[Closed] HiFi question - spikes and wooden floors.

Linn do something called a skeet, which is probably crazily expensive, but you might be able to use it to google something sensible?

Yes, but it will cost you four pence.

You could get a set of these, drill a shallow dip into the centre of each, and sit the turntable spikes in the 'holes', and hold them in place on the floor with Blu-tac.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Natural-Black-Granite-Coasters/dp/B004SMSS28

In the old days we'ed use 2p's with felt underneath them.

If the granite boards work stick with it

For a turntable make a cupboard out of the heaviest dense wood you have and paint it a colour that Mrs rusty won't complain about

MDF is popular because it's cheap and dense because of the glue content, many a home made speaker cab have been constructed out of it

🙂

20p's would do, as they have a raised edge, but I've seen some nice wooden floors with coin impressions left on them.

Suppose I could put felt backing on the coins, but I'd prefer something a bit more, er, elegant?

Would prefer to keep the Target table as I can level the Rega with the top spikes.

Have tried one of those little Ikea coffee tables, but it sounds awful.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

I read somewhere that coins will do the trick nicely so 8p should do the trick 🙂

Can't you unscrew them and turn them round on the un spiked screw end? My old Mission floor slanders did this fir this very reason. I would have thought they'd not be fixed as you don't want them to rock on a slightly uneven floor so they should be adjustable?

Sheet of tempered glass instead of the granite? One with the chamfered/rounded edges...

Nah, stands are Mission Stance and removing the spikes leaves an ugly bit of protruding metal.
Happy with the chopping boards tbh.

It's the table I'd like to sort out.

Off to felt some coins.

I knew this would cost.....

Edit - good plan dd - thanks once again for your advice - floor looks ace.

Don't faff with felt, Poundland sells a pack of wood floor protectors, Edwards brand, self adhesive.

[img] https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUu2tGBfRjItpRgfkTWuDD5-UmMJyimR4q_ScQqByj3_ntqUXpIA [/img]

2p piece under each spikes works fine. Start a hole with a drill for easy setup

I've always used 2 pieces ...
Unless I want to flash and then I go to 20 pences

Philips headed screws in the floorboards under the spikes. You have to be very accurate putting them though.

BTW your experience with granite chopping boards ought to tell you something about how worthwhile spikes are.

Hope you've got a nice heavy rug going down otherwise the spikes may not be your biggest problem.

slowoldman - Member
BTW your experience with granite chopping boards ought to tell you something about how worthwhile spikes are.

Always used them on carpet over floorboard going back, ooooh, 30 years?
Why? It was the done thing, wasn't it?
They seemed to improve the imaging & bass when I first tried spiked stands with a pair of Royd A7's as a kid, as far as I remember.

Still have the spikes between the stands and the granite - as above, can't remove them.
It's a floating wooden floor and the granite has tightened up the bass to the extent that even Ms S commented on it.
Felt pads between granite and floor btw.
Wish I'd tried it years ago.

daveh - Member

Hope you've got a nice heavy rug going down otherwise the spikes may not be your biggest problem.

Go on.......... 🙂

The idea of spikes on carpets is (probably) sound. It links through a wobbly surface of carpet and underlay to a more solid surface beneath. On a solid floor I would think some blobs of Blutack would be just as effective.

Sadly I do have carpet and my equipment rack has spikes (because that's how it came). Speakers however are pretty heavy ATCs sitting on pretty heavy subwoofers and no spikes. The spikes added nothing.

On a solid floor I would think some blobs of Blutack would be just as effective.

I've never had a chance to try it.

Read loads of guff on the net re coupling/isolation, but I only ever trust my ears.
Love to give it a go, but I'm not spending 150 quid on new stands just to try it out. 🙂

Remember that coins are directional - always place them heads up, to make the soundstage really come alive.

Forget the spikes - not that effective, try sorbothane isolation pods/feet.

We've organised our Dance tent at the Wickerman festival for the past 13 odd years and have had our fair share of isolation problems, especially when you factor in 20,000 watts of Martin or Funktion 1 sound system along with a prefabricated wooden stage set-up, the best product we have found to isolate the multitude of decks and equipment is sorbothane isolation pods.

[img] [/img]

The basic early set up with two 1210's and two CDJ 2000's

[img] [/img]

Craig/Graeme (silicone soul) played with 3 decks and two cdj's and despite the tent being rammed wi folk going apeshit and a helluva vibration through the ground we never experienced a skip with the decks at all, we do use heavy concrete slabs under essential equipment but they sit on Sorbothane feet and the deck stands also sits on Sorbothane feet.

😀

I'll be trying some US coins for Steely Dan and have some spare Euros in caser I fancy a little Krafwerk.

Ever heard of Peter Belt?

[url= http://pwbelectronics.co.uk/ ]Tuck in. [/url]

somafunk, that is very, very interesting.
Thanks.

Room acoustics. I reckon half of a good system is the components, half the room (totally unproven HiFi mumbo jumbo). You may find it sounds 'brighter' - could be a good thing though generally reflective surfaces are bad.

Ta.

Will try with and without and see which I prefer.

BTW , also use a paving slab under the speakers

Also what daveh says above - In my sitting/living room i have corner bass traps, various frequency responsive acoustic panels on the walls and acoustic tiles across my ceiling - needless to say i do not have a GF 😉

I've just bought 2 packs of these rubber floor protectors from Wilkinson to use, if they work ok i'll colour them black to fit in better:
http://www.wilko.com/hardware/wilko-rubber-buffers-4pk-075in/invt/0190411
They're cheap though so couldn't possibly be up to the job for a hifi purist 😉

These might work well instead: http://www.wilko.com/hardware/wilko-furniture-glider-round-4pk-40mm/invt/0344701

Alternatively, coach bolts screwed in might do, but they might still mark the floor if the stands & speakers are heavy.

Alternatively, coach bolts screwed in might do, but they might still mark the floor if the stands and speakers are heavy.

I'd and make new legs to screwe in place of the spikes and cover the protuding metal with sufficient diameter to protect the floor. Otherwise I'd cut some lengths of tubing to cover whatever bodge I'd done with a the two pence pieces and blu tack these disguising sleeves in place.

http://www.russandrews.com/product.asp?lookup=1&region=UK&currency=GBP&pf_id=4226&customer_id=PAA1066087014991RWWGQPFZKKOXYBZV

TBF the "Spike boots" linked from that page are quite an elegant solution to the OP's problem, provided they match his flooring

halved squash balls, because I don't want to turn my floorboards into extensions of my speakers.

Actually, just a small point. If your spikes aren't removable, are they adjustable?

Speakers with spikes on clayterracota tiles(there what I had leftover from tiling a wall)with blutak underneath focuses the speakers but isolates them from the wooden floor in snakeoil hifi speak.
I've got a hi fi specific stand for my amp and sources with spikes on the legs on a carpet with a solid floor underneath which skips whenever I walk past it so will be doing something similar with that.

slowoldman - Member

Actually, just a small point. If your spikes aren't removable, are they adjustable?

Yep, on adjustable on table and speaker stands.
Removable on table, with a little tidying up afterwards.

As I say, happy with the speaker stands now, just the table to sort out.

slowoldman - Member
Philips headed screws in the floorboards under the spikes.

This.

Sorbothane - I use it for the decks, sub and gaming consoles. Works a treat. The sub actually sits on Sorbothane feet then a slab of Granite then another set of Sorbothane feet.

Ah I remember the daze of bass traps aka books & curtains, I mean acoustic tiles. 😉

Somafunk do you have a twitter feed?

I replaced the spikes in mine with bolts of same thread, and felt pads on the bolt heads.

I have used Soundcare superspikes before and they work really well

[img] [/img]

http://www.soundcare.no/design.htm

I got a large slab of acrylic from a very nice eBay seller who flame polished the sides for me and it was only a couple of quid. Rubber/sorbathane feet of your choice and it was basically the same as what many sites were selling for £100.