Metal discs (e.g. Fraim Chips) to stop rack spikes breaking the surface of a concrete floor?

Hi-Fi Corner
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Are Naim Chips mainly designed to work with spikes on them on a wooden floor?

Or on concrete?

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Naim Chips

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Hi Seakayaker

Thanks for letting me know that Quadraspire spikes are stainless steel in an aluminium casing.

(I only just read that properly.)

The Quadraspire spike you use - and the much cheaper QC ones - allow the tip of the spike to enter a conical hole a few mm deep.

I can see that this must make them much less prone to sliding off the metal disc if the rack is shoved sideways.

What puzzles me is whether inserting the spikes into a conical hole defeats the purpose of having spikes?

Because if the spikes slot snugly into a cone-shaped hole with the entire weight of the rack and 4 heavy Naim boxes pressing the spike into the cone-shaped hole, then in effect the spike and the spike shoe seem to me to act in almost all normal circumstances as one tightly-coupled entity.

So why not just screw on flat-bottomed shoes and dispense with the spikes?

Jim

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I suppose one answer to my own question is that spikes allow the owner to put different types of shoes on the spikes, e.g. raw spikes, QC shoes, QX7 shoes, flat shoes, etc.

But still, when one is using spikes into QC or QX7 shoes it seems to me that the spikes achieve nothing and it would be simpler and better to just screw that type of shoe directly into the rack structure.

(In practice, this is not offered as an option in many makes of rack.)

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No there are definitely additional layers of decoupling when a spike shoe is used even if it has holes, such as those above or even Linn Skeet. But not all shoes use that system. Many use a depression to guide the spike to a central location and do not touch the sides of the spike at all.

Each has advantages and disadvantages. Holes protect the spike from deformity so that it is always usable even when the spike shoe may no longer be needed. But the contact area is a bit higher. Depressions or flats, initially have minimum contact area (good) but a heavy load nearly always deforms the tip of the spike so that the contact area slowly increases anyway and the spike tip gets blunted to a degree it can no longer pierce a carpet.

I I loaded up a Quadraspire rack so much once that the spikes basically cold welded to the spikes (cups, not holes) and after disassembling I had to knock the shoes off with a mallet. The tips of the spike were completely squared off.

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I donā€™t know for sure, but performing a quick Google search I found several retailers advertising these items to protect wooden or ceramic floors. I once questioned on here if they were any better than 10p coins and was advised by RD that Naim Audio had tested numerous different options and found that Fraim Chips had the least detrimental effect on the sound.

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Did you use Naim Chips under your NBLs?

And under your racks?

I currently have my SL2 spikes directly on top of 30mm granite slabs on top of my carpet.

Perhaps I should get 16 Naim Fraim chips - for my 2 racks and my SL2s?

In the new room I will cut whatever slits are required to get the Chips in.

Also, do you know the approx. diameter and thickness of Chips?

Thanks
Jim

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It will be very worthwhile getting the SL2s spiked to the floor rather than to concrete slabs floating on carpet.

If your floor is concrete and a bit crumbly then trying to get chips in there is a good idea.

As for slitting carpet. This is usually best as otherwise the spikes just tend to couple to or float on the carpet. Itā€™s usually invisibleā€¦

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Yes, I used them under my NBLs and under the Fraims. I now use them under the Titans. I have four spare Chips, so have just measured one with a rule (too lazy to go get a vernier calliper). Diameter 40mm, thickness ~7mm.

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Brilliant - many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.

Jim

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I just checked my existing rack spikes and they are still sharp.

That makes me think I should repeat what Iā€™ve done here in the next room, i.e. cut slits in the carpet and underlay.

I just found out that underlay is usually glued to concrete floors.

If so, then it would be hard and messy to try to remove the underlay and get a Chip in.

Assuming the underlay is glued in the new room, this layer of slitted underlay and glue (plus the slitted carpet) will help to stop the spike from crumbling the screed layer on top of the concrete.

It will also provide a bit of damping of the aluminium column itself.

Simples!

When Iā€™ve found the exact position for the SL2s, I plan to cut out a rectangle of carpet under each speaker so the carpet doesnā€™t interfere with the leaf spring mechanism of the SL2 base plates.

And then plant the spikes directly into the slitted (glued) underlay, which again should stop/slow the spikes from crumbling the screed.

This has the advantage of the tweeter not being raised up above ear level on 30mm green slate blocks and Chips.

(Itā€™s also simpler and cheaper.)

Now I just need to decide whether to fire down or across the 6 x 3.6M roomā€¦?

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