Budget Spikes. Spike your SDAs for under $3!
lawdogg
Posts: 455
Have your SDAs on carpet? Let's think about speaker spikes. What do you need in a speaker spike? On the speaker end, you need it to thread into the anchors, and on the ground end, you need it to be pointy so it can anchor the speaker to the floor.
Do you really need to spend more than $3 on such things? I don't think so. If you agree, come with me to the hardware store and lets find something with 1/4-20 thread and pointy on the other end. Here they are, ~2" long hanger bolts! (Mine came from Ace Hardware, stainless, 33 cents each.)
Thread em in by hand, be careful not to cross-thread, and use some pliers if they give you trouble. Then stand the speaker up and play with threads on each corner until the speaker is level. Ta-da! You now have spiked speakers for less than $3.
Might not look as neat as those fancy gold spikes but they'll do the job just as well.
//Ryan
Do you really need to spend more than $3 on such things? I don't think so. If you agree, come with me to the hardware store and lets find something with 1/4-20 thread and pointy on the other end. Here they are, ~2" long hanger bolts! (Mine came from Ace Hardware, stainless, 33 cents each.)
Thread em in by hand, be careful not to cross-thread, and use some pliers if they give you trouble. Then stand the speaker up and play with threads on each corner until the speaker is level. Ta-da! You now have spiked speakers for less than $3.
Might not look as neat as those fancy gold spikes but they'll do the job just as well.
//Ryan
my 3.1TLsI will fix your shifted magnets for free.
Comments
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Love me some vibration isolation. Very resourceful, I went a similar looking route and spent $20 more and got some chrome ones at partsexpress.com
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There's actually some R&D/science into spikes, hence the better ones being cone shaped.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Oh, that's neat - spikes are a new concept to me so I'm all ears. Can you elaborate? How are the conical shaped ones better? What research was done? What improvement is made with the use of a conical spike as opposed to a spike with a constant diameter, and how does the cone shape accomplish that improvement? I'm curious as to what shortcomings were overcome with the use of a conical spike in place of a straight one, and how the conical shape uniquely accomplishes the task. my 3.1TLs
I will fix your shifted magnets for free. -
1. I chose to grind Grade 8 (hardened steel) hardware to a point. A few minutes with a bench grinder or perhaps even an angle-grinder is all it takes once the bolt head is cut off.
2. Don't forget jam nuts, (and perhaps washers) so the adjustment isn't lost due to vibration. This also prevents the threads of the insert from bearing the weight.
I have absolutely no idea how the "cone shape" makes a bit of difference,except for the obvious--as the cone gets wider, there's more of the speaker cabinet that is directly supported. If the point will pierce the carpet and pad, and the weight isn't supported on the thread insert...you're set.
To me, the big question is whether three or four spikes per speaker is best. I like the three-legged stool concept: Inherently stable. Problem is that the speakers came with four feet. -
Feel free to do your own research as I did many years ago because I'm not going to do it again. That said, do you think there could possibly be a good reason, let's say 98% of the spikes available are cone shaped?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I will pay extra to get a better looking spikes & they can be installed easily. Seriously you can save money by going cheap & sure it will work & probably work/sound outstanding (no arguements here) but when it comes to the better made quality spike they can be installed by people like me & they look much cleaner & they make the bass sound much better & seems to get better control of the tone ..
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I don't know about the science behind the cone shape as mine are. With saying that I love when someone re purposes something that isn't titled audiophile and pay through the nose just for that word. Those cable suspenders come to mind and vibrapads for 48cents a piece used in another industry just a few examples. For those who can't afford the real deal move over and think out of the box. Of course don't compromise on cables or i/c that was a lesson learned2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc -
Here is some heavy duty spikes for dirt cheap that work well. Im using them on 1c's & 15tl's. Adding spikes is cheap & rewarding sonically.
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The two biggest reasons I would never use those $3 spikes,
1) They will snag the carpet.
2) They don't look good at all.
I'm all for budget in this hobby, but this is one I would pass on...
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Sure. It's really easy to make a sharp point and still provide support to the area around the thread insert when the resulting overall shape is a cone. It's not the cone that works the magic, it's the fact that the speaker is no longer "floating" on a thick, squishy carpet.Feel free to do your own research as I did many years ago because I'm not going to do it again. That said, do you think there could possibly be a good reason, let's say 98% of the spikes available are cone shaped? -
The obvious is that the insert now bears all the weight instead of the base of the cone. It is now also much easier to torque the insert enough to ruin it if you are adjusting the speaker. The insert or base of the speaker still needs something solid to sit on not just threads. I have used the cheap version of spikes but would never on something that heavy, something smaller that I could pick up and down without having to lean one way or the other.
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Could always put some eye hooks on top & hang them like 901's-then you wont hurt the carpet ..
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I've tapped a set of conical stainless wine bottle stoppers before. The head of the setscrew was inside the cabinet.
When I find a set of those SDA's like Lawdog's here, I will design billet end caps for them with pre-tapped positions since they are heavy.Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
Great comments guys - lots of ways to skin the cat. And absolutely if you want something gold or shiny and think it's worth the money, go for it! But these don't snag on the carpet at all and I may add a lock nut or a washer / nut for purposes of spreading out the load on the base of the speaker away from the thread inserts. As to why the cone would be better acoustically, "science" says it's hogwash, I don't buy it in the slightest! my 3.1TLs
I will fix your shifted magnets for free. -
Depending on static load, the only limiting factor in a small continuous diameter material/part is Euler's law. More sound energy will transfer, but how much is up to your ears/taste.Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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As to why the cone would be better acoustically, "science" says it's hogwash, I don't buy it in the slightest!
I love it when someone ignores the obvious. Again, when 98% of spikes are cone shaped, you don't think there's a really good reason?
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Even intelligent life forms are cone shaped. I tried the pointed spikes, changed to cones.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact. -
I think that spikes are conical because people prefer the looks of them - and to spread the load on the base of the speaker, not because of any acoustic advantage - but I'm waiting for the "science" with an open mind! I have 33 cents left in my budget to make whatever improvements are needed to compete with cones
my 3.1TLs
I will fix your shifted magnets for free. -
How much money will you have saved when an insert or 2 gets pushed into the cabinet from bearing all that weight? Worse yet what if the speaker topples over and ruins more than just the cabinet base? I admire your resourcefulness but in this case spending an extra $20 might be a better idea.
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Stop waiting and start looking. The truth is out there.I think that spikes are conical because people prefer the looks of them - and to spread the load on the base of the speaker, not because of any acoustic advantage - but I'm waiting for the "science" with an open mind! I have 33 cents left in my budget to make whatever improvements are needed to compete with cones
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
As long as you're happy is all that matters. Necessity's the mother of invention... but if mom finds out about that kind of invention on her new carpet....hehe.
Joking aside, What is the weight of each speaker?Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
I've tapped a set of conical stainless wine bottle stoppers before. The head of the setscrew was inside the cabinet..
Nice!! Great idea...
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Hey Larry, have you ever played around with any speaker spike ideas? I keep seeing this old link to brass spikes turn up every once in a while, but they're no longer manufactured. I still haven't decided on spikes.I disabled signatures.
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Don't forget jam nuts, (and perhaps washers) so the adjustment isn't lost due to vibration. This also prevents the threads of the insert from bearing the weight.
as the cone gets wider, there's more of the speaker cabinet that is directly supported.The obvious is that the insert now bears all the weight instead of the base of the cone. It is now also much easier to torque the insert enough to ruin it if you are adjusting the speaker. The insert or base of the speaker still needs something solid to sit on not just threads. I have used the cheap version of spikes but would never on something that heavy, something smaller that I could pick up and down without having to lean one way or the other.It's not the cone that works the magic, it's the fact that the speaker is no longer "floating" on a thick, squishy carpet.
I would strongly recommend the washers unless the tapped portion was designed to support the load, and the spikes and base have enough lateral load capability. Otherwise they are doing most of what spikes are designed to do.
The majority of the science is from mechanics and practicality - simplicity. The wide top is for a large base to support the load. If the cabinet already has a tapped base then the spike or threaded insert only needs to support the cabinet laterally. A point increases the pressure at the contact area and can help focus and concentrate vibrations for better transmission across the contact area. The smaller the contact area for a fixed load, the higher the pressure. Ideally there are only 3 spikes for proper load distribution.
The cone shape, a straight taper, is the easiest to machine from a larger diameter to a smaller one. The lateral load capability may have an impact on the taper angle.
There is some longer sonic theory of transmitting cabinet vibrations to the floor for more bass presence, however some people to not care for the differences in the speed of the sound transmission. The type of floor can have an impact on this, along with the frequencies transmitted. If I recall the main uses for spikes was for tall bookshelf speaker stands. People removed the speakers from the solid "bookshelf" to tall stands and they sounded "airy" and lacked bass. A stand with a heavy base helped keep it stable, but was difficult to move and often provided too much dampening. The stands with spikes gave the speakers a more solid base, especially on carpet. If the stand was designed right, bass frequencies were transmitted to the floor to aid in the bass response from a small speaker.
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Hey Larry, have you ever played around with any speaker spike ideas? I keep seeing this old link to brass spikes turn up every once in a while, but they're no longer manufactured. I still haven't decided on spikes.
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I don't consider these budget spikes though..
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What would be interesting to me is to test out different spikes as far as materials go and see if that affects the sound at all. My guess would be that it plays a small role in tonal balance.
My guess is that role would be very small...
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More like lethal weapons........Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Larry, I think Rambo threaded those onto the end of his arrows to blow up helicopters and bad guys.I disabled signatures.
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