I have always presumed that the relative benefits of supports were due to their abilities to absorb/dissipate airborne energy from the speakers. As all my electronics are in a different room from the listening room which just has the IBLs in (with furniture!) does it matter what support I use? I am currently using a Target 5 shelf support.I'd welcome your views, enlightenment etc..
Posted on: 23 May 2002 by Craig B
My own take on this is that supports provide a mechanical earth for the components that are sited upon them such that sources of unwanted energy, whether they be externally or internally generated, are rapidly shunted away from the components themselves essentially reducing the time domain of the disturbance.
I believe that it is the speed at which this tranferance of energy takes place that differenciates between the potential performance level of the various stand designs more so than the composition of their material structures.
The market leading performers tend to sacrifice lateral rigidity for vertical in an effort to provide reduced rotational moments of inertia and hence simulate the ideal of a single rigid point source contact to earth.
IME, the Target's performance is mostly let down by its shelf material. Some experimentation substituting alternative source component shelf material will quickly let you know if stand changes will reap performance rewards in your situation. I would suggest you try a Nuance shelf as its properties are ideally what the Target shelves lack (ie. high rigidity and broadband damping characteristics).
Craig
