Marble, slate, granite, MDF or other material slabs under speakers?

Do you use marble, slate, granite, MDF or other material slabs under speakers?

How thick is it?

If so, what is under the slabs, what speakers do you have, and are their spikes on the slab?

Do you use Fraim chips or similar too?

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Perhaps responders could clarify the nature of the floor, such as solid or suspended and any floor covering?

Oh, that is spooky @JimDog as just a couple of days ago I was wondering the same question. When I first got into hifi in the 70’s it was quite popular to use concrete paving slabs under speakers. They were, at the time, claimed to be particularly good on suspended wooden floors which were covered in carpet. Personally I never went down this route as I couldnt detect an improvement, but a few of my mates were convinced it was better!
It will be interesting to get 21st century thoughts from forum members.

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Mine are DBL’s directly on to Naim chips. Floor is screeded concrete with oak floorboards. I’ve tried a set of Mana stands but went back to Naim chips as I felt the system had a slightly more ‘live’ feel to it. Centring the chips with the spikes seems to make a lot of difference. I might try the Mana stands again but moving DBL’s on to stands is not something you undertake lightl!

30mm granite spiked slabs with Atacama speaker chips over solid concrete floor. I wasn’t happy with the clearance beneath the underside of my speakers (the Neats have a downward firing port) when the speaker spikes were levelled up through what is a quite thick carpet and underlay.
The slabs provided the necessary clearance and tightened everything up as well

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Did you buy the granite spiked slabs?
If so, do you remember where from?
Or did you make them or have them made?
Is this just a female screw thread embedded into the granite to take a long enough spike?
Do the spikes reach through your thick carpet (and underlay) and rest on the concrete floor?

30mm granite slabs too, with a set of Atacama speaker chips between the spikes and the slabs.
Blu tack underneath the slabs to stop them sliding around. Suspended floor - very springy, so I think I can do better, I might try something like Isoacoustics Gaia. I had the slabs specially made, but there must be cheaper options. Oh, incidentally, the granite is black - I’m sure it makes a difference…

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I have my ProAcs on spikes > Naim Chips > 3cm granite slabs > Herbie’s Audio Lab Giant Fat Gliders on suspended wooden floors.
Slabs are more to protect the speakers from all assaults of sweepers and clumsy feet as their mass is not great enough to annihilate speakers and room resonances. Nevertheless I like the idea that they somewhat help.
I had to keep the Chips as spikes on granite gave some acidity in the high medium.
Skip introduced me to the Herbie’s. I’ll take this opportunity to thank him again as I have realized not having sent him my feedback on these. They help in absorbing some of the typical room to speaker resonances and improve articulation in the lower spectrum. There are great sliders as well when it gets to move speakers around in the quest of better sweet spots.
All this to suggest that another answer may be with suspended speakers. I am looking at the Townshend Seismic Isolation Podium for when I will change my speakers probably for K6 Signatures.

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I had the slabs made to measure from a company on the bay, they had the threaded female sockets fixed to the underside with epoxy resin and came with long spikes with locking nuts. The carpet and underlay where star cut and the slab spikes are levelled onto the concrete floor

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Anyone tried the sprung support pod things that Townshend offer?

e.g.

I’ve got two granite kitchen worktop protectors for under my speakers. This was suggested by Bob at Neat. On my previous speakers I got two granite slabs but they cost me about £100. But these are to small for the Explorers. These were £28 from a well known shopping site.

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Interesting how many use granite 30cm slabs.

Marble I think is more dense.
But I’m not sure how each one resonates.

Some say that slate is better - perhaps because it’s more layered and the layers change (damp) the way the slab resonates?

But, as always, it’s whatever works depending on floor, speakers, room , etc.

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My previouse speakers (Wilson Bensch Curve) had a secondary downward firing port and as a result had a difference sound dependig if it wa standing on a carpet floor or woodern floor - so I have some custom made granite slabs made which not only raised the level of the tweeter to ear level, but also improved the sound. When I sold my speakers I sild the granite slabs as well as the buyer liked the sound with them… my current speakers sit on isoacoustics gaia pods…

Hello–I have not tried the Pods that Townshend offers, but I did purchase his Podiums which are intended to do the same thing. They made quite a difference. I have a new house with wood I beams and engineered wood trusses. The floor does not have the bounce that is associated with normal wood construction. It is covered with a carpet. Podiums

I’ll think about those for me next speakers :slight_smile:

Solid wood is also option … you can easily play with it … spikes or other things …

@Hanumike,

I bought almost identical granite spiked plinths for my Neat Momentum SX5i’s, also with Atacama spike shoes. In my case, the Momentum’s have a downward firing bass driver.
But I have a suspended timber floor with laminate floor finishes.
The plinths helped to tone down the bass from the speakers and are a lot cheaper and don’t take up as much floor space as the “Neat Feet” that can be bought as optional extras for the Momentum’s.

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HAHAHA…So funny… I just got these this morning. I needed to raise my speakers a bit to get the tweeters to ear level.

Butcher Block Acoustics. 3" ( 76mm) thick Solid American Black Walnut. Got them with the optional M6 brass threaded inserts. Absolutely gorgeous

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It’s definitely the best not expensive option, and nice looking too. The sound is natural, not bright or cold as with marble .

Thanks FR… yes not bright like Granite or Marble… Inexpensive… thats relative $450.00 the pair. But shipping was free :grinning: