FINALLY had time tonight to put on Jason's new spikes... with SUPERB sonic effect. I got the 2-1/2" versions, which are just about right for my carpet. Using the stock spikes in front, and Jason's in back, my Summits are now angled back only 2.5 degrees from vertical. The imaging is tighter than ever, with a slightly more forward midrange, and better overall tonal balance than before. Despite the woofers being slightly higher, there is no perceptible loss of bass detail, in fact, I think it's even cleaner sounding. I have noticed little, if any, difference in the highs. See attached pic.
Overall, the spikes are very well made, and screw into the threaded legs perfectly. The lateral holes work perfectly for final height adjustments. One minor issue is that the thread at the tapered ends is partially milled off, so you can only put the locking screw ring on from the flat end (not really a problem). Also, the spikes have a bit of visible rust/oxidation in the threaded portion. Although they're stainless steel, I coated them with a thin layer of Caig ProGold, to "seal" them from further oxidation. The spikes are barely visible anyways, so it's a moot point.
In retrospect, I should have suggested making a "sharper" spike (like the Viablue spikes that Lugano posted a picture of), which could penetrate a thick carpet/pad better, and more firmly contact the substrate below. However, that would have required a set of EIGHT new spikes, hence double the cost. In time, given the weight of the Summits, I think the broader spike will eventually "settle" to the concrete.
Overall, I give Jason an A+, for a FANTASTIC job in a) designing, b) milling, and c) shipping the spikes, and doing so in such a timely fashion.
I urge all other ML Owners to "tweak" the tilt angle of your speakers, and see if that produces audible improvements. Maybe when we visit ML this summer, we can convince the ML engineers to pay a bit more attention to the "tilt effect" in future designs!
