Are speaker stands really mandatory for bookshelves?

[Rockfella]

Stands only should matter if you're using monitors to do something monitors are made for and everything is critical. Speaker height/angle etc.

 

[whazzup]

I use a pair of Isoacoustics stands on my desk for my bookshelf speakers, and can only say that they definitely don't make matters worse. But I've always been curious of their construction. The feet between stand / desk and stand / speaker are rubber, but unlike blu-tack / sorbothane, they're concave and creates a suction between the various surfaces.

Which reminds me of double sided suction cups

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Suction-Sliding-Bumpers-Spacers/dp/B079L5JZY4/

Or these:

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Sided-Professional-Strength-Smooth-Surface-Bathroom/dp/B07H6QFMMC/

Or these:

https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Brain-Toys-Suction-Gifts/dp/B079CHXD52/

Which leads me to think that one of Isoacoustics' aims was to couple the speakers to the stands and the stands to the desk (or whatever resting surface) to form as rigid a structure as possible.

Maybe instead of blu-tack, we should start using suction cups?

 

[Koeitje]

When not putting them on stands you also have to think about reflections of the surface they are put on.

 

[Booker]

Just replaced some urethane foam pads that were below my S400, and "decoupled" them with four double-sided suction cups from the IKEA BESTÅ frame.

 

[whazzup]

Just replaced some urethane foam pads that were below my S400, and "decoupled" them with four double sided suction cups from the IKEA BESTÅ frame.

That sounds interesting~ take a photo?

 

[pjug]

Sorbothane hemispheres are another option if you want to reduce vibrations into desk, bookshelf, cabinet. Use two sizes to give a tilt.

 

[Booker]

That sounds interesting~ take a photo?

Currently, cups are 30mm in diameter, the material is probably silicone. I didn't expect that the cups will be not so soft. Therefore as the speakers sit on them by their own weight and fully pressed them, so there is probably no further space for dampening.

The funny story is when I installed them, I turn on my system with around -35dB on ADI DAC and started playback. Immediately after playback started my jaw dropped down - OMG "day and night". Then I realized, that loudness is still applied from the previous evening listening session


A few pictures of the installation:

https://imgur.com/a/w3Ba2II

The previous foam:

https://imgur.com/iMnROJP

 

[whazzup]

Currently, cups are 30mm in diameter, the material is probably silicone. I didn't expect that the cups will be not so soft. Therefore as the speakers sit on them by their own weight and fully pressed them, so there is probably no further space for dampening.

The funny story is when I installed them, I turn on my system with around -35dB on ADI DAC and started playback. Immediately after playback started my jaw dropped down - OMG "day and night". Then I realized, that loudness is still applied from the previous evening listening session


A few pictures of the installation:

https://imgur.com/a/w3Ba2II

The previous foam:

https://imgur.com/iMnROJP

TBH it was more of a casual observation, cool that you tried it out. I did notice you have many layers of foam beneath the speaker?