Alternative to Speaker Spikes for Wood Floors

[Alex_UK]

Well I think I've been convinced by SWMBO that we are going to have our living room carpet replaced with real wood flooring... I've been dead against it for several reasons, not least the worry that it will ruin the sound of the hifi but that's all by-the-by... So, accepting the inevitable, my Acoustic Energy floorstanders are going to have to lose their spikes (cups are not really an option as I move them out into the room for proper listening, and one to the side of the TV for movies etc.)

I'm thinking of going with Soundcare SuperSpikes, which will work out at about £80 for two sets of M8 standard ones. Does anybody have any experience of these, or have any alternative suggestions? My main worry is stability, having already had my little girl knock one over, so I may also be looking at some sort of platform or "outrigger" as a stabiliser, so if they get a good shove they shouldn't topple, so any thoughts on that gratefully received too.

Thanks muchly!

[The Grand Wazoo]

I use them on my speakers Alex. I've had them for 4 or 5 years & they're very good. It took ages to find some with the 1/4" thread I needed though!

[Alex_UK]

I use them on my speakers Alex. I've had them for 4 or 5 years & they're very good. It took ages to find some with the 1/4" thread I needed though!

Thanks Chris, I think you may have PM'd me about them back in the dim & distant? Was certainly someone on here that put me on to them in the first place.

[Jac Hawk]

My mate had the same problem, in that his wife wanted wood flooring, what he did was to get 2 granite slabs, cover the backs in thick felt and stand his speakrs on em, they sounded good but it was hard to judge as the room without carpet sounded much different.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Thanks Chris, I think you may have PM'd me about them back in the dim & distant?

You could be right, I do seem to remember it now. That was ages ago - pull you finger out, man!

[ReggieB]

Have you seen these:

http://www.atacama-audio.co.uk/spikeshoes.htm

[The Grand Wazoo]

The thing about the Soundcare spikes is that you can't accidentally spike the floor when you're moving things around because the cups are captive. Using normal spikes & cups, you can't put the speaker or stand down until it's placed correctly. This becomes rather vital if you've got very big and/or heavy speakers.

[pwood]

I have laminate flooring and boy does it f up the sound. Atacama make Spike shoes as do Linn. The main reason for spikes is stability on carpet so as long as the speaker is level there are better alternatives. My RX6;s come with dedicated feet that are adjustable on wooden floors with the option to add the supplied spikes for carpets I wonder if you could buy direct from Monitor Audio as it is the best solution out there for laminate. I used to think spikes were a necessity but not any more trying to place my old Ruark Talisman 11 with soundbites onto the Atacama spike shoes was precarious as hell. The cheapest and most pleasing cosmetic option if using spikes is a marble tile under each speaker as you can buy the one that matches the decor the best. Fit those little rubber feet things from Ikea B&Q etc to save the floor being scratched.

GET A BIG RUG regardless!!

[Rare Bird]

Well i have granite slabs under mi speakers i use spikes cups under them, i fitted self adhesive thin cork pad under each cup stop them moving abart.

[Jonboy]

Granite chopping boards from a supermarket, about a tenner a piece, i saw some in Sainsburys the other day, got mine from Asda a few years back, i use them as isolation platforms on my Dresser come hifi stand