Granite chopping board under speakers

Works well for me. I use custom sized granite under my Ovator s400's with the spikes going into spike shoes. Provides a solid, level foundation with some additional sound benefits. I say give it a try as the Tesco ones are cheap!

I have been wondering the same. My speakers are on stands, but been wondering if granite under them would help any. 

Unless it is a really short pile, spikes won't cause any visible damage to the carpet. The granite slabs are perhaps actually more likely to leave an imprint that would be hard to remove after an extended period. Let the sound be your guide is my advice. Don't worry about the carpet.

pixies posted:

Works well for me. I use custom sized granite under my Ovator s400's with the spikes going into spike shoes. Provides a solid, level foundation with some additional sound benefits. I say give it a try as the Tesco ones are cheap!

Sainsbury's are just as good!

We had a very nice 80/20 carpet fitted last summer, on the same day as my new speakers arrived. Once the speakers were positioned, without the spikes in place, I fitted the spikes and then made four small slits with a Stanley knife to enable the spikes to get through the carpet and thick underlay. This causes far less damage than shoving the spikes though, and means the speakers are really stable. If you ever change the speakers, the slits just close up. I've done this for thirty years and it's never failed. I certainly wouldn't go fannying around with chopping boards. The Stanley knife is your friend - just ensure you have a new blade for maximum sharpness. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

We had a very nice 80/20 carpet fitted last summer, on the same day as my new speakers arrived. Once the speakers were positioned, without the spikes in place, I fitted the spikes and then made four small slits with a Stanley knife to enable the spikes to get through the carpet and thick underlay. This causes far less damage than shoving the spikes though, and means the speakers are really stable. If you ever change the speakers, the slits just close up. I've done this for thirty years and it's never failed. I certainly wouldn't go fannying around with chopping boards. The Stanley knife is your friend - just ensure you have a new blade for maximum sharpness. 

... and here I have been stomping my stands into the floor below 

I did try the Tesco granite chopping boards under my SL2s. Maybe it might work for you but in my case it really killed the music.

Do Tesco's cause a blue / red colouration and Sainsbury's an orange colouration?

I built my own plinths using heavy mineral loaded cement blocks sandwiched between ceramic tiles.  They weigh 35kg each.

Huge posted:

Do Tesco's cause a blue / red colouration and Sainsbury's an orange colouration?

Don't know but if they joined forces they'd be best sellers in Armenia.

Hungryhalibut posted:

We had a very nice 80/20 carpet fitted last summer, on the same day as my new speakers arrived. Once the speakers were positioned, without the spikes in place, I fitted the spikes and then made four small slits with a Stanley knife to enable the spikes to get through the carpet and thick underlay. This causes far less damage than shoving the spikes though, and means the speakers are really stable. If you ever change the speakers, the slits just close up. I've done this for thirty years and it's never failed. I certainly wouldn't go fannying around with chopping boards. The Stanley knife is your friend - just ensure you have a new blade for maximum sharpness. 

Roughly how long are the slits, please?

You put the spikes on the speakers and rest them on the carpet, which will leave little indentations in the carpet. Then you tip the speaker to the side and just press down with the knife held at 45 degrees, where the spike left its mark, until the blade touches the hard floor beneath. If the spike won't seat firmly on the floor, you just cut the slit a bit more. This is repeated for all four spikes, after which you level the speakers in the usual way. It's not very scientific, which is why I can't give you a direct answer, other than 'as long as necessary'. 

I hope that makes sense - it's harder to explain than to do. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

You put the spikes on the speakers and rest them on the carpet, which will leave little indentations in the carpet. Then you tip the speaker to the side and just press down with the knife held at 45 degrees, where the spike left its mark, until the blade touches the hard floor beneath. If the spike won't seat firmly on the floor, you just cut the slit a bit more. This is repeated for all four spikes, after which you level the speakers in the usual way. It's not very scientific, which is why I can't give you a direct answer, other than 'as long as necessary'. 

I hope that makes sense - it's harder to explain than to do. 

Thanks HH, makes sense to me. Will give it a go.

I remember cutting the carpet in my 2nd floor apt and sitting on the stand, then the speakers and what an improvement in sound.

I used to use Tesco granite chopping boards under my speakers then one day "upgraded" to an even cheaper option - small garden paving slabs approx 17" x 12" x 1.5". I guess they are more dense. They really improved the tightness of bass compared to the granite boards.

But who wants paving slabs in the sitting room, or granite chopping boards for that matter? I suppose you could use bags of builders sand for sound deadening and to achieve the whole DIY stylee.

Oh dear....

Indeed !

At the end of the day the whole purpose is best sound quality. I'm only saying I'd like to avoid if possible having to spike carpet but if it has to be done so be it

As HH says I'm sure if you make a neat sharp slit into the carpet to anchor the spike directly onto the floorboard then the speaker will be very stable - simple question is whether putting onto a chopping board improves or ruins the SQ

My 35kg plinths certainly tightened up the sound quite significantly, with more clarity and less colouration in the bass and all the way through the midrange.  There's more detail about this in an earlier thread.

The simple answer is that undampened granite boards (or laid on top of a carpet) ruin the sound under speakers. If they improve the sound, there's something else in the system that's wrong and they're disguising it.

count.d posted:

The simple answer is that undampened granite boards (or laid on top of a carpet) ruin the sound under speakers. If they improve the sound, there's something else in the system that's wrong and they're disguising it.

In some cases, could the damping not be provided by the carpet on which they stand?

I think it excessively strong to assert "If they improve the sound, there's something else in the system that's wrong and they're disguising it." without knowing all the circumstances.

If the speakers have spikes, they have been designed to be grounded to the floor. It's up to the customer to work out how to do this.

The carpet doesn't dampen the granite enough. It just adds a spongey layer, which drowns the delicate drivers' movements.

I don't think it's an excessively strong statement. I tried many different ways to make granite work under speakers and stands, but the only real solution was to cement them solidly to brick through the suspended floor. So I did that. I can't imagine any hifi equipment benefitting from adding a spongy layer supporting a hi frequency ringing slab. As I say, if it does benefit, there must be something wrong with the system, design, room or the listener.     

Good to know you've tried this on all types of carpet all types of floor construction with all types of speaker, to support your conclusion that if there's an improvement, then there *must* be something wrong in the system.

Well, speaking as I knife nerd (which is what I am when I'm not being a hi-fi nerd) the one thing I am absolutely sure of is that granite chopping boards should never be allowed in the kitchen or near a knife!

I can't say I've ever seen the chopping boards in question but, if they cost £14, then I would imagine they would be rather too insubstantial to have a positive effect on the sound from your speakers.

Granite + steel knife = blunt knife
Granite + ceramic knife = 'click' + a lot of swearing.