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Speaker Stand fill material


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Guys, I would be interested in what you are using to fill your speaker stands.

 

I have read some using steel shot, lead shot and dried sand.

 

Some worry about the toxicity of lead, but if it is sealed in the tube of the speaker stand, is it really dangerous?

 

Does sand deaden more than steel shot?

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

 

\"It would be a mistake to demonize any particular philosophy. To do so forces people into entrenched positions and encourages the adoption of unhelpful defensive reactions, thus missing the opportunity for constructive dialog\"[br] - Martin Colloms - stereophile.com

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For my former rear av stands i used sand, i didn't consider the deadening factor - just wanted the stands to be planted.

I used to have floor standers and for these i used lead shot. The lead shot was a lot easier to manage and was heavier per unit quantity, i found the sand to just cause a mess and get everywhere.

Mind you for these things it really comes down to your own personal preference.

 

Regards

Gordon

 

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I saw those, having a tough time finding those in the states.....

 

 

Jeff

 

\"It would be a mistake to demonize any particular philosophy. To do so forces people into entrenched positions and encourages the adoption of unhelpful defensive reactions, thus missing the opportunity for constructive dialog\"[br] - Martin Colloms - stereophile.com

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Yep there seems to be only one dealer in the states, although im sure they can deliver to you, or you can buy direct from the site direct I beleive! may be worth getting to the checkout to see the delivery costs.

I suppose you could always visit a metal fabrication company or the like, and see if they have small metal off cuts. I would think steel ball bearings would be another solution however I imagine that could be costly and even harder to track down! Just to add to your list of options!!

 

Jim

 

PS Audio Quintet, PS3, Laptop/Mediamonkey/XP, PS Audio DLIII DAC, Cyrus Pre Vs2, 6 Power, B&W 685

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  • 4 weeks later...

Make sure it is dry and inert (no lifeforms!) and the finer the better. Sand has been used in speakers for decades in the DIY community and should also work for stands. I would be wary of any benefits offered by commercial materials, it's only got to damp the stand walls and weigh down the base, after all.

 

Regards mess - get yourself a good funnel, clear some space and don't do it in a rush. Also ban small animals (human or otherwise) who might want to get involved.

 

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Thanks Shenzi, all good advice, I ended up getting kiln dried commercial sand from Home Depot, you are right, you can't be in a hurry!

 

Jeff

 

\"It would be a mistake to demonize any particular philosophy. To do so forces people into entrenched positions and encourages the adoption of unhelpful defensive reactions, thus missing the opportunity for constructive dialog\"[br] - Martin Colloms - stereophile.com

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Thanks for the inquiry Jeff and good to see you picked the sand alternative.

 

You need to stay as far away from lead as possible.

 

I am not a radical environmentalist by any stretch and do not want to preach but lead is an incredibly toxic substance and exposure to even the smallest quantities wreaks absolute havoc both on children and adults. The fact that it was allowed in paints, fuel and toys for so many decades is a sad commentary on the political system in our country; lead's toxicity has been well documented for decades.

 

Unfortunately, lead is still used (today legally and illegally) in many toys, electronics and even the plastic covering electrical wires as it provides some commercially interesting characteristics (e.g. flexibility, durability), so you need to make sure you wash your hands after handling anything plastic, especially before eating.

 

 

 

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Another interesting source of lead, it is alloyed in some steels, to improve the machineability, it acts as a lubricant.

 

Jeff

 

\"It would be a mistake to demonize any particular philosophy. To do so forces people into entrenched positions and encourages the adoption of unhelpful defensive reactions, thus missing the opportunity for constructive dialog\"[br] - Martin Colloms - stereophile.com

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  • 2 years later...

I've used Garnet. It's easy to find as mountains of it are used industrially as an abrasive. It's heavier than beach sand and inert and already dried.

 

regards[br]Michael[br]Mac mini & Amarra 3 | Weiss Minerva | CEC TL-51x | Octave HP500se | ADAM Tensor Delta active speakers. [br]MacBook Pro | V-DAC | Yamamoto HA-02 | ATH-W1000[br]AppleTV | DACMagic2 | Sugden A25 | ADAM HM2

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I know this against conventional wisdom, but I filled my Skylan Stands for my Harbeths with Kitty Litter. I did so on the advice of the owner of Skylan who recommends it based on his testing of rice, sand, shot and kitty litter.

 

BTW, I suggest using fresh litter .... LOL

 

Q

 

Steve Kuh[br]Mac Mini > Glyph HD > Weiss AFI1 (slave) > modded Esoteric D70 (master) > BAT VK51SE > Classe CA400 > Harbeth Super HL5[br]\"Come on the amazing journey and learn all you should know...\"

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In my place, some audio shops has iron powder for filling the speaker stand. However, you need to try yourself how much to fill. Usually it is not necessary to fill it fully, it will sound too dampened and dead.

 

Ordinary sand is not as good because of the lesser density, the moisture and the micro-organism in it.

 

I now use Music Tools stand and they have special fillings provided and there is no need for me to fill my speaker stand anymore.

 

Good Luck.

 

MetalNuts

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I would agree in that I cannot understand how eliminating resonance from a speaker stand would make the speaker sound too dampened and dead. It doesn’t make sense to me.

 

I have used silica sand and Lovan’s Black Gold to fill speaker stand columns. I was surprised how much moisture is really in the sand (and the wife was none too happy when she caught me with sand in the oven). The Black Gold was the best and easiest stuff I ever used but quite costly at about $40 for a one gallon bottle but it does flow like liquid and has much more dense properties than some of the alternatives.

 

 

 

"A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open."
Frank Zappa
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The reason I cannot figure out just like many things concerning Hi Fi, believe it or not is up to the person trying it.

 

The experience I had might only apply to my system and stand I used. I filled my speaker stand with iron powder which is quite fine not grainy at all, I gradually filled more and more and it kept improving giving the system a solid bass and darker background (the improvement is subtle each time but very noticeable from without any fillings and up to half length) until the threshold at about 3/4 of the length of the stand and the sound became not lively at all and very mechanic.

 

My good guess is that what we are trying to deal with is the vibration caused by the machine, the air etc. The stand like cones, insulators are trying to control the vibration not to eliminate completely the vibration but keep it at a optimal level (vibration free might not be possible and might not produce the best sound, the sound we hear/feel is vibration of the air) where harmony of the whole system can maintain. If different materials making the cones and insulators would cause the system sounds differently, why not the stand, so it might also with the different materials filling up the stand and the amount of filling. The optimal amount of filling I guess is where the system benefits most from the vibration (or the absorption of vibration). If filling the whole stand with absorption material will give the best results, why not from the very beginning make the stand solid instead of hollow (in that case, it seems like placing the speaker on a solid metal rod). Further, the type of floor (stone or wooden type) the stand is placed would alter the optimal vibration so the amount of filling is to adjust the amount of vibration absorbed.

 

Would be glad if someone can explain and elaborate, I have no supporting to my aforesaid at all, just experience.

 

 

MetalNuts

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A heavy piece of wood, like a Maple butcher cutting board, I don't like metal nor sand, they can kill necessary resonances from your speaker cabinet and frames, between 2 to 3 inches thick, heavier your speaker, thicker the board.

 

Maple has being always recommended also for music equipment racks.

 

I found this, but it should be another places:

 

http://www.buybutcherblock.com/

 

Happy listening,

 

Roch

 

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