what's the advantage of speaker stands?

[brett_s]

I was hoping a couple of the more knowledgable folks could answer a question for me. Why would you want to use speaker stands on a floor standing speaker? Does placing them on the ground compared to a stand change the sound somehow?

As an example, if you look at the XPL series, you can use stands with them. These are big heavy speakers and I was curious what advantage the steel stands would provide?

Thanks,
Bret

[BMWCCA]

In many cases they're used to get the tweeters up to ear level. In some it is to get the woofers off the floor to clean up the bass. :dont-know:

[mikebake]

You won't hit them with the sweeper.

[brett_s]

one of the things I've heard is that it cleans up the bass. What exactly does this mean and how would it happen? Is this correct or just a myth.

Brett

[ratitifb]

one of the things I've heard is that it cleans up the bass. What exactly does this mean and how would it happen? Is this correct or just a myth.

Brettspecular reflections of the sound waves on the floor at low frequencies (long wavelengths) ;)

[DavidF]

I was hoping a couple of the more knowledgable folks could answer a question for me. Why would you want to use speaker stands on a floor standing speaker? Does placing them on the ground compared to a stand change the sound somehow?

As an example, if you look at the XPL series, you can use stands with them. These are big heavy speakers and I was curious what advantage the steel stands would provide?

Thanks,
Bret

Do some research on boundary effects on speaker system low end response (room effect or boundary effect). You will learn how moving a woofer (not just the speaker box) closer to boundaries toward one boundary (floor), a second (wall) a third (corner) progressively boosts the perceived low end response. Inversely, moving the woofer out into the room lessens the perceived bass response. Also, as you move the system away from boundaries you increase reflected sound and bring on other sound issues. The advantage in moving away from boundaries is a more spacious sound stage (assuming the system was not specifically designed for certain near-boundary positions to begin with).

Room reflections can increase certain bass/low mid range frequencies through coupling effects and diminish others through cancellation. A system sounds different in every room and varies from location to location within the room.

At times a speaker on the floor can sound boomy in certain low ranges despite being designed for floor locations. Moving it up on stands can alter the low end response. Perhaps to lessen the boom at certain frequencies. Hence the vague idea about "cleaning up" the bass. Unfortunately nothing gained is without cost and you will likely introduce problems at other frequencies.

I have not heard the XPL200 on the floor compared to on a stand but I imagine the only goal is to move the high frequency drivers up to higher listening position. Some folks may also just prefer a leaner bass range response and purposely jack them up to lose some low end. Not sure why as this then makes the top end response out of balance with the low.

On the other hand, the Klipsch Heresy absolutely needs to be on the floor and against the wall to have any hope of sounding like it has some low end response. That is the compromise of an efficient woofer in a small closed box. The problem there is that the sound seems to eminate from a low horizon. Try to move it up from the floor or, worse, out a bit away from the wall to allow for a better sound stage and the system sounds bass anemic and heavily tilted up in the mids and highs. Again the give and take.

[brett_s]

thank you for the response, I will look up the items you suggested!

Brett