Spires tweak...weights

[daveneumann]

Tom will probably move this to Tweaks, but I am posting it here since this gets more traffic than the other pages.

I am still experimenting/tweaking my Spires after 9 months as these are the first Logan's I have owned and keep learning about them and how to set them up. Little changes can make little or big differences!

Today I tried putting a 10 pound cast iron weight (from a barbell set) on the box of each speaker. There is a piece of very thin carpet foam between the speaker box and the weight to protect the speaker and to keep the weight in place and from vibrating.

First impressions are that the weights improved the sound in the following ways:

- Images are more solid, both center images and those further into the mix

- Each image seems to have more of its own presence

- Bass is tighter with more detail

- Even more clarity and less "hash" across the soundstage

These differences are subtle, but I hear them. Has anyone else tried this? If so, how much weight did you use and what differences did you hear?

 

[Gordon Gray]

Dave,

My sense is, that by adding the weights, you are more effectively coupling the speaker to the floor, thereby reducing cabinet / panel vibrations.

I did this with my SL3's with similar success.

And yes, you will hear different sonic impacts depending on the amount of weight added.

GG

 

[DrJRapp]

Thanks for the heads up

Just for zits and giggles I tried this with my Summits. I used two five pound scuba divers "soft weights" which consist of lead shot in a nylon bag, for each speaker. This looks much better than a barbel weight and offers less chance of damage. There was a small but describable tightening of the low bass.

Anyone wanting to try this out can get these at any dive shop for $20 or less.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

I did this with my CLSiiZ's a while back. I used paver stones. (Thanks Dan! ) I am not sure of the weight but I do not think they are over 10 pounds. I think the investment for both was about $5.00 and one of the best tweaks of many.


Jeff

 

[Ps68]

I'm pleased to read other's comments on this as i've been looking at improving the cabinet resonances on my Spire's. Nothing final but they may get a granite outer 'skin' 25mm thick, the top having a thin absorbant panel on top too. Will be experimenting more but yes, it does help.

 

[FISH_MAN]

what's a millimeter lol maybe Martin Logan should offer some kind of armadillo upgrade for the super anal audiophile.

 

[ScHenk]

Weight mods for Martin

Hell Dave and others.

The weight trick has been done by others. With my ReQuests the results are very worth while.

See http://www.nakamichi-schenk.nl/NonNaks_content/MartinLoganModE.htm
for the rest of the story.

Happy listening,
Henk Schenk

 

[dallas21]

Hello Dave I put these on my seperate subs and now will try this with my Vantages I had a piece of 3 centimeter Granite cut to match my living room
and used Herbies fat dots http://herbiesaudiolab.net/misc.htm Which work brilliantly to damp and isolate,His feet also are far better than stock ones. ,he also makes very good ones for under equipment the Granite is only $60 each and looks fantastic ,also Get rid of the stock power cords the New Shunyata Venom 3 are excellent the speaker is clearer and the bass and fundamentals are more solid for under $200 for 2 cords it is a no Brainer, there are acoustic sheets called Black hole that you take 2 sheets per cabinet and make the cabinet much more dense.

 

[Ps68]

As posted in my thread, here are the Heavyweight Spires..

 

[beek]

Very Foxy and I'm sure functional.