Our new JBL 4309 speakers will be on spiked stands. We have a suspended wooden floor with underlay and average thickness of carpet on top. The question is should I just use the stand spikes directly through the carpet into the wooden floorboards below or should I use Chips beneath the spikes on top of the carpet? Our Quadraspire SVT rack has Chord Titanium Silent Mount spike shoes which work superbly well on the carpet. But these are specified for use this way - as well as on hard floors. We can’t really afford two more sets of Silent Mounts so that’s why I was thinking of Fraim Chips. Thanks.
Minimal contact area rock solid and easy to place in correct spot after decorating cleaning etc.
Suspended wooden floor with carpet and underlay and no damage to carpet with the thread going through the weave.
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Cut slits in the carpet for the spikes and slide the Chips underneath so that they sit on the solid floor beneath. You won’t see the slits once it’s done, and if you ever move the speakers in future you won’t have little flat circles in your carpet.
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You might console yourself, it appears that Chord no longer list Silentmounts on their website. Some dealers still list them, although I’m sure it is the stainless steel ones recommended for speakers.
I know someone who swears Herbies are better and a lot cheaper.
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And will also make sliding the speakers into position a breeze. If budget allows StackAudio AUVA 70s work great on suspended wood floors.
I’ve got Silent Mounts under our Quadraspire rack and they made a fantastic improvement over our previous Herbie’s.
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isoAcoustics is another great solution for speakers. I use the Gaia Neo II for my Dynaudio Contour Legacy speakers. I’m on a bare floor, but they make carpet discs to set them on.
I tried IsoAcoustics once and I really didn’t like what they did. Lots of people here seem to like them, but not my cup of tea.
Straight through: KISS!!
Whenever I’ve tried the screw method, with both stands and column, I felt they subtracted musicality, and introduced a rather anaemic and fatiguing listen.
What do the manufacturers recommend?
I’ve also tried screws into the floorboards and locating the spikes in these, though that was with Linn Kans and back in the 80’s before I was married and still with my parents! My experience was exactly the same as yours. I didn’t like the effect at all. I felt it coupled the stands to the floorboards and had a really strange coloured effect.
JBL don’t say. I think I’m going to have to go with Chord Silent Mounts. I’ve got the titanium ones under our Quadraspire rack and they are really excellent. Also I’ve got a set of the SM5 steel ones under our TV rack. A bit of a waste here so I’ll just get another set of these and then use both sets under the speakers.They don’t seem to be listed on the Chord website anymore so maybe they’ve stopped importing them. They are actually made by Andante Largo in Japan. I’m sure there will still be some floating around somewhere anyway. They are expensive but they do bring a really substantial improvement in dynamics, timing and drive.
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I have a new acronym for you: GWWYK!
(Go with what you know 
)
I tried with Index stands and Keilidhs. Perhaps it was just a Linn thing? Anyhow, the Ovators are very happily connected directly through the carpet to the floorboards via their own rather hefty spikes, and at 61kg apiece I am happy to leave them both in situ!
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Thanks. TBH I’m starting to think like you now - just spike directly to the floorboards through the carpet. It’s what I’ve always done in the past. I only got involved with Chord Silent Mounts because I was trying to tweak our Moon/Chord system and they do alter the sound very noticeably. Much more than I would have thought possible for spike shoes. But on balance I’m not at all convinced they are the right option for Naim electronics under our Quadraspire rack or even under the JBL speaker stands. So now I’m inclined to just sell my existing Silent Mounts and return back to the ‘old way’. I found myself mulling over all this as soon as I woke this morning (sad I know!) and my inclination was to get more Silent Mounts as I said. But I wasn’t really convinced and then reading your post made me think more deeply and helped crystallise my thoughts. So thank you!
My long experience of Naim suggests to me that Naim systems don’t enjoy any sort of manipulation from ‘foreign’ components. I know that may be a somewhat fanciful way of looking at it but I don’t how how else to describe it.
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If you cut little slits in the carpet and underlay with a Stanley knife you’ll get optimum contact with the floorboards, and should you move the speakers a quick rub of the pile will restore the carpet to its pristine condition. That’s what we do and there is no evidence of the presence of former speakers or equipment stands.
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Thanks, yes that’s what I’ll do. Also means a few more pennies in the bank from selling my two sets of Silent Mounts.
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I am inclined to agree regarding Naim boxes. They just work. I’ve been moving away from my Russ Andrews Powerkords after experimenting with Powerlines, as the Naim synergy is just so much more beguiling. I really didn’t expect to hear much of a difference.
Before you sell the Silent Mounts, it might be worth a quick experiment under the JBLs?
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Thanks. I probably would if I could but the two sets I have are different types!
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Fair enough Pete!
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Whoops! It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do this (I hate carpets!) but I found that a straight slit was all it took and it wasn’t visible afterwards.