805S Stands

[AlanB]

I am a new owner of the 805S's and the dedicated stands which look superb. The sound I am achieving is awesome in my small 12'6" x 10'6" room. :T I have scaled down to these from SF Electa Amators, SF Guarneri Homage and JM Lab 927Be's. The 805's do a better job than all three of these. I see there are 3 ways to mount them a) Bolted to stand; b) Spiked on stand and c) On stick on plastic pads. Has anyone experimented with these alternatives? Don't fancy the latter two for fear of knocking off but wondered if anyone has tried lumps of Blue Tack instead of bolting on. :roll:

[Joey_V]

From a Guarneri.. to an 805S and you say it's an improvement...

Bigtime WOW. Enjoy and I hope you find the stand to your liking.

[photoman]

AlanB,

I have the stands for my 805's, yes I barked at the cost; but I glad I got them. Their well made and really sturdy. In fact once you set them up you can see why they cost so much. Well worth the extra dollars. The little 805's are not that light.

[Karma]

HI Alan B,
I have the 805 stands and I love them. I have defended them on this forum against the folks who think they are overpriced and don't want to spent the money. I think they are worth every penny.

Here's how I solved your problem. I mounted the speakers on the small provided spikes. To prevent them from being tipped over, I went to my local nuts and bolts store and bought some metric flat head screws identical to the ones supplied with the speakers but longer. I threaded the scews into the speakers from the underside of the top plate in the provided holes and tightened them a bit. But not overtight. Just snug.

This has proven to be the perfect solution. Good sound, good stability.

Did you run your cables inside the pillars?

Sparky

[AlanB]

Karma you beauty. Never thought of buying longer same size screws. Do you find it better than straight on the stand with no spikes? Yes I thread my speaker cables through the stand. Didn't think there would be enough room but it's fine. I use two separate cables rather than shotgunned because my amplifier Musical Fidelity Nu Vista has two speaker outputs so I felt it better to keep the signal totally separate. I use the new Chord Epic which suits my ear a treat.

[Blindamood]

You might also want to use Thread Loc or a similar subtance, to keep the screws tightly in place, and keep vibrations from loosening the screws over time.

BTW, Karma, what size are those screws...I believe I've seen 6mm specified?

[Karma]

HI Alan,
I think Brad's idea is good. I believe I used Loc Tite on the threads.

I did not test the speakers with and without spikes. I've done this many times before and have proven to myself that spikes help a little. It's generally not dramatic especially if bass is not involved as with the 805S's. Normally the improvement shows up as a more stable image and soundstage. With full range speakers, such as the B&W floorstanders, spikes can also solidify the bass. As you know, spikes and biwiring are controversial subjects here. No matter, just do it, right?

I also have mine biwired. In my case I use two separate cable pairs per speaker. Thus, the pillars have 4 cables running through them. It's really nice to be able to organize the cables so neatly.

But, why not spikes, right? They help me sleep better at night. And they look bitchen!! :W

Sparky

[RobP]

I have the FS stands and think that they do a wonderful job, I have mine bolted directly to the stands with a layer of blue tack in betwen the cabinet and stand, if you are going to use Loc-Tite I would recommend the blue bottle, using the red would require heat to remove the screw.

[EastCoaster]

I have the FS stands and think that they do a wonderful job

I bought inexpensive all-metal stands - you guys are making me feel inadequate... :W

[RobP]

if it makes you feel any better I got mine for free. :B

[EastCoaster]

if it makes you feel any better I got mine for free. :B

Now I'm feeling inadequate as well as green with envy! How did you get them for free?

[caleb]

Heavier stands

Just out of interest, I filled my wifes 805 stands with lead shot.

this had two improvements: -

1 - it makes thje stand and speaker combination more bottom heavy and

2 - it does improve the sound.

Biggest reason however was to make the stands more difficult to knock over.

:W

[AlanB]

Agree - mine are filled with sand. Caleb, do you bolt speaker straight on to stand? Have you tried the blue tack then bolt on. Or what about just blue tack?

[RobP]

Now I'm feeling inadequate as well as green with envy! How did you get them for free?

When I purchased my N805s, I bought a set that someone had purchased and returned after two days, I picked them up with stands for $2K. Pretty much got the stands for free.

[greggz]

Agree - mine are filled with sand. Caleb, do you bolt speaker straight on to stand? Have you tried the blue tack then bolt on. Or what about just blue tack?

My N805's are bolted to the stands and the stands are filled with lead shot.

In my opinion, you want to mass load the stands and then tightly couple the speaker to the stand so they function as one. This will firmly anchor the speakers position in space and tightens up the bass.

Mass loading the stands and then using blue tack would serve to decouple the speaker from the stand and defeats the purpose of the mass loading.

[EastCoaster]

When I purchased my N805s, I bought a set that someone had purchased and returned after two days, I picked them up with stands for $2K. Pretty much got the stands for free.

Yowza! Well, let me ask you guys this: is there a place I can pick up (or have sent to me) two sets of stands at a good discount? What would be a good/fair price per pair?

I agree they look better, provide better support, and probably would add to the sound quality (and if not the latter, then at least the former). Having spent almost a year now with my 805s, I know I'll be keeping them for a long, long time. Might as well go all the way...

[Karma]

My N805's are bolted to the stands and the stands are filled with lead shot.

In my opinion, you want to mass load the stands and then tightly couple the speaker to the stand so they function as one. This will firmly anchor the speakers position in space and tightens up the bass.

Mass loading the stands and then using blue tack would serve to decouple the speaker from the stand and defeats the purpose of the mass loading.

HI gregz,
I'm not clear if you have the most current 805S stands and I'm not familiar with earlier versions. They may be the same.

On my stands the pillar is divided into two vertical compartments. The main pillar volume is intended to be filled with lead shot and/or sand. It is a sealed chamber so the fill cannot leak out. Also contained within the pillar is a tube where the cables can be fed from the base at the floor up to just below the top speaker mounting plate. It's a very nifty scheme. When filled, the stands are very heavy and the cables are nicely out of sight.

I also used the supplied spikes on the bottom plate to couple the stands through the carpet to the cement slab. So, in my set up, the 805S's are spike coupled all the way from the speaker to the slab. It is very stable. My dual ASW800 subs are also spike coupled to the slab as well as my equipment stand.

I do have my pillars filled with a mixture of lead shot and fine sand that I salvaged from my Celestion SL600 stands that the 805S's/stands replaced.

I had the SL600's mounted with Blue Tack. It functioned as both an acoustic coupler to the stand and good old glue. The SL600 had no facilities for screws to attach the speaker to the stand. So, the choice was to just sit the speaker on the stand (very scary) or use the Blue Tack as glue. After many bumps over the years, the Blue Tack glue never failed me. No disasters.

The choice you propose of using Blue Tack rather than the small spikes is interesting. I must disagree with you. I don't know how far back in hi fi history you go, but spikes were one of the original tweaks, introduced by The Mod Squad many years ago under the brand name of Tip Toes. They gained the generic name of "spikes". Spikes became standard issue because they were cheap and very effective as a low mechanical impedance energy coupler. There exists significant theory behind their effectiveness. I spike everything I can and don't ask questions. Years of experience with spikes on all sorts of equipment have made me a believer. These things work.

The idea is not to decouple the speaker from the stand. Rather, it is to tightly couple the two to provide a mechanical "ground" to rid the entire stand/speaker system of mechanical energy and vibration.

I think you ought to revisit your Blue Tack method. IMO, spikes are much better. I can't prove it mathematically (I'm not a Mechanical Engineer) and I have not run experiments with my 805S's and I don't intend to. Thus, this is one man's opinion. I do know the image stability and precision I get from my 805S's is quite simply outstanding. That tells me the mounting scheme is working very well. Maybe you should try it.

Sparky

[AlanB]

How right you are Karma. This morning I couldn't take the smile off my face. I am still burning in new Chord Company Speaker Cable (Epic), their Power Cable into my CD and they have made me a 16 amp IEC Power Cable and Neutrik's between my power supply and amplifier (MF jiggerypokery). The sound gets better all the time and I felt it was the best I have achieved in 40 years of buying Hi Fi. This afternoon tried Blue Tack. Believe me use it for pictures etc. The soundstage came really forward - everything was clear and distinct but unnaturally so. Soon took that out and Aaaahhh!! Still to try spikes but at the moment it is pure bliss. I now understand why one reviewer said "If you can't accomodate electrostatics then these are the nearest you'll get".

[greggz]

Sparky (Karma), you need to re-read my post. I said that my opinion is to mass load the stand and bolt the speaker to the stand and NOT use blue tack.

My speakers are setup just like yours. They are bolted to the stands, the stands are mass loaded, and the stands are spiked to the floor.

[Karma]

Sparky (Karma), you need to re-read my post. I said that my opinion is to mass load the stand and bolt the speaker to the stand and NOT use blue tack.

My speakers are setup just like yours. They are bolted to the stands, the stands are mass loaded, and the stands are spiked to the floor.

HI,
Sorry. Still, consider using spikes.

Sparky

[RobP]

I think Karma actually has his double spiked, one set on the speakers spiked to the platform,with the speaker bolted to the platform as well, and the second set on the bottom,sitting on the floor.

[Karma]

I think Karma actually has his double spiked, one set on the speakers spiked to the platform,with the speaker bolted to the platform as well, and the second set on the bottom,sitting on the floor.

HI Robert,
You are correct. The more spikes, the better .

Sparky

[caleb]

805 stands

I used the small rubber stick on buttons, then bolted the speaker tightly onto the stand.

Also used the smaller channel for the cable - hides then away nicely.

I used about 18 kilos of lead shot in each leg - so the combined wieght of stand & speaker is VERY heavy. :T

By the way - to anyone who has also filled the speaker legs - did you notice a sound improvement??

[AlanB]

I started this thread and realise that audio enthusiasts use different ways of using the same gear. I have settled for the speakers bolted direct onto the sand filled stands. Don't fancy dmaging these beauties by under spiking. The stands spiked into a suspended wooden floor seems to lose focus so my stands are spiked and stand on a slate plinth. Steady as a rock as is the soundstage. May I say that the Chord cabling throughout give them an extra 'magic'.
Thanks for the input guys - one very satisfied listener (at the moment!)

[caleb]

Which Chords??

I started this thread and realise that audio enthusiasts use different ways of using the same gear. I have settled for the speakers bolted direct onto the sand filled stands. Don't fancy dmaging these beauties by under spiking. The stands spiked into a suspended wooden floor seems to lose focus so my stands are spiked and stand on a slate plinth. Steady as a rock as is the soundstage. May I say that the Chord cabling throughout give them an extra 'magic'.
Thanks for the input guys - one very satisfied listener (at the moment!)

Just for interest - which Chord cables are you using??

[AlanB]

Hi Caleb
I am using two runs of Chord Epic to each speaker. Chord Signature interconnect. Chord Power Cable to the CD player and Chord have produced for me a 16amp IEC Power Cable for my Amplifier and two Neutriks cables between my Power Supply and my Amplifier.

[EastCoaster]

I started this thread and realise that audio enthusiasts use different ways of using the same gear. I have settled for the speakers bolted direct onto the sand filled stands. Don't fancy dmaging these beauties by under spiking. The stands spiked into a suspended wooden floor seems to lose focus so my stands are spiked and stand on a slate plinth. Steady as a rock as is the soundstage. May I say that the Chord cabling throughout give them an extra 'magic'.
Thanks for the input guys - one very satisfied listener (at the moment!)

It would be interesting to do a poll to determine if members of the forum who have 805s and who have auditioned both a regular metal speaker stand (say of the $80 a pair variety) and the matching B&W stand (of the $600 a pair variety) found that the latter provided for better imaging, bass response, soundstage, etc...

[caleb]

Signature interconnect

Hi Caleb
I am using two runs of Chord Epic to each speaker. Chord Signature interconnect. Chord Power Cable to the CD player and Chord have produced for me a 16amp IEC Power Cable for my Amplifier and two Neutriks cables between my Power Supply and my Amplifier.

I also have Chord digital interconnect between my DVDplayer and processor, and the signature speaker cable (thank goodness only 1 metre needed).

I am toying with the Signature interconnect between my processor and power amp - but we have no dealer here who could loan me one.

What are your impressions of this interconnect??

[caleb]

It would be interesting to do a poll to determine if members of the forum who have 805s and who have auditioned both a regular metal speaker stand (say of the $80 a pair variety) and the matching B&W stand (of the $600 a pair variety) found that the latter provided for better imaging, bass response, soundstage, etc...

Just an off the cuff response - I would be very surprised if anyone bought the genuine article for anything other than looks - not sure why the B&W stand should sound any different.

[EastCoaster]

Just an off the cuff response - I would be very surprised if anyone bought the genuine article for anything other than looks - not sure why the B&W stand should sound any different.

My thoughts as well, but I've never tested this out... There have been some mentions on how the B&W stands were specifically designed for that speaker, and sound better. At the time I was buying mine, almost a year ago, I just couldn't bring myself to spend six or seven times more for the B&W stands than for a good pair of regular stands. I just always thought the $1,200 (price for two pairs) would be better spent on other parts of my system.

[Karma]

Just an off the cuff response - I would be very surprised if anyone bought the genuine article for anything other than looks - not sure why the B&W stand should sound any different.

HI caleb,
Oh yes, indeed. I did do it for the looks. They are beautiful and match the shape of the matrix enclosure perfectly. The speaker/stands look sensational. Gosh guy's, these speakers are not cheap and I plan on living with them for a long time. It's not too hard for me to justify the price of the stands. Is there something wrong with that?

Other than that, they are made as well as any stand I have seen. I'm sure they work well.

Sparky

[Blindamood]

Can anyone tell me the standard size of the screw (diameter and length) used to attach the 805S to its matching stand? I believe I read somewhere that the diameter was 6mm, but I'm not certain.

I have the 805S, but not the stands...I assume the screws come with the stands. I have other stands, and I'd like to determine if I can attach them wtih screws (possibly by drilling a hole in the proper location).

[AlanB]

Caleb, it's all a matter of synergy. I tried the Signature Interconnect previously with other equipment and non Chord speaker cables and found it overblown. With all Chord cabling and maybe suiting my other gear (the 805S's with such a tight sound) they sound wonderful. Again it's all a matter of the type of sound you like. Try first!! As an aside I tried a certain Distribution Block with previous equipment and it sounded awful but with my current setup it 'sings'. :lol:

[Mark_C.]

Purchased my set on Audiogon for $300. The seller lived half an hour away, so no shipping. Audiogon plus patience equals a much better price than new.

[AlanB]

As I said previously happy with the 805S's bolted to the stand. However curiosity made me try Karma's insistance on trying spikes with purchasing longer 6mm bolts to secure the speakers to the stand. Bingo!! Karma you are so right. Even more transparency and detail I have never heard in well worn discs yet the sound is not cold and 'digital' - just natural. The soundstage is truly 'walk into'. Well done Karma, you've done it again - Thank you.

[Karma]

HI Alan,
Thank you. You made my day.

Sparky

[pramod]

Hello Everybody,

Since every one is talking about the speaker stands for 805's, I have a question for all the experts out there, one of my friend have custom made his stands with "Granite Stone" and they are very very heavy with three sharp pointing spikes made out of BRASS metal glued with Lock Tight, and he says balancing the three legs stand is easier then balancing the four leg stand as most of the audiophile stands and audio racks out there have only three legs to them and are easily balanced if the floor is un even, and he also say's the Granite has a good impact of producing the tighter bass... He is using these stands with his Dynaaudio Crafts, and I have heard the sound and it is just amazing, how about using these custom made stands for my future 805 speakers. so what do you all think....??? please I apologize if I have high jacked the thread.

Thx for any insight on this