How can I design a good speaker stand?

[DavefromDorset]

I've been thinking of auditioning a pair of Tannoy Definition DC8 large standmounters. However before I do this and inevitably fall in love with them, I need to have my permissions in place vis a vis the wife's sense of the aesthetic. The Tannoys look great, but I can't find a suitable stand that will complement their size and shape. I contacted Tannoy: their engineering guy said they used Atacama Nexus stands for development and also suggested Dreadnoughts, neither of which really suit the speaker aesthetically IMO. Which means I will probably have to design a pair and have them made, in either stone or fabricated steel.

So the thing is, what do I need to look out for in terms of creating a stand that doesn't add to the sound coming out of the speaker? is it simply a case of stiff-and-heavy, or are there resonances that I need to worry about, regardless of weight?

Your considered views would be very welcome.

Dave

[Reid Malenfant]

You have forgotten diffraction & reflection from the stand :doh:

Sorry to make your life even more difficult :(

[YNWaN]

In this case, stiff and heavy and spiked to the speaker and the floor.

[DavefromDorset]

In this case, stiff and heavy and spiked to the speaker and the floor.

Many thanks for your replies. The floor is tiled, so I need something less likely to damage the tiles on the base. I agree with spikes on the top plate if it's a steel design, but I'm leaning towards a shaped stone stand. I guess I can always drill the top and set the spikes in. I would prefer this to blutac, which in my limited experience compresses after a while and alters the sound.

Has anyone had any experience of speakers mounted on a stone monolith, and whether ther are any ringing problems? If I go for stone it's likely to be Portland stone, which normally sounds pretty dead when you hit it.

Dave

[Ali Tait]

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/akropolise.html

[Ali Tait]

Or-

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/stubby_e.html

[bobbasrah]

Concrete blocks or a stack of paviors trial first? Concrete or other pipe (Plug the pipe base with a shot of concrete or polyfoam and sand fill it, covering exterior with seashells? Thnk cheap and cheerful first, then if satisfied, do the finishings....
Stone will look nice but tapering to keep the CofG low could prove tricky.
Whatever you use, the possibility of damaging floor tiles will always be there.

By the way, these are all well known HISS designs
Hernia Inducing Speaker Stands

[DavefromDorset]

Many thanks for your suggestions. I like the idea of an off-the-wall home-made design like the plastic pipe jobbie: could save me a fortune. I also like the idea of trying out concrete blocks, but this would mean buying the Tannoys first, and the wife would know that once they were up on blocks they would stay that way for years. I once had a pair of big Kefs on flower pots for quite a while. The music sounded great, but it didn't do much for her hyacinths.

Still, I've got to get my act together while the cash is available - it might be moved back into General Accounts if I dither for much longer.

Dave