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[Mark DeBellis]

I have seen it said that if you fill up the column in a speaker stand
with too much sand, it can deaden the sound. According to this, what
you want is a happy medium between the speaker being damped too little,
or too much, by the stand.

I don't understand this because I would think that ideally what you
want is for the speaker to do its own thing isolated as much as
possible from everything else. But what's the truth about it?

I have B&W N805 speakers. Is there a reason why the B&W $600 stands
are sonically better than other stands, or is there a less expensive
alternative anyone would recommend that works well with those speakers?


Also, I have seen people recommend lead shot as an alternative to sand.
Does anyone know if there is a toxicity issue with this? The salesman
pointed out that Atabytes are non-toxic, but they are expensive. It is
not so easy to get dry sand around here. What is a good choice for
filling stands with?

Thanks

Mark

[Skeeter]

Hi Mark.

You're thinking regarding speaker stands is correct. We hope to hear
the speaker's output, and only the speaker's output. Without
sympathetic harmonics and such added to the program. There are
extremely rare expceptions that engineer the speaker stand to augment
or diminish the speaker's output in a beneficial manner.

Lead shot is not a toxicity hazard unless it is not sealed properly.
Lead is a more inert, acoustically dead material than sand. Sand is
basically granulated silica. Lead should provide an improvement in
vibration damping. Hell, mercury may work great as well... as long as
it doesn't leak!

If I may offer a low cost, fairly easy alternative... Have you
considered hanging or "flying" the speakers from the ceiling with rope
sling cradles. In most all cases I have found that speakers with
stands, or bookshelf speakers really come alive when suspended in the
air. No resonances, harmonics, unwanted transmission lines.

This method allows you to set the height and angle of the speakers
exactly to your room's best preference. It also is great for
aesthetics as it makes the room look more spacious and there is less
clutter on the floor.

All the best to you,
Skeeter

[Guest]

"Mark DeBellis" <mad1@columbia.edu> wrote in message
news:dkp68t02ne8@news2.newsguy.com...

[Uptown Audio]

Get play sand from Kmart. It's about $2.50 per 50lb bag. Clean,
non-toxic, dead. Fill the columns either half way, 3/4 or all the way.
The stands that B&W make are at the height that they feel gives the
best bass response. You can use any stand you like and as a general
rule, the tweeter or the midline of the tweeter and bass driver should
be at ear level when you are seated. So sit in your listening position
and measure from the floor to your ears. Then subtract the distance
from the base of the speaker to it's tweeter or midline between the
tweeter and bass driver and you arrive at the proper speaker stand
height. See how close that measurement is to the B&W stand. Probably
within 2".
When I say that you can fill the stands to several different levels, I
am not being silly but you can choose the spot that makes the stands
the most stable. I guess you could fill them all the way up, but that
may make them a bit more top heavy than 3/4. Lowering the center of
gravity for them will help to keep them from getting knocked over. A
chunky looking steel stand is the best stand (heavy) and they can be
rather expensive. Just look for the best made stand at a price that
you find acceptable.
-Bill
www.uptownaudio.com
Roanoke VA
(540) 343-1250

"Mark DeBellis" <mad1@columbia.edu> wrote in message
news:dkp68t02ne8@news2.newsguy.com...

[Ron Stewart]

Mark,
I had a friend who had speakers similar to the 805n and he solved the stand
dilema by hanging them by cables from the ceiling. Sounded just fine to me.

--
Ron Stewart
Santa Rosa, Calif.
"Mark DeBellis" <mad1@columbia.edu> wrote in message
news:dkp68t02ne8@news2.newsguy.com...

[Gene Poon]

Uptown Audio wrote:

[Mark DeBellis]

Thanks to all for your kind responses.

Mark