Allaes : challenge inserting leveling spike

Hi all,

On installing my Allaes recently, one if the leveling spikes only screws in so far on one particular corner; it sticks with about 1.5cm to go. This does not happen with any other corner.

I’ve tried:

  • swapping spikes around: same result, regardless of spike
  • wd40 on spike and in receptor: same result.

Wondering if anyone else may have encountered this problem and know of potential remedies? Many thanks.

Hi, Will any of the other seven spikes go into that threaded hole?

C.

Thanks for replying Christopher.
Yes, they do, but stop at the same point approximately in the threaded hole - there are points of increasing and decreasing resistance as one attempts to thread a spike into the hole. I haven’t tried all seven, but did try the other three on the one speaker. I can try the remainder too.

Thanks. I think I would try lying the speaker on its back, then put the spike into the offending hole. Then lightly tap the thick part of the spike all round with a light hammer. This might dislodge any dirt which could be blocking the thread.

Presumably this means that the speaker sits higher than you’d like - you’ll of course be aware that they should sit as low to the floor as possible, while ensuring that the base is clear of any carpet.

If having tried WD40 and all the other spikes, apart from replacing the receptor, which seems likely to be a lot of work, but maybe not, you could always remove 15mm of the thread from one of the spikes, while ensuring there is enough left to get a good solid fit when tightened.

Thank you HH. Yes, you’re right: this left speaker sits higher than the right and I’m attempting to get it as low as possible. Interesting idea to reduce length of spike; will take that into consideration as I work through this.

You may need to tap the thread in the hole. It may have some stubborn dirt in it, or it may have some damaged thread in it. A look at the condition of the thread on the spike may give an indication of any damage.

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Thanks Graeme.

Looks like I have get started with some tapping!

Another thing you could try is to spray some WD40 on a cotton bud and twiddle it around in the spike hole, with the speaker lying on its side. You could also blow air into the hole using a straw. Endless possibilities!

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@mook Any joy? Or is it too soon?

It could quite possibly just be a bit of rust on the spike thread itself. I’d keep on trying with some WD-40 over a few days…wicking any excess up with some kitchen roll.

A little too soon :slight_smile: Threading the needle of work and home. Hoping to get to it soon. Will definitely update when I’ve had a chance to try some of these ideas.

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I’m pleased to say the issue is now resolved. Thanks to you all for your suggestions.
In the end, I worked with all spikes in the one speaker and worked my way around testing all threaded holes with all spikes. The method that worked: multiple cleans with a cotton bud soaked in WD40 followed by multiple insertions/removals with spikes; this seemed to ultimately free up most, if not all, of the resistance.

Weirdly, once the front left was somewhat freed (rears were fine), I moved to the front right and had exactly the same issue, despite previously being alright with prior spike tests! I figured the speaker gremlin was out in full force and, despite the urge to swear industrially, got to work repeating the same steps. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.

Now at more equal heights, the Allaes are on their way to warming up again. It’s been a while since I’ve had these speakers installed; definitely a different experience to the n-Sats, but I might leave that for another thread.

Thanks again for all the help.

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Hurrah! The cotton buds won the day! Enjoy the music.

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Yes, thank you HH. It all reads a bit “obvious” in retrospect but the music is now back, which is the main thing.

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I’m pleased it’s worked because I wasn’t all that confident of a good outcome.

What’s the rest of your set? Awesome speakers by the way.

Thanks Chris - yes, I’m pleased there was ultimately a resolution (shared similar outcome concern).

Rest of set should be visible in my profile, but core is 282/SCDR/250DR at the moment. Currently road-testing the Allaes again after a period away. Interesting differences cf. n-Sats.

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Thanks. When I clicked on your name I couldn’t find your system which was why I asked.

My Allaes run in less exalted company but still sound great. And n-Sats were my first Naim speakers though I’m hard pressed to recall now how they sounded. Inevitably my question is, beyond the obvious one of scale, what are the differences for you please?

Re: system. Unusual you can’t see; I’ve checked and can see myself. Let me know if you still can’t see when logged in? Core of it is 282/SCDR/250DR.

I’m starting to get a sense of the differences between n-Sats and Allaes. I enjoy them both, but the switch to Allaes recently did take, and continues to take, some adjustment. (I will state now that the original intent was to try them out in the current space just to see what they sounded like, then switch back to n-Sats.)

There is a larger sense of scale with the Allaes, both width and depth of image. I had to move the speakers apart and adjust for bass. There’s certainly more opportunity for bass “bloom” with the Allaes/room interaction, which has needed some continued placement adjustments.

The other difference is the character of the presentation. And this is where language may fail me :slight_smile: I’ve recently been trying to find reasonable analogies, but not found an ideal yet. The first things I thought of were the Allaes sounding more “organic”, “warmer” or “analogue” in nature (not literally, of course). I realise those terms can be divisive and mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. Eddie van Halen once described his guitar sound as “brown” and I’ve been trying to find a similar language term for the Allaes. I can imagine some suggesting a negative “colouration”, which I understand, but I don’t have much to compare against to go into any detail here. If anything, that can help offset risk of fatigue with too clinical a sound, imho.

For me, the n-Sats sound in comparison more forward, more compressed in the image (especially the headroom), with a flatter depth and perhaps a little “etched”? That sounds harsh, is not intended and is where I’m reaching for the right words. Not brighter, per se, but they’re a little more enthusiastic/energetic whereas the Allaes feel as if there’s less effort being employed to present.

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Your profile is hidden, hence why we can’t see your system. If your source (what is it?) is up to it, and you have a solid brick wall, you’ll find that SBLs or SL2s are significantly better than Allaes.