'Tower' speaker on stands?

[MDS]

We all know that ideally the tweeters of your front speakers should be at or near ear level and that has got me thinking lately.

Typical floorstanding speakers (excepting the giganticus type) are usually 32-36" high. My current speakers are 32" tall and most every speaker I have looked at or considered for an upgrade are roughly the same.

So... any thoughts on using small speaker stands for 'tower' speakers to elevate the tweeter to ear level? I think it would likely look stupid and honestly I don't have any complaints with my current speakers not exactly at ear level but what do you all think of towers on short stands?

 

[EnzoPolotso]

I've done it before, but that was a long time ago and I wasn't as into the hobby as I am now. There are definitely a lot of people using towers with Sound Anchor stands, or you can just grab a few pairs of different sized floor spikes and angle them up until you get the best high end from your seat.

 

[avliner]

Well, I really don't know , but in my case the tweeters are 42" high (ear level, on top of rack) and no complaints at all.

Perhaps the best bet would have' em at 36" high as you said, but I never tried before. I might be wrong, but don't think that's a big deal...

 

[markw]

I suppose tilting them is out of the question?

Theory only, but I've always hard that floor standing speakers are designed to use the floor to augment the bass to it's design level. Likewise, I've heard that a wise manufacturer ramps up the treble a little to compensate for it being below the customary height.

Using that logic, by raising them a significant amount away from that room boundary, your bass may suffer and your highs may be increased beyond their natural level.

But, in any case, pick up some cinder blocks and see how it sounds.

 

[Nick250]

Mark's suggestion to experiment first before putting a whole lot of effort makes sense. I don't remember the who, but I remember enough that it was someone who is respected by me and he posted that temporally he had to use card board boxes as speaker stands while waiting for his real stands to arrive and that surpassingly he noticed no difference once *real* stands were in place.

Nick

 

[ChrisJam]

So... any thoughts on using small speaker stands for 'tower' speakers to elevate the tweeter to ear level? I think it would likely look stupid and honestly I don't have any complaints with my current speakers not exactly at ear level but what do you all think of towers on short stands?

Hi, MDS,

Wow, this is a reversal--me replying to a thread of yours!

Wouldn't the answer depend on your speaker's vertical dispersion pattern? If you put towers higher than normal--with the tweeter far above ear level--will seated people in the room hear what the tweeter is putting out?

Then again, if speakers are sitting normally and people are standing, can the people hear good tweeter output?

I've read about line source tweeters that fall off abruptly if ears rise above their height or fall below them. That's an extreme, I realize, and I don't think you're considering this type of tweeter. Normal tweeters have much larger vertical dispersion patterns, as you know, though they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

My recommendation is to do your math. Find the dispersion pattern of your new speaker, decide if you want it to be optimal for seated people, standing people, or both. That angle of sound should tell you how high you can put your new tower speakers.

One other thing: I've read about at least one speaker company that makes extra-height footers--low, added-height supports--for their towers. Sorry, I don't have time to look though my 200+ folders of speaker companies to see which one I'm thinking of. But at least one company thinks it can be done, and endorses the idea.

But again, the dispersion pattern will be your guide.

Hope this helps,
Chris

 

[Tomorrow]

MDS,

Stands have been made and used for decades for "floorstanding" speakers. You can look back at old Infinity and JBL monitor ads and they'll be mounted on (optional) stands. More recently, Aerial Acoustics and other top brands have sold stands individualized for their F/S models. (Sometimes they are called "bases" for F/S speakers.)

I think, regardless of other issues, getting the tweeters to normal ear-listening levels is beneficial.