Decoupling?

[Automission]

Is this really necessary? I'm told all you do is place some insulating foam underneath the speakers. Yet some people tell me they'l sound bad if I don't decouple them, etc. So which is correct?
Do I decouple every one of my speakers, or do I leave them as is? What sort of material is good for decoupling? Is it going to be stupidly expensive?

[ZIPPO]

Not too expensive.


http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...eakerdudes.asp

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...tion_mopad.asp

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...subdude_hd.asp

can find them here in the UK: http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/manufa...0/category_id/

[Automission]

They don't list prices, or even give an option to buy? What are they made of anyway, foam? Is there not a simple method to do this without buying things, like putting carpet under them.

[Gohanto]

Speakers don't inherently sound bad just because you're not using anything underneath them. It's highly dependent on the speaker, any feet on the speaker cabinet, and the material of the floor.

Bass is the main are affected, and if your crossover is set to 80Hz, it's unlikely you'll notice a difference in most cases unless your speakers noticeably rattle on shelves/bookcases/ect... They're more popular for subs, and even then it depends on the sub and floor on how much of a difference it would make.

And Auralex isn't just regular foam, but something more advanced designed for sound isolation (not sure on the specifics). To see if it's worth getting the real stuff though, you might experiment with carpet and/or foam on the bottom of the speakers to see if that makes any improvement to your ears.

[Automission]

Okay I will do, thanks. Just my towers don't have spiked feet and will be on wood, the centre will be in my tv stand, the sub will be on the one carpeted bit of floor, while the bookshelves will be on metal stands.
Should all sound good, and if they really do rattle then I'l look into it, though I'm tempted to chalk it up as part myth.

Kind of like Biwiring is part myth.

[naturephoto1]

You could look at the Herbie's Website as well:

http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/footers.htm

They have footers that can be used under towers and sub:



http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/dome.htm:

These used to be available with frosted balls as well, you could e-mail them.

Probably these would be all that you need in different sizes under your towers and your center channel:



http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/bigfat.htm

Rich

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Automission

Okay I will do, thanks. Just my towers don't have spiked feet and will be on wood, the centre will be in my tv stand, the sub will be on the one carpeted bit of floor, while the bookshelves will be on metal stands.
Should all sound good, and if they really do rattle then I'l look into it, though I'm tempted to chalk it up as part myth.

Kind of like Biwiring is part myth.

[Automission]

Originally Posted by aramis109

What does that mean? Are you too lazy to type out what you really think?

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Automission

What does that mean? Are you too lazy to type out what you really think?

It means you've opened a can of worms and I'm interested in seeing the developments. Many people feel they do get an improvement even by passively bi-wiring/bi-amping.


...rude much?

[Automission]

Originally Posted by aramis109

It means you've opened a can of worms and I'm interested in seeing the developments. Many people feel they do get an improvement even by passively bi-wiring/bi-amping.


...rude much?

It was much ruder before I toned it down. Where I come from, a single smilie does not count as a valid post.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Automission

It was much ruder before I toned it down. Where I come from, a single smilie does not count as a valid post.

LOL, do people where you come from talk a lot about forum posts? Relax, I was trying not to derail your thread (which we've obviously done now). If you're so familiar with forum etiquette you should know better than to get so hostile over such a little jab.

Honestly, I don't agree with you on bi-wiring or bi-amping being a myth. However, I am really interested in the decoupling issue, specifically with subs and hardwoods.

[Automission]

Originally Posted by aramis109

LOL, do people where you come from talk a lot about forum posts? Relax, I was trying not to derail your thread (which we've obviously done now). If you're so familiar with forum etiquette you should know better than to get so hostile over such a little jab.

Honestly, I don't agree with you on bi-wiring or bi-amping being a myth. However, I am really interested in the decoupling issue, specifically with subs and hardwoods.

Well, each his own, I apologize for being somewhat hostile.