Hard floor + speaker spikes. What's the deal?

[charlesr]

At the moment I've got my floorstanders, sub and hifi rack set up with spikes going through the carpet into the floor.

I'm getting new flooring put down (a bit like amtico) that looks like wood, but is actually tile strips.

What can I do? The spikes were very good at making sure the neighbours (semi) don't hear the sound unless it's up loud. Is there something I can put the spikes in that protects the floor but still does the same job?

Thanks.

[Alastair]

Blue Tac? That's what I used to use when we had hard floors and floorstanders.

[Brats]

You can get cones that do a similar job to spikes but won't damage the floor.

[kernow]

I just use spikes on concrete slabs

you could get spike shoes which do the same, but really a 1p coin under each does the same thing.

[CMcK]

Get a sheet of thick rubber (>1cm) and cut some pieces for beneath each spike. Place that between the floor and the spikes. Job done.

[kernow]

Makes a difference to sound in my opinion, slabs tightened my bass

[charlesr]

Yeah, they would.

I looked up spike shoes and they seem pricey for tiny bits of metal. I'll try the coins for starters.

Thanks

[kernow]

thats 8p! sure you can make it?

[charlesr]

Finding 8 1p coins will be hard work. I'll probably have to spend money on petrol driving to the garage to get some change.

[Crisp_Rapper]

jesus charles i've got shrapnel coming out of my ears here... :P

as for supertech spike installs on hard wood floors i've used dynamat (acoustic rubber stuff) underneath a slab of marble on each speaker. mmmmm pricey (but lovely).

[kernow]

what about carpet? I just put the slabs straight on the floor, spikes on top.

[concretesnail]

you are all nuts. you need to go natural. i have just moved out of a house with all wooden floors. I use all Naim audio kit and Linn kabers (look it up on the net) and the best thing for keeping the flooring nice and not colouring the sound is to go to you local craft/county show.... see if you can find the people that make things from horn and bone. buy some slices roughly 1cm deep, as many has you have spikes, and slide them in. Just think about it for a minute, bone is a material evoled over thousands of years to absorb vibration from rythmic sources (ie walking, running) and deal with large impacts (bass...) and do it well. i did it useing buffalo bone slices and it works better than anything else. Trust me, i ve been buying hifi for 15 years and nothing is better and more naturally transparent

[SubparMario]

And get a kiln-dried antelope skull on top of each speaker housing. Does wonders for the musicality of the upper mids!

[12-51-00]

Can you guys really tell the difference what you put between the floor and your speakers makes?

My housemate recently spent the price of a new car (or two) on what's supposedly a "top of the range" Bang & Olufsen TV + Hi-Fi/Sound System setup for our lounge. And to be honest with the exception of it looking much cooler and being able to go much louder I can't really hear any advantage that these big space-age looking speakers have over the speakers that came with my old G4 iMac...

[Crisp_Rapper]

you really need new ears then... that or you've never really listened to music. even low end audio gear is vastly superior to a simple set of computer speakers.

that said, if you're happy with what you've got then good for you, just smile and nod and it'll be a lot easier on your wallet.