B&W 683 and ASW610 MODS (Marble base plates - plinth, SubTrap, add weight on top)

[Grzywa]

Hi !
I have few ideas on tuning my speaker setup. I would like to get your opinion on them. Do you think it makes sense? Do you think it may help or not? If some ideas seem to be good for you but there is something you would like to add? This kind of feedback I'm counting on.

1. OK so first Mod is replacing oryginal wooden plinth (base plate under speaker) with 35% lager made form black Marble. I'm thinking 50cm x 40cm x 4-6cm. That would give additional 20 to 30 Kg of weight for stability and should decouple speaker form floor pretty well.
Check img's


2. Additional weight on speaker. I'm thinking of putting some marble weight on top of the speaker to make it more stable, less prone to vibrations.
This pic shows marble on sub but idea is the same (marble size exacctly same as speaker size DxW)


3. SubTrap with marble platees on top of SubTrap and on top of the sub. Plese see attached drawing.



All black and heavy.

What do You think ???

[Grzywa]

And some rough drawing of SubTrap box...


Top holes to fix marble plate.

[PewterTA]

A lot of people don't care for the sound if their speakers on marble plinths... It will change your sound...so I would recommend testing if you can first... Imaging and dynamics are typically the things affected by doing this. I was going to go this type with my 802s... But found the sound of maple was much better.

[Grzywa]

A lot of people don't care for the sound if their speakers on marble plinths... It will change your sound...so I would recommend testing if you can first... Imaging and dynamics are typically the things affected by doing this. I was going to go this type with my 802s... But found the sound of maple was much better.

Sorry for my ignorance, what is maple ?

And what do You think about other ideas ;] ?

[PewterTA]

Sorry I was on my phone killing time and it was tough to type much of a response...

Maple as in the type of wood maple. It's known around the world that it's acoustic characteristics is the best of all the woods out there. It's what all the top Violin and Piano manufacturer's use when building their top line instruments. Not the entire instrument, but the important pieces that is. It's sonic characteristics are the best.

Marble tends to make speakers sound a lot more harsh and lifeless at least from all the things I've read when they are used as a plinth. IF the marble is completely secured to the speaker, that's a different store (ie B&W Nautilus). But when speakers put on spikes it seems to take all the warmth out of the speaker and it's a very sterile type of a sound. So just a heads up there.

When used, like you're using, as a plinth under a speaker and staying with wood, I would recommend spiking the speaker and to use a metal disc between the wood and the tip of the spike. Most people would say, Why? and doesn't that defeat the purpose. On the contrary, it actually helps because due to the spike's tip and the weight of the speaker and the vibrations, it slowly will implant the spike into the wood which will actually cause a dulling of the sound from the speaker. You want to make sure the spike doesn't work it's way into the wood. So you need some type of metal disc to avoid this. On my old speakers I used a US Quarter under each spike. Did the job and looked cool too (not that you could tell it was a quarter from far away).

One of the most noted places on the Internet for Maple platforms is MapleShade store, their stuff is good... premiumly priced...but the quality is top notch:

http://shop.mapleshadestore.com/departments.asp?dept=46

This is where I'll be getting mine as they are local (about a 2 hour drive to the middle of Pennsylvania) and their prices are a lot better than Mapleshade... Though the quality of their wood is probably not up to Mapleshade's...

http://www.timbernation.com/mapleplatform_popup.cfm

As for your granite and the sub... I would say the it should be fine. having the added weight on top should help. You might notice an initial decrease in the amount of bass, but it should be tighter and more articulate. You just have to turn it up slightly. Course I could be wrong as I've not done that for the sub, so it might increase. Either way, I don't think it's a bad idea... I just can't tell you first hand the outome.

[Grzywa]

Ok got it. Thank's for interesting notes.

I could not find anyone trying what I'm trying to do - fixing marble plinth directly to the speaker as oryginal wooden plinth form B&W is... For sure I'll be trying different combinations here (eg. placeing marble plate on floor and put spekaer with oryginal plinth fixed to the speaker or with speaker directly on marbel platform without oryginal wooden plinth).

Btw. my floor is all marbel. Generally form experience what is better - to use spikes or rubber feet in this case ?

Edit: awww and by the way - I tried my sub (it's on the marble floor on spikes) with 20Kg weight on it (flat - similar to what marble would be) and it sounds better. Bass is more precise and it feels like it's more of it. More in sense that is's kind of stronger - more direct. Before it was transparent, I could not feel differences between some tones... like it was there but not in this room. Now it's here !;]

[leo2498]

Ok got it. Thank's for interesting notes.

I could not find anyone trying what I'm trying to do - fixing marble plinth directly to the speaker as oryginal wooden plinth form B&W is... For sure I'll be trying different combinations here (eg. placeing marble plate on floor and put spekaer with oryginal plinth fixed to the speaker or with speaker directly on marbel platform without oryginal wooden plinth).

Btw. my floor is all marbel. Generally form experience what is better - to use spikes or rubber feet in this case ?

Edit: awww and by the way - I tried my sub (it's on the marble floor on spikes) with 20Kg weight on it (flat - similar to what marble would be) and it sounds better. Bass is more precise and it feels like it's more of it. More in sense that is's kind of stronger - more direct. Before it was transparent, I could not feel differences between some tones... like it was there but not in this room. Now it's here !;]

Hi welcome to the forum I'm using marbel plinth for my 804d and 804S only for the look and I don't feel that this affect the sound but Is only my rookie opinion.

http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=leo2498

[Grzywa]

Hi welcome to the forum I'm using marbel plinth for my 804d and 804S only for the look and I don't feel that this affect the sound but Is only my rookie opinion.

http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gal...member=leo2498

I will find out how it works for me pretty soon.

By the way - I love Your 804s in wardrobe! ;]