DIY Monitor Stands Made From Hollow Blocks

[benjazz77]

Hi,
Making some finishing touches to a new studio build and am looking for some monitor stands for Focal CMS65s. Preferably would like to build my own and hollow blocks seem to be the way to go. Just needing to clarify a few details....

Is there a definitive design spec for such things? I have a carpet covered concrete floor.

Also, what would be most effective....blocks stacked vertically and left hollow?:

Velvetron » DIY: cinder block speaker stands

or stacked horizontally and filled with sand or rockwool?

Finally, would I need to consider some rubber in between blocks/wooden bases?

Any hot tips would be very gratefully received. Many thanks.

[jhbrandt]

Ben,

It's the mass you want. Either way is fine - right on the floor or carpet. You should decouple the speaker from the blocks with Neoprene, Sorbothane, Mo-Pads, or whatever.

Mass & decouple.

Cheers,
John

[benjazz77]

Many thanks for the reply. My plan is to sit the blocks on a wooden base and then fill blocks with rockwool. Then a layer of neoprene below a top wooden plate on which my speakers would sit. The Focal speakers are provided with:

"a decoupling rubber sole, four rubber spikes, two height-adjustable spikes for installation at the front or rear"

So in effect there would be two stages of decoupling. Would this be ok or would I be able to miss out some of these stages?

Thanks again.

[jhbrandt]

Ben,

All you need is a nice piece of wood on the bottom & top. No rock wool... Maybe paint the blocks.

Cheers,
John

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Gearslutz.com App

[benjazz77]

Great.Sounds straight forward enough.I will have a go and hopefully post up the finished article.
Thanks.

[Starlight]

Source: Capacity Workstations

Something like this, perhaps.

[benjazz77]

Here is a finished stands.Have made 4 in total.White maybe not to everyone's taste but I'm a happy chappy! Thanks for the help...

[gullfo]

you could wrap with cloth to make cleaning a bit easier (dusting block is a pita)(or wrap with plastic if you want techno and easy to dust... )

[benjazz77]

Yes I did consider wrapping them with fabric but the white-washed (Greek-style Taverna) finish is starting to grow on me.Dyson for cleaning!

[Max Dread]

I've read in other threads that ideally the front face of the stand should be flush with the front face of the speaker.

With this is mind, would you be able to turn the stands 90 degrees and use them with the solid part of the blocks at the front rather than the sides with holes (adjusting the top plate accordingly)? Alternatively, how about fixing something to the front face - something like a sheet of MDF? You could always add some art work if you wanted to jazz things up - or paint it whatever colour you like to suit the room...?

[boggy]

Originally Posted by Max Dread

I've read in other threads that ideally the front face of the stand should be flush with the front face of the speaker.

With this is mind, would you be able to turn the stands 90 degrees and use them with the solid part of the blocks at the front rather than the sides with holes (adjusting the top plate accordingly)? Alternatively, how about fixing something to the front face - something like a sheet of MDF? You could always add some art work if you wanted to jazz things up - or paint it whatever colour you like to suit the room...?

In general, for stands, large front (flat) radiation surfaces is better to be avoided, or stands will insert a bigger change in frequency response of loudspeaker.
This stands, with hollow blocks, with holes in front, seems to be a better compromise, after all.

benjazz77, good idea, nice stands!

Cheers.

Boggy

[Max Dread]

Thanks for the reply Boggy. I know little of such things and was really only going by what was discussed in a previous thread or two, regarding diffraction issues.... Let me see if I can find them.....

Here it is:

Increasing / calculating the mass of the speaker stands

And this one also touches in it:

Is this idea for a speaker stand ok or stupid?


Would you say you disagree with the points raised in the thread? Would anyone else care to comment on what the best solution is.......

Cheers

Max

[boggy]

Originally Posted by Max Dread

Thanks for the reply Boggy. I know little of such things and was really only going by what was discussed in a previous thread or two, regarding diffraction issues.... Let me see if I can find them.....


....

You are welcome

I can point to some papers/writings, like this:

1. "Direct Radiator Loudspeaker Enclosures", Harry F Olson, JAES Vol. 17, No. 1, 1969 (not free d/l)
2. "Direct Radiator Loudspeaker Enclosures", Harry F Olson, AES, 1950 (free d/l - recommended)
3. "Diffraction from baffle edges", by Siegfried Linkwitz, LinkwitzLab.

There are many, many more papers about baffle edge diffraction, baffle "gain" or baffle "step", etc... papers listed above are fundamental IMHO. (some are very old, BTW)...

I hope that this will clarify things a bit.

Cheers.
Boggy

[Max Dread]

Thanks for the links and the reply. I'll have a read as soon as I get a chance.... Hopefully I can then get some clarification. Luckily, I have not yet made my stands (other things got in the way!) - so after reading those links I'm hoping to be in a better position to get things right!

Must admit though, it will seem strange if SAC's ideas are not right as they seemed to make so much sense to me. But that's jumping the gun..... I'll hold fire until I've read those links.

OP - I too like the "white-washed (Greek-style Taverna)" as you so well put it! Aesthetically, I'm well with you are would leave them as they are rather than cover them. I also liked the look of the stands you linked to in the first post (Velvetron). And of course the price ain't bad either!

[benjazz77]

Thanks for the ideas.Yes I dare say that (like most things) there are lots of different points of view with regards to the correct way these stands should be setup. I plumped for the basic concept of mass + sufficient decoupling.

I am not using huge speakers and my room is well treated (acoustically). Having used metal (sand-filled) stands for many years I can happily report that these stands are a huge improvement. The monitors respond very well now especially at the low end. I can't imagine there being a huge difference whether they are flat faced with speakers or not. I'm not dismissing the science but these things are so heavy the margins (in difference) must be very small. I have now built 4 stands (2 sets) and spent very little in the process (although I did stub my toe on one which nearly ended this little project for about 43 seconds of agonising pain). I would advise anybody in a similar position to seriously consider building some (just make sure you wear suitable foot wear during the construction stages).