Spikes. More smoke & mirrors?

[Neil McCauley]

If, as seems to be the common consent, spikes on stands are crucial to getting the best out of loudspeakers in particular and many types of audio equipment in general, why is it that the finest pianos in the most excellent concert halls throughout the World are either on wheels or flat feet i.e. never spikes? Potential damage to the stage is surely not a practical consideration because protection can be provided.

Also when visiting modern professional recording studios, I’ve seen the same thing – no spikes.

I’ve asked numerous loudspeaker designers in the UK, Europe and N. America about this and most of them confess to being baffled. The others are non-committal. I have no idea either. A bit odd!

[markf]

The finest cellos in the most excellent concert halls throughout the World are on spikes,
but that really just clouds the issue of speakers and spikes.
So pianos no, cellos yes, speakers optional ! would be my answer to this conundrum.

[Steve Toy]

My speakers are not on spikes. The speakers I had before came with spikes. In the last few months in my system I removed them.

However, remember that a piano creates its own natural resonances. Microphony in a hi-fi system is never going to add anything of musical merit to what is already on the disc. I guess spikes in hi-fi (not just under speakers) may be crucial to faithful reproduction if not to live performance.

[Mike]

I've started moving away from spikes (no pun intended ).

These days I prefer those RDC cones/cups and that sort of thing, although I'll have to drag my old Origin Live TT stand out of the loft soon and that has some of the most evil and vicious spikes ever!

Might have to do something about that!

[anthonyTD]

If, as seems to be the common consent, spikes on stands are crucial to getting the best out of loudspeakers in particular and many types of audio equipment in general, why is it that the finest pianos in the most excellent concert halls throughout the World are either on wheels or flat feet i.e. never spikes? Potential damage to the stage is surely not a practical consideration because protection can be provided.

Also when visiting modern professional recording studios, I’ve seen the same thing – no spikes.

I’ve asked numerous loudspeaker designers in the UK, Europe and N. America about this and most of them confess to being baffled. The others are non-committal. I have no idea either. A bit odd!

hi howard,
i remember seeing a demonstration max townshend did at the heathrow show a couple of years ago. he was showing his latest speakers, which were suspended on frames via some hefty springs, he put a track on for us to listen with the speakers floating on the springs and i must say, they sounded very good, with even tonal balance etc, anyway, after the track had finnished, he wedged some spanners in between the spring and frame mechanism, making the speakers rigid, as if they were on the floor, he then played the same track again, i was shocked! the bass had disapeard! it just goes to show, there isnt a one fix for all where music reproduction is concerned.
anthony...

[Neil McCauley]

Ah yes indeed. I experienced the identical demo. I had the same experience as you. Max did have some theories, but although he was able to predict the effect, he was at a loss, other than in general terms, to explain the mechanics of it. Or perhaps I didn't undertstand his explanation. Quite possible actually. Anyway, Max was in fact one of the designers who I asked about the piano, and he had {at that time} no idea why pianos did not have spikes.

As a small deviation from this thread I started, during the same day where he demonstrated the spanner effect, he demonstrated something else which had such an impact on me that I decided there and then that after I wrote up the account of that visit for Hi-Fi News, that was going to be my final review.

I did write the review of the full Townshend system, but the then Editor (the one between Mr Miller and Mr Harris, can't remember his name) spiked it. No pun intended.

First and only time it ever happened. I never found out the entire reason why, however some months later an ex-employee of the publisher told me that the impact on some very influential advertisers would have been such that to print the review would have been commercial folly. "Bit too positive old chap!"

Moreover, and this was the bit I found a bit worrying was the flaw that Max had identified, and demonstrated to me re the majority of audiophile product review shortcomings would have had a negative effect on the public's perception of the reliability of reviewing. How much lower could it go I wondered?

My comment to them about holding back the invention of X-rays to protect the interests of witch doctors was, they felt, unhelpful. Ho hum.

I have a feeling that the current Editor has a better grip on things than the guy before him. Even so, I'm not returning to freelance reviewing. NUJ rates were £115 per 1,000 published words. Hardly worth the back ache let alone the head ache. Mind you, I gave those paltry fees to a number of low-profile and very deserving charities.

[griffo104]

I always thought spikes were there just to ensure a good contact with the ground, especially if carpets were used, certainly I've not heard any benefits from having spikes other than to balance a speaker optimally.

I took the spikes off my speaker stands and blu-tacked them to granite chopping boards, sounded much better this way.

[Filterlab]

I've always found spikes to improve the sound of loudspeakers, but not anywhere near as much as the surface they are standing on. However spikes (for me) don't work so well for most components, saying that they worked VERY well with my MF player & DAC.

[Iain Sinclair]

I've not detected much difference between the sound of spiked and not-spiked speakers, but did manage to inflict a nasty flesh wound on my foot with a speaker spike, so the spikes are now in the bits box.

[Filterlab]

...but did manage to inflict a nasty flesh wound on my foot with a speaker spike...

Yeah, I did that some years ago with a pair of Mission 702s when moving house, spike went right through and poked out the other side. Feckin' painful that! Luckily the spikes on the small Mission floorstanders were only M4 so very slim - no permanent damage.

You see, people just don't realise what a hazardous hobby hi-fi is!