Speakers spikes on tile floor

VCoak

Quick question, SDA SRS 1.2's would floor spikes improve bass? My speakers stand on a tile floor. Room is size is 22' x 30' I currently have the oem speaker stands. They are flat. Does raising/lowering improve bass?
Thx.
MCO

Schurkey

VCoak wrote: »

Quick question, SDA SRS 1.2's would floor spikes improve bass? My speakers stand on a tile floor. Room is size is 22' x 30' I currently have the oem speaker stands. They are flat. Does raising/lowering improve bass?
Thx.
MCO

Spikes are useful on carpet. There's no need for them on a hard-surface floor. DO NOT get talked into buying spikes, and then buying some kind of "floor protector" metal or ceramic cups for the spikes to sit in. That'd be a DOUBLE waste of money and enthusiasm. I don't know what you mean by "oem speaker stands" on the 1.2TL, unless you're referring to the nylon buttons the speakers come with.

Raising or lowering the speakers "could" have an effect on bass, but it'd likely take a lot more than the inch-and-a-half provided by the spikes.

Install the "Bass Brace" threaded-rod-into-wall socket that your speakers are intended to be used with, and you'll be fine.

pitdogg2

I must agree with Schurkey here. I can see no more benefit than the glides that came with them on tile.

F1nut

The OEM screw in feet are metal discs. As to whether spikes would improve the bass, absolutely on carpet and possibly on a tile floor. Try it for yourself. Having used the bass brace and spikes, I prefer the spikes.

BTW, you won't need floor protectors on a tile floor.

VCoak

Thank you guys. I hate wasting money on items that do not add anything. It was so nice to talk to others that have knowledge and own polks. Felt like an outcast for years. calling polk today for RDO's. Not sure if I will TL but sure would like to hear the difference between a 194 and 198.
Thx a bunch

F1nut

Spikes are far from a waste of money as great many here will attest. Minimizing the contact area with the floor is always a good idea.

VCoak

F1 Just bought the 198's from Helen about an hour ago. So it begins...in a good way. Still debating on the common ground amp issue. To dreadnought or to not dreadnought. I think I will purchase the gimpod standard with full inductor swap. I will build my own sda cable. Thanks everyone for the advice. It really helps.

pitdogg2

I may be flamed here but here goes.

Go buy some 1/4 x 20tpi threaded rod cut down into small 2" long pieces sharpen to a point then listen for yourself. If you hear a difference then get some good spikes that look nice also.
I am a spike believer but like you I also would be hesitant also as spike's can be pricey for large heavy speakers.

VCoak

Just in the past two days I have learned much about my 1.2's. Some great advice and also learned that my adcom 5500 is non common ground and had the polarity reversed. Does this cause damage to the amp or speakers?

pitdogg2

VCoak wrote: »

Just in the past two days I have learned much about my 1.2's. Some great advice and also learned that my adcom 5500 is non common ground and had the polarity reversed. Does this cause damage to the amp or speakers?

Well could be both....I'd not use the interconnect cable at all.

reversed polarity won't do any harm. just may sound like poo poo

westmassguy

Have to agree with Jesse. Spikes focus the weight of the speakers at four points. The pounds per square inch at those points is hundreds of times greater than the larger surface area of the glides. It's akin to bolting the speaker to the floor.

TennMan

westmassguy wrote: »

Have to agree with Jesse. Spikes focus the weight of the speakers at four points. The pounds per square inch at those points is hundreds of times greater than the larger surface area of the glides. It's akin to bolting the speaker to the floor.

But isn't the load (pounds per square inch) spread out again before it gets to the floor when you sit the point of the spike on a 3/4-1 inch button? Seems like it would to me. Think of it as setting the tip of the spike on a 5 inch button, just on a smaller scale. It would seem that what determines the psi on the floor is the surface area of the button that actually touches the floor, not the tip of the spike that touches the button. I'm still not sold on spikes on hard floors but I would try them if I could.

I can clearly see how spikes work if the spikes are penetrating carpet and the tip of the spike is sitting right on the floor underneath. But I can't see how buttons on the tip of a spike on hardwood are better than the buttons on the end of a threaded rod that comes on the speakers from the factory. I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just trying to logically understand how spikes sitting on buttons work on hardwood floors.

westmassguy

TennMan wrote: »

But isn't the load (pounds per square inch) spread out again before it gets to the floor when you sit the point of the spike on a 3/4-1 inch button? Seems like it would to me. Think of it as setting the tip of the spike on a 5 inch button, just on a smaller scale. It would seem that what determines the psi on the floor is the surface area of the button that actually touches the floor, not the tip of the spike that touches the button. I'm still not sold on spikes on hard floors but I would try them if I could.

I can clearly see how spikes work if the spikes are penetrating carpet and the tip of the spike is sitting right on the floor underneath. But I can't see how buttons on the tip of a spike on hardwood are better than the buttons on the end of a threaded rod that comes on the speakers from the factory. I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just trying to logically understand how spikes sitting on buttons work on hardwood floors.

If the bottom of the puck is perfectly flat, and the floor is perfectly flat, then the puck is essentially part of the floor. The point of the spike is still exerting hundreds of pounds per square inch at the tips. Think of a bed of nails. If there are hundreds of nails, a person can lay on them without doing bodily harm because his weight is distributed. If there are only four nails, all his weight is focused on those four points, and you don't want to lay on four nails

zane77

^ Hammer-Nail

TennMan

westmassguy wrote: »

If the bottom of the puck is perfectly flat, and the floor is perfectly flat, then the puck is essentially part of the floor.
Assuming both pucks are flat and the same diameter, the puck under the spike tip would not be any more a part of the floor than the flat glide that is on the end of the threaded rod would it?

The point of the spike is still exerting hundreds of pounds per square inch at the tips.
It is exerting hundreds of psi at the tip. The problem is you have almost 0 square inches applied to the puck therefore the amount of pressure applied to the floor under the puck is the same as it would be for the puck on the end of the threaded rod.


Think of a bed of nails. If there are hundreds of nails, a person can lay on them without doing bodily harm because his weight is distributed. If there are only four nails, all his weight is focused on those four points, and you don't want to lay on four nails.

I don't see that as a good comparison. I think a better comparison between the puck under the tip of the spike and the puck under the threaded rod would be as follows:

Assuming my speaker weighs 80 pounds and the puck under the spike tip (and on the end of the threaded rod) is 1 square inch, there would be 20 psi applied to the floor where each puck touches the floor (80 pound / 4 pucks=20 psi). There could be no more than 20 psi applied to the floor by a 1 square inch puck regardless if there is a spike or a brick between the speaker and the puck.

Again, we're not arguing about this. I assume they work because a lot of folks have good results with them. We are just having a good discussion about how spikes function on hardwood floors. I certainly don't want to make anyone mad because of a discussion about spikes.

westmassguy

Who's getting mad? I'm not getting mad. I just know it works. If the puck is flat, and the floor is flat, the puck is part of the floor.
You can't compare the glides on the big SRSs to the spike and puck. Those glides have either rubber or nylon inside which acts as a cushion between the end of the threaded rod, and the glide itself. Even if the threaded rod were welded to the glide, it's not the same as a focused point.

VCoak

For now I will pass on the pikes. I truly appreciate everyones opinion. Also thank you for welcoming me in.

F1nut

westmassguy wrote: »

i just know it works. If the puck is flat, and the floor is flat, the puck is part of the floor.
You can't compare the glides on the big srss to the spike and puck. Those glides have either rubber or nylon inside which acts as a cushion between the end of the threaded rod, and the glide itself. Even if the threaded rod were welded to the glide, it's not the same as a focused point.

Bingo!

F1nut

VCoak wrote: »

For now I will pass on the pikes.

Sorry, but that's a very poor choice.

VCoak

MODS will be expensive plus dealing with the potential of a new amp or dreadnaught. ugh!. But it is also fun at the same time

F1nut

Just try what pitdogg2 suggested, super cheap and it will tell you if they make a difference. I can't tell you how times I've seen others here comment, I don't know why I didn't do this before.

VCoak

Ok you talked me into it. That was easy. FYI. I bought the RDO-198 today. Spoke to Helen and she was so nice. Told her that many of you spoke highly of her and she really appreciated hearing that. And she said to say hi to everyone!

F1nut

At least you can say you tried it for yourself and regardless of the outcome, let us know what you think.

VCoak

Will do. BTW How do I add pics. Wouldn't mind showing before and after pics.

F1nut

Use the [IMG][/IMG] code, but do not preview the post.

westmassguy

My Spiked, and Pucked 2ATLs

Spiked and Pucked sounds sexy

JuanR

Here is some reading on spikes, pucks & stands.....enjoy!

http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/whitepaper/Genesis_Loudspeaker_Coupling_Decoupling.pdf


Check out the whatsbestforum link at the bottom of that white paper written by Genesis....


Juan

TennMan

westmassguy wrote: »

My Spiked, and Pucked 2ATLs

Spiked and Pucked sounds sexy

They look great!

westmassguy

TennMan wrote: »

They look great!

Thanks Ronnie.

VCoak

Thank you F! and Juan and all. They do look great.

Malbec

VCoak,
Your Adcom will work just fine with the SDAs. Even though it's not common ground, you can strap the negative terminals together on the amp with some speaker wire. This will allow you to use the SDA cable.