edges of my outriggers as it will give them a more finished look. I need to pull them to seal them anyway, so no time lost...
