Speaker stand filler

[Welder]

Those Harbeth stands look a bit of a mess imo Dave.

Anyway, for lightweight stands, if you think the light weight bit makes a difference to the sound, filling the uprights and cross-members with high density expanding foam like the stuff used by plumbers should help to stop them resonating.

[hifi_dave]

HMmmmm, I think this could be a two wau discussion. Do you go for a light stiff frame which should stop vibration getting to your speakers because its "stiff" or do you go for heavy mass and hope to stop vibration that way. I've gone the heavy mass route. My speakers weigh 56kg each and they stand on stand which weigh 15kg each, so quite a weight, and they sound very very good. Would love to try a light weight "stiff" speaker stand but I need all my wonga for a new phono stage.

I believe what we are trying to achieve is to keep the speaker from moving around and to allow the vibrations/energy to escape from the speaker cabinet and away via the stand. The Something Solids do this very well and because of the construction, do not store this energy.

It is horses for courses though and your ATC's sound good on heavy stands but IMO, the Harbeth speakers prefer a stand like the SS and not mass loaded. As Alex says, the open frame allows the thin wall cabinets to do their thing and at the same time dissipating the vibrations quickly.

[walpurgis]

Just a thought. Would using expanding foam cavity filler meet the lightness requirement? It would provide some damping at least. You'd have a bit of a job getting it out if you changed your mind though.

[Welder]

I can't see a few cubic centimeters of expanded foam adding much weight.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I think the foam would add structural rigidity and stiffness to the stands which both help to stifle vibration getting into your kit.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Out of interest I used kiln dried sand which improved my ate speakers no end

[Tarzan]

Thanks for the replies chaps! l had the Something Solid stand a while ago for the Harbs, but sold them due to their looks and brought the Skylans,l think l will try the 1/4 loading with Kitty Litter, suggested by Hifi Dave and the HDPE Pellets, suggested by overtsi, definately no expanding foam Still appreciated though, will report back after testing

[bobbasrah]

Thanks for the replies chaps! l had the Something Solid stand a while ago for the Harbs, but sold them due to their looks and brought the Skylans,l think l will try the 1/4 loading with Kitty Litter, suggested by Hifi Dave and the HDPE Pellets, suggested by overtsi, definately no expanding foam Still appreciated though, will report back after testing

If you can get access to the top of the columns,you could always push in some pipe insulation, then experment with filling the remaining space.........

[Tarzan]

If you can get access to the top of the columns,you could always push in some pipe insulation, then experment with filling the remaining space.........

Negative, columns around 4" square, with access holes at the top plate to them about 1" wide, so it looks like a small amount of Kitty Litter at the moment.

[wiicrackpot]

Evening chaps, can anybody recommend a speaker filler, that damps the stand yet ( this is the bit that is doing my head in) that weighs next to nothing- l mean as in weighing as little as possible, the reason l ask is my Skylans were mass loaded with sand and l thought l would try them with either kitty litter or rice(really) as recommended by Skylan themselves, so l emptied the stands and listened to them empty and to my suprise, me Harbeths sound quality took a large step forward, so l am thinking something very light but l cannot think so , it is over to you.

Came to this thread late and have posted this ages ago on another forum, i made a pair of stands from Ikea Oddvar stools when i owned SHL5's (stained to match Tiger Ebony),
when i made mine's i used wood glue on all the dowels and joints that hold it together and also drove extra wood screws at an angle where the cross members to brace the legs,
used without the top plate i ended up with a very stiff but very light stand that's perfect for the Harbs, measurements were 16.5' inches tall and 12' inches square,
i cut super boucey balls in half and place in all 4 corners to sit the speakers, kid you not, damping was so good minimal vibration got through and lets the speaker cabinets work as it should,
if you want to tune the stands, buy some self adhesive lead balancing weights for motor bikes to stick on the inside of the legs,
totally unseen and reversible, i am keeping mine incase i ever re-unite with a pair of my most loved speakers.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/77996709/

wii.