Granite/stone bases for floorstanding speakers

[Mikeandvan]

Hi all,
Finally getting around to sorting my system out properly. I'm happy with my Ruark Talismans now, realised they are well suited to my listening room. To try to tighten up the sound a little I am sourcing some granite/stone plinths, here's a quote I got locally:

The quote provided for supply only of both Speaker stands is:
330 x 270 x 30mm BLACK GRANITE
TOTAL COST FOR BOTH £166.00 + VAT

Didn't really want to spend that much! Is there an obviously cheaper alternative I could try? Just want some nice smooth stone/granite/marble/faux marble/whatever. Sizes above. I'm thinking slabs directly on carpet, then speakers on top of slabs - either with spikes in or resting on rubber half spheres.

[Sherwood]

Ikea used to do some very substantial marble slabs. I think they were sold for baking prep. Maybe still available?

Geoff

[Boyse6748]

Mike, these are what I use (black Granite) sourced from a local stone mason, certainly less than £80 the pair.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180309/d57a90815855017b32ead9fff996f31c.jpg


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[Boyse6748]

Mike, these are what I use (black Granite) sourced from a local stone mason, certainly less than £80 the pair.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180309/d57a90815855017b32ead9fff996f31c.jpg


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Sorry, been telling fibs, (found the receipt) £48 +Vat. “ The Pair”, I really don’t think you have to pay what you’ve been quoted.


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[Mikeandvan]

Yes, I thought it was OTT. Thanks, I'll shop around then! Yours are real granite right? Excuse my ignorance, but real stone, not man made.

[guy]

Definitely worth looking around. I had a chat with a local stonemason and he let me have a rummage in his scrap skip. I ended up with a couple of offcuts from kitchen worktops (about 1" thick, not sure what the stone is but it is "real" stone not chips in acrylic).
He let me have them for nothing, I think that he was amused by my intended use!

I gave one of his workers a tenner to cut them to match in size, drilled holes for spikes in the base (long enough to pierce carpet and underfelt) and araldited them in. Big improvement in stability of my speakers and cleared up the base end.

[Boyse6748]

Yes, I thought it was OTT. Thanks, I'll shop around then! Yours are real granite right? Excuse my ignorance, but real stone, not man made.

Not man made .... many thousands of years old. The Stonemasons I go to don’t do artificial composite stone.



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[Sherwood]

Not man made .... many thousands of years old. The Stonemasons I go to don’t do artificial composite stone.



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... or even hundreds of millions of years ago! :rolleyes:

[Boyse6748]

... or even hundreds of millions of years ago! :rolleyes:

You cheeky bugger, I'm trying to offer you advice to save money.

Your on your own.!! Good luck.


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[Sherwood]

You cheeky bugger, I'm trying to offer you advice to save money.

Your on your own.!! Good luck.


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Not me! I've already got some "old granite"! :doh:

[DiveDeepDog]

Argos sell a granite chopping board , £11.50 each 40 x 30.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2789082

[Mikeandvan]

Argos sell a granite chopping board , £11.50 each 40 x 30.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2789082

LOL that's fucking ideal, bollocks to £150 (plus VAT!!!!). Ta.

[Primalsea]

I did wonder why chopping boards were not an option. I guessed it was because they tend to be granite composite and the edges can look a little ropy on the cheep versions. That and also they look like you have put a couple of chopping boards under your speakers. However, if you buy 4 or even 6 of them you can bond them together to be thicker and heavier, and they don’t tend to look like chopping boards anymore. You also have the option of finishing the edges yourself too with some abrasive pads and water.

[Sherwood]

I did wonder why chopping boards were not an option. I guessed it was because they tend to be granite composite and the edges can look a little ropy on the cheep versions. That and also they look like you have put a couple of chopping boards under your speakers. However, if you buy 4 or even 6 of them you can bond them together to be thicker and heavier, and they don’t tend to look like chopping boards anymore. You also have the option of finishing the edges yourself too with some abrasive pads and water.

Good suggestion. I would think that a granite-wood-granite sandwich would look quite cool, depending upon the grain of the wood.

Geoff

[Mikeandvan]

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4774/40733445812_34c4f1d57b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/254tyiS)IMG_20180312_212140516 (https://flic.kr/p/254tyiS) by Mike Van (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145505522@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4774/38965060270_c9fe1cdc40_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/22nd7TY)IMG_20180312_212232691 (https://flic.kr/p/22nd7TY) by Mike Van (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145505522@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4776/40065710584_b1d3455b95_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/243teTw)IMG_20180312_212149041 (https://flic.kr/p/243teTw) by Mike Van (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145505522@N02/), on Flickr

Got these today, thanks for the link. Can't tell yet whether they've made a difference in the sound, but they were very cheap, look fine, and make it a lot easier to move the speakers around, so great! The speakers rest on rubber semi spheres, can't remember the brand, but Yomanze suggested them.

[Audio Al]

The chopping board ones will be a " Cut above the rest " :D