Question regarding filling speaker stands

[Purité Audio]

I often read how filling speaker stands affects the sound quality , I realise you are adding mass, and that might change the resonant frequency of the cabinet if the speaker is rigidly coupled , I wouldn't have thought that would make an audible difference ?
If I take in some 'grounding' boxes I might crack them open and use the filler to experiment!
Keith

 

[RayDunzl]

If I take in some 'grounding' boxes I might crack them open and use the filler to experiment!

That would be an expensive source for mass-loading.

50 pounds of lead shot - $82.50 delivered here...

 

[DonH56]

I think the idea is more to keep the cabinets from vibrating (rocking) in reaction to the drivers rather than prevent cabinet resonances themselves. Ages ago I did some tests and found that spiking, or even solidly bolting, some speakers to the floor did have an impact on measured transient response. However, testing did not show any of it to be reliably audible, though the usual arguments would be thrown up (not the right listeners, not the right music, not the right electronics, etc.) Several folk have said I need to spike my Revels to the floor and the bass and such will be much tighter, but I haven't had the gumption yet (durn things are heavy!) At higher frequencies there was really nothing seen outside real cabinet resonances in those long-ago tests; most speaker cabs seem unlikely to rock back and forth much at say 1 kHz, too much mass and inertia for that.

I suspect but do not know that the biggest benefit is to make them harder to tip when people brush by them.

Sand is cheap but messy if the stand is not well sealed. I have read endless debates about the proper material to fill; is loose sand OK or should it be something very dense, maybe "gooey" to dampen vibrations, etc. I am surprised some company has not jumped on the bandwagon to create a special stand made of interleaved materials and so forth (probably have and I just haven't been keeping up, as usual).

FWIWFM - Don

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Bingo! Audiophile sand! Hey, we already got audiophile rocks, so why not?

Hey, how about audiophile air to replace the air in your sealed speaker enclosures?

 

[fas42]

Main idea is to increase mass, IMO. The best results I've got with speakers has always been when they're locked in with a higher mass - ideal would be to concrete the drivers in place, so they tied in 100% with the mass of the earth. Even huge speakers done conventially bounce around when you give them a push from the side - and the sound from such always has problems.

 

[Sal1950]

That would be an expensive source for mass-loading.

50 pounds of lead shot - $82.50 delivered here...

And you can keep your shotshells reloaded at the same time.
Good Stuff

 

[Sal1950]

Hey, how about audiophile air to replace the air in your sealed speaker enclosures?

Nitrogen
Already being sold at auto and motorcycle dealers around the country in place of air.
The hook is the larger molecules leak down slower and also make the tires run cooler.
True as far as it goes but,
The real reason is to get you coming back into the dealer to check and manage you tire pressure with their nitrogen,
And as long as your here let me give you my free 24 point safely inspection.
OH did you notice you due for a tire rotation, air clearer replacement, wipers, etc, etc, etc.
Just good marketing.

 

[iridium]

Pea gravel.

iridium.

 

[The Smokester]

Nitrogen
Already being sold at auto and motorcycle dealers around the country in place of air.
The hook is the larger molecules leak down slower and also make the tires run cooler.
True as far as it goes but,
The real reason is to get you coming back into the dealer to check and manage you tire pressure with their nitrogen,
And as long as your here let me give you my free 24 point safely inspection.
OH did you notice you due for a tire rotation, air clearer replacement, wipers, etc, etc, etc.
Just good marketing.

What? Not using Helium? Lighter. Better heat transfer. Higher diffusion coefficient keeps em coming back even sooner.

 

[DonH56]

Hmph. I had my reply days ago but never posted it.

I suggested a range to suit the market and differentiate the product lines:

1. Normal air for entry level.
2. Filtered air for the next level.
3. Then, specially rarefied Himalayan air (blessed by Tibetan monks).
4. Nitrogen for the step down from top. Can't use helium; listener testing and measurements using our own special proprietary tools shows it emphasizes the highs too much.
5. For the very best, some magical mixture you must hear to believe, a special proprietary combination to send you to sonic nirvana. Especially if it leaks out.

FWIWFM - Don

 

[Sal1950]

I suggested a range to suit the market and differentiate the product lines:

The most prevalent air used in audiophool circles is Hot Air.

 

[The Smokester]

Hmm. On reconsideration, I'm thinking Nitrous Oxide.

 

[Nightlord]

Heavy metal (element number 666)

 

[Thomas savage]

My stands are filled with the shards of metal left over from making screws..

Though if anyone is interested I can offer a great price on my own gas, caution flammable!

 

[RayDunzl]

Subwoofer fill...

 

[Sal1950]

Subwoofer fill...

I'd still prefer nitrous oxide, and it don't make your voice go all funny.

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Hmph. I had my reply days ago but never posted it.

I suggested a range to suit the market and differentiate the product lines:

1. Normal air for entry level.
2. Filtered air for the next level.
3. Then, specially rarefied Himalayan air (blessed by Tibetan monks).
4. Nitrogen for the step down from top. Can't use helium; listener testing and measurements using our own special proprietary tools shows it emphasizes the highs too much.
5. For the very best, some magical mixture you must hear to believe, a special proprietary combination to send you to sonic nirvana. Especially if it leaks out.

FWIWFM - Don

Actually, the old Dayton-Wright electrostatics were encased in a sealed bag containing Sulfur Hexafluoride gas, as I recall. I do not think it was BS. The gas was found to have better electrical resistance properties in the stator-membrane gap. The gas sounds lethal, but it is not, except it is a potent greenhouse gas.

 

[DonH56]

Yup, good old SF6 -- I had totally forgotten about that. Better insulator, effectively "dry air" to reduce arcing.

See e.g. http://www.dayton-wright.com/DaytonWright.html

 

[Cosmik]

I am definitely sympathetic to the idea of mounting speakers rigidly and all that, for engineering reasons. But at the same time, I recently mounted my speakers on some of the original lightweight tubular steel 'inverted mushrooms' because I wanted them to look authentically 1970s. They sound just fine - and I wouldn't want to spoil the magic with any measurements just yet.

 

[Werner]

I often read how filling speaker stands affects the sound quality

I have custom-made stands for my DIY actives. They are the traditional four-pillar hollow-tube with top and bottom plate job. Very well made, in fact. The pillars ought to be filled, but right now I have to move them a lot so they are empty.

When running frequency sweeps with REW, not even at a high volume, these stands audibly sing along with the sweep. And this regardless of the speakers being on the stands or not.