Speaker stands for floorstanders (704)

[csuzor]

I recently made the move from bookshelf + stand, to floorstanders (KEF to 704), and although the sound experience is greatly enhanced (highly recommended), I find myself looking downwards slightly to "locate" the sound, even while sitting... a little strange when listening to some "almost realistic" vocal artists (90% hifi usage)

So, has anyone tried speaker stands for floorstanders, and have some recommendations? Should the speaker be inclined backwards a little and just a few centimeters off the ground for best effect? Or much higher and vertical? Do floorstanders depend on the floor for their rich sound, or will they perform just as good on stands?

Advice appreciated
Thanks
Christophe

[jimmyp58]

I don't own B&W speakers but I know there's a company, Sound Anchors, that custom makes B&W speaker stands. You should check out their website. They do a phenomenal job and I think some of the fellas here that have B&W speakers have bought stands from them with great results.

Good luck.

Jim

[csuzor]

FYI,
I did look into Sound Anchors, but nothing for the 70x series (unless it's custom made), which has a wider front than rear side... I want something that bolts on using the existing screwholes, that seems to make the most sense...
The custom designed stands could do a good job, but at $500+shipping, it's getting a little expensive.

http://www.soundanchors.com

In the UK, HNE proposed a nice solution but at £380+shipping...(see below)

I will look into a DIY solution, using those 6mm screwholes to mount some sturdy feet... In the meantime, I have put the spikes in the front, and the rubber feet at the back (I have hard tiles in the room), tilting the speaker significantly, and I have convinced myself I can hear the difference...

Thanks
Christophe

-----Original Message-----
From: hne@pgen.net
Subject: B&W 704's

Chris, yes we manufacture the plinths and these can be custom heights.
The base for the 704 from which the hardwood pillars attach to is 325 deep and 260 wide with integral spikes.
You are looking possibly at a stand mount single column design if you want to raise 20-40cm. If this is the case then I would recommend a larger base to maintain stability.
We have produced 300mm high supports for the 704's and these have been polished black granite profiled bases with 4 satin black square columns.
Direct price 300mm high is £380/pr plus UPS delivery or I would need to quote for the custom design and height.

[bcgator]

Hi Christophe,

I own the 704 floorstanders, and have found that the soundfield can change dramatically depending on toe-in angle. For example, if I toe-in the speakers slightly and point them directly at me and my couch, there's a loss in imaging and the sound does in fact seem to drop to a slightly lower elevation...as if it's coming from just below eye level. But if I point the speakers directly forward, so that they're pointing at the wall to my left and my right, the soundstage increases dramatically and vocals immediately locate front and center (as if they were coming directly from a center speaker), and the sound takes on a much bigger quality. The speakers seem to disappear from the room.

I know this doesn't answer your question about stands directly, but it may be worth playing with speaker positioning to find the sound quality you're looking for.

BCGator

[RJS72]

Hi,

I've been considering the same thing for a new pair of 703's I've just gotten.
I believe that Lovan makes a Jaz-600 stand that is meant for floorstanders and subwoofers. I've never owned them, but a friend had a pair of the Jaz-1800's that he used for his B&W CDM-1NT bookshelf speakers, and they were quite nice. They looked pretty good, had a very sturdy, well-built feel - and he had filled them with sand so they were incredibly solid and sturdy with the extra weight. They also seemd a very good value price-wise.

They may not be what you're looking for since I don't believe thay can actually bolt to the bottom of your 704's, but I thought they might be worth mentioning.

Best Regards,

RJ

[EAmin]

FYI,
I did look into Sound Anchors, but nothing for the 70x series (unless it's custom made), which has a wider front than rear side... I want something that bolts on using the existing screwholes, that seems to make the most sense...

I have Sound Anchors for 703s. I paid around $500 for the all 3 fronts. They look great and they do the job nicely. They've made a difference in sound. I would like to post some pics, but I'm missing a cord to upload digital camera pics. Hopefully I'll find it soon.

Here are some more of my comments on the Sound Anchors:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpost.php4?p=130847&postcount=7

Don't bolt them to the SA stands. Your speakers can come apart as the stands are very heavy. They've been "deadn'd" with some sort of material inside to isolate vibration. Hope this helps!

[csuzor]

Thanks for all the advice.

I have realigned the 704 to avoid "toe-in", as bcgator suggested, and the soundstage increased dramatically, ... and I was pessimistic before I tried! The vocals and instruments locate more realistically, the speakers [almost] disappear. Best investment I have made in a while.


I also see that I am not alone in my quest for floorspeaker stands... Nice to hear that they have improved the sound further, I expected this but could not confirm. EAmin, please post some pics, there seem to be several Sound Anchor models to choose from. What height did you select? How heavy are they? Did you get them custom made?

Thanks
Christophe

[EAmin]

Sorry for the late response.

If you are asking if the stands raise the speakers --- the answer is not really. An inch, if that. The guys there retrofitted the CDM 9NT stand to fit the 703 so it's a cradle. They are not custom.

It is heavy. If I were to guess, they are about 15 lbs each.

Give Bob a call. He's very helpful.

I posted some pics in the Club Rotel forum. Sorry for the low rez.

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?p=135142#post135142

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?p=135191#post135191

[csuzor]

Follow-up: I put 3inch screws into the screwholes below the 704 (tight with washers), raising them almost 2.5inch. Compared to the b&w silicone pads I had previously, the difference is big: I am almost considering putting the foam plugs into the flowports, whereas I was looking for ways to add additional bass to my system yesterday! It's as if the bottom of the 704 is blowing out bass (I even double-checked if there wasnt a flowport under there!)

I am writing this update because I really was not expecting such a difference, and it may just be due to my unusual setup with screws and that my floor is hard tiles.

I will not need the sub for now.
Christophe