In audio, sound is the utmost important quality in a piece of equipment, but build quality, material, and appearance all play a significant role. This is particularly important when it comes to speaker stands. Whether one uses a passed-down 40-year-old, handmade oak speaker stands or $1000+ custom made ones, often times, stands will be the difference between the unique experience one hears in a perfectly treated listening room. Whether one hears the deep, nuanced bass that complements the soundstage or an occasional hollowness with a shake or a squeak, quality speaker stands are not just for audiophiles. It is important to understand the basic principles behind them and what makes them a worthy investment, not just a piece of accessory for your speakers.

Speaker stands are essentially a base plate, support column, and a top plate. The main reason one should always try to avoid using anything else but dedicated stands is because they are specifically designed to minimize vibrations (base plate provides vibration control), while offering support and rigidity (mail job of the column), and support of the speaker and mechanical isolation (job for the top plate). The construction of speaker stands makes a significant difference in the speaker’s performance. Speaker stands should be made from rigid and dense materials and should at least have the same weight as your speakers. In this instance, heavier is often better, thus many manufacturers offer a way to fill the support column with extra weight (sand is the most popular material choice). The goal is to offer most support possible, for if the speaker can introduce any vibration to the stands, then the stand is effectively a failure. The stands should also be properly sized for your speakers, so that there is no extra surfaces. Those extra surfaces on the side or back is what will prevent the speaker from moving the air (breathing) and introduce reflections, thus limiting its potential. Speaker stands should also be easy to adjust, as different speakers will require different distances from the wall or sides

Speaker’s main role is to provide the best possible isolation and support. Since speakers generate sound pressure, one would always want the best possible contact with the solid floor. In that instance, spikes would always be the best choice as they make the best contact with the floor. If floor is wooden, then spikes are not recommended since the floor would then be prone to vibrations, hence Isoacoustics Gaia isolation stands would make a great choice. They are spring loaded and are able to absorb the weight of the speaker and cancel out potential vibrations.

What if you have a favorite speaker stand that checks off all the things we discussed above that makes a great stand, yet you just got new speakers and something is off. Perhaps the new speaker is taller or shorter, or the sweet spot has changed. In this instance one would have a few choices; replace a speaker stand or get an adjustable stand where you can adjust the tilt or height. There are a few reasons why one would want to adjust height or tilt of the speaker. Specifically, one should always aim to have a twitter at an ear level, and tilt helps on the effectiveness of the treble.

Many manufacturers offer their own speaker stands to complement their lineup. While they are simple and convenient choices for the consumer, stock speaker stands often focus on support and appearance but leaves more to be desired in terms of sound quality.

ISOAcoustics difference.

Speaker stands are very important part of the equation to achieve the best sound. Once paired with all the other elements in the room (right speakers, a/v equipment, cables, and room acoustics), the right stands will make a significant difference. After all, if you go into all the trouble of getting the right speakers, a/v equipment, interconnects, and acoustic treatment of your listening room, would you ruin it all by having inadequate speaker stands? ISOAcoustics offers speaker support in several configurations. First, their speaker or component stands that vary in size for different speaker models. These can be used between a monitor and a console bridge or desk in a studio or anywhere on top of speaker stands as an isolation interface. For floor standing speakers, the Gaia line shines, as they re-use the existing spike threads. The iso-puck and OREA series, for components and bookshelf speakers.

We have already established that the main role of speaker stands is to minimize vibrations, and this is where ISOAcoustics Aperta 300 stands excel. Their primary use is with bookshelf speakers and studio monitors. Not only do they provide superior support and vibration control for any speakers under 60lbs, but they also offer tilt option to optimize speaker positioning. The IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R430 Large Sized Isolation Stand, is also all aluminum constructions offers trendy, low key, and lightweight design, while greatly reducing vibration. I have used them with Polk LSI M703 bookshelves. Compared to my custom made oak stands, they offer significantly better support.

These primarily consist of (Gaia line, ISO-puck, & OREA series). The Pucks are designed for lightweight work (up to 20lbs per puck). After using them on my tube amp, dac, and pre-amp, I heard significant improvement with the tube amp. Once in a while, in past, my tube amp tended to get hollow and my suspicion always was that the feet are not adequate enough to carry 70lbs of its weight. Once I added 4 pucks, after 20 hours or so, I never heard that hollowness again. The Orea series supports mid / high weight components (up to 32lbs per unit). While Gaia line is specifically designed for floor standing speakers and can support up to 620lbs. Many floor standing speakers are not weighted equally, so having a set of 4 Gaias would offer superior support by improving weight distribution.

With a plethora of quality speaker stands out there, it may seem to be a daunting task to ISOlate the right speaker stand for your listening enjoyment. However, as long as you understanding the basic principles behind them, you will surely find the perfect stands. After much of my own search, I went with the ISOacoustics line as they offer great support, great design and a good value for the investment.