More Feet/Spike Advice

Feet/Spike Advice

For the ultimate mega spikes for your Martin Logan speakers you can either buy the official spikes from ML for around $100, or buy ones that are just as good for less than a quarter of that price from WWW.OREGONDV.COM

www.partsexpress.com also carries them, for even less, but need to make sure they are the 1/4-20 threaded.

At these prices I wouldn't be surprised if Martin Logans' spike section closes down.

I, likewise, (for my Aerius i's) have been using the spikes from OregonDV. However, I found it difficult to "tweak" speaker positioning on the carpet. I replaced the LOWER section of the rear OregonDV spikes with the original threaded feet that came with the Aerius (see attached pic). Now, I can just tilt the speaker back onto it's rear feet and slide it for positioning changes, and then anchor them with the front spikes. The front spikes are a quarter inch taller, and the slight tilt actually raises the soundstage slightly, without any audible degradation in the bass (although I am using an NHT Sub Two).

I've found a way to stabilize the speaker (Aerius in my case), and improve the sound. I have the add-on oversized spikes from M/L, the rear spike fits into the metal hole/fitting of a grinding disk.

My set-up is homemade sand boxes (Brightstar knock offs) with a 1/4" steel plate over top because the wood top was too absorbing too much sound energy and liveliness.

I once had large flat grinding disk over the steel and under the two front spikes before.

Like I said the steel plate alone was too hard and bright.

Better than concrete floor? Well it’s not a ringy as metal and not as bouncy/mushy as wood.

Dan Osib said:

For the ultimate mega spikes for your Martin Logan speakers you can either buy the official spikes from ML for around $100, or buy ones that are just as good for less than a quarter of that price from WWW.OREGONDV.COM

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Do you think Viablue QTC Elite (34mm) will fit into my ML SL3 speakers? Otherwise which one do you recommend of the 3 which is given below:

1. 1.50" (1 1/2 ")

2. 2.15" (2 1/8")

3. Viablue QTC Elite(34mm)

I am using a 20mm thick carpet

Ml Sl3

After reading your post, I am thinking of obtaining the speaker spikes from Oregondv. It's very competitive in price compared to ML. Which of the following do you recommend for ML SL3:


1. 1.50" Brass Floor Cones / Speaker Spikes

2. 2.15" Brass Floor Cones / Speaker Spikes

3. Viablue QTC Speaker Spikes

I'd recommend a fully adjustable spike like the Viablue HS Elite (38 mm) to use with the SL3's.

Do you think that M6 thread will fit to the existing 1/4-20 size?

Dan Osib said:

I'd recommend a fully adjustable spike like the Viablue HS Elite (38 mm) to use with the SL3's.

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Do you think M6 size will fit into the existing 1/4"-20 size? Can I order M6 size version safely?

I'm not sure about that one. Best thing to do is to contact Paul at OregonDV and ask him.

OregonDV has the 1 3/8" spikes on sale for $1.70 ea.

OregonDV has the 1 3/8" spikes on sale for $1.70 ea.

tarigaad said:

OregonDV has the 1 3/8" spikes on sale for $1.70 ea.

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Thanks for the info Tarigaad......Last week I ordered these spikes for my SL3's and received them in only 2 days from OregonDV!!!

Mapleshade brass cone products

Howdy all,

I've owned four different ML speakers / CLS2A, Aerius, SL3's, and now the Summits. Other components include Theta "Miles" CD player, CJ Premier LS18 preamp, Classe Audio CA 150 amp, Polk Audio XM tuner, and Michael Green clamp rack. Over the past year, I've replaced all wire (speaker, interconnect, and power strip) with Mapleshade products. Same company that produces Mapleshade recordings. I also have all my components suppported by Pierre Sprey's brass cones. I also used the threaded brass cones on my SL3's.

Phenomenal products to my ears, totally audible (very transparent / many blankets removed), and you can buy (absent special orders) with a no risk / 30 day money back guarantee. I strongly advise everyone to check it out. Also try the three CD treatments. Again, totally audible and well worthwhile. Happy listening. Will gladly provide additional details to anyone via PM.

Gordon

Sleepysurf, your 2-spike 2-feet solution will unfortunately allow your speaker to sway back and forth at the top. This degrades transient response. Best to move the speakers around until you find the best location and toe-in and mark the location with some duct tape (it won't hurt the carpet) and then install the spikes.

Personally I think three spikes are better than four (two in front, and one in back) both for stability, and because with three, you can easily "walk" a speaker into position. But the most important thing is that the spikes go all the way through the carpet and "bite" into the floor underneath.

Spikes (when used with speakers) are "mass coupling" devices -- meaning they couple the speakers SECURELY to the rest of the planet ;--) Bolting the speakers directly to the floor would be even better, but not practical. Hopefully the speaker is heavy enough so gravity alone will force the spikes into firm contact with the floor -- but the speaker MUST NOT MOVE in any direction if you want the best performance.

Your point (pardon the pun) is well taken! Will switch back to 4 spikes shortly.

Would you agree with this tip?

** Spike Tip ** - Mount (2) of the 1.50" spikes on the rear and (2) of the 2.10" spikes to the front of your speaker to obtain the correct "tilt" for correct imaging.

abhijit said:

Do you think that M6 thread will fit to the existing 1/4-20 size?

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M6 is 6 mm, 1/4 is 6.35 mm.

so yes, they will fit but they won't engage the thread and will fall out when the speakers are vertical.

I made my own spikes from 1 1/4 in 1/4 UNC grub (aka socket) screws. put them in a drill press and used and angle grinder to make them pointy. will post a photo at some point. total cost about £ 5 for 10.

Thanks to Gordon Gray's posting in this thread I researched the Mapleshade products and purchased plinths and brass footers for my Summits. I'm amazed at the resulting improvement to the musical soundstage and clarity. I'm hearing instruments and sounds that were hidden when I was using BDR pucks and butcher blocks for plinths. Highly recommended.
Bill.

I recently received my birthday present to myself and I must say I am delighted with my purchase. I bought a set of 8 Stillpoints Ultra SS for my aging Summits in the big rig and installed them last night. To say that I am astounded by the improvement in sound would be an understatement. I haven't really messed with footings in several years. Shortly after the club returned from our visit to Kansas I purchased a longer set of spikes another club member was touting, put BDR pucks under them and forgot about it. At the time I felt it was an improvement and left it at that. When I installed these things and cranked on the music my jaw dropped to the floor! The Summits simply disappeared as sources of sound. There doesn't appear to be a change in tonal balance per se but the soundstage opened up in all directions. Even though the Stillpoints required the removal of the stock footers and thus lowered the Summits by several inches the height of the soundstage also increased. The images seem denser and the palpability factor is much greater. The improvement was instant and profound. Although these things are pricey they are actually worth the money. If you are craving new MLs but don't have the cash try these-you may find your current MLs sound much better than you think! In fact, as I think about all the changes to my system in the last year this one ranks near the top of the heap and is greatest in the bang for the buck category. I will try to rank order all of last years changes in terms of overall improvement in sound in order to give you an idea of the magnitude of improvement these things make:

1) I replaced my very old Purist Audio Proteus interconnects and speaker cables with simply old Purist Audio Dominus interconnects and speaker cables. I use a long run of interconnects between my arc pre and rowland amp, so about 17 feet. I am using two separate runs of Dominus speaker cable to the Summits, so these were by far the most expensive things I bought this year (even used). Not bang for the buck at all, but improved the sound of my system with all sources more than any other change. And the video system got the old stuff which also was an improvement.

2) Stillpoints Ultra SS-as I said bang for the buck and instantly apparent and obvious with all sources. This is a greater improvement than when I replaced the stock Summit powers cords with Shunyata Python Alphas. I have long used the stillpoint minis under my source components and preamp.

3) Audioquest Wild XLR interconnects between DAC and preamp. These replaced a set of of Audioquest Sky. Couldn't find a used pair of Dominus I could afford! Again the video system got the Sky between the Classe SSP pre and the Classe Amp 5 amp.

4)I replaced the Ayre QB9 DSD with a ps audio direct stream DAC. This is not to say the ps audio doesn't sound great-it does and it is everything the reviewers say and it is new all over again every time a software upgrade comes out. It is just the Ayre is so very good at what it does which is USB audio only. What the ps audio brings to the party is just about every input one could imagine and ethernet via the bridge 2 (yes boys and girls ethernet does sound better than USB), and the ability to stream Tidal directly, bypassing both the computer and the Aurender, and allows me to stream MQA (this does sound better than 16/44 but to my ears not much better than high res downloads from HD tracks or the club's friends at Acoustic Sounds).

So there you have it. One lunatics ramblings...But you really do need to try the stillpoints!