Q1: Why buy a speaker stand?
Speaker stands are nearly necessary to achieve audiophile-level sound quality in bookshelf model speakers. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, and most logically, the stands raise the speakers themselves to a height that essentially emulates earl level when an individual is seated. (Most stands are 24" high, which approximately corresponds with ear level for an adult seated on a standard 18" chair). The "sweet spot" created where the sound waves primarily travel throughout the room is therefore aligned with the listener's ears, producing a much more enjoyable listening experience.
Q2: How much to speaker stands usually cost?
As seems to be the theme of the audio industry, stands can cost as much as the individual is willing to spend on them, with prices rising into the hundreds of dollars depending on the materials that the stand is comprised. However, in literature research and in speaking to industry professionals, a pair of standard home audio speaker stands retail prices begin at approximately $80, and that admittedly the more expensive stands are primarily priced proportional to their aesthetic quality. The objective of this project is to design a speaker stand that is capable of enhancing the sound quality of the speakers from sitting on a standard flat surface to sitting on the stands themselves, all while staying significantly below this $80 budget (as a significantly lower price would be a necessary justification for choosing a DIY option rather the commercial option).
Q3: What makes a "good" speaker stand?
The ultimate goal of a speaker stand is to remove any external vibrations (i.e. non-sound vibrations) from the system as effectively and as quickly as possible, leaving only the sound vibrations to reach the listener. In general, there are two theories for doing this. The first is the idea of "decoupling" the speaker from the stand. By using materials such as foam, cork, or rubber that dissipates any external vibrations of the speaker, this isolates the internal vibrations of the speaker as the only form of vibration that leaves the system, resulting in a high-quality sound that reaches the listener's ear. The second is the idea of "coupling" the speaker to the stand. By rigidly connecting the speaker to the stand, in essence making the stand one with the speaker, the vibrations exit the speaker, travel the length of the stand, and then are dissipated into the ground. Regardless of the method that is used, the stand needs to be of a significant weight as to not slide on the ground, hurting the sound quality.
Q4: How are speaker stands usually tested?
In significant literature research early on in the project calendar, there was a surprising lack of information about speaker stands in general, but especially on how stands are tested commercially/if they are tested at all: Most stands are designed for their aesthetic quality as opposed to strictly performance (besides paying attention to their weight and rigidity). Our project will utilize iOS apps to provide information on the amount of vibrations running throughout the stand in addition to the gauging the sound quality of the speakers while resting atop them.
Helpful Links:
These links have been gathered in the lengthy research on the topic of speakers and speaker stands. They provide quality information on the topic at hand, and may be helpful in creating a set of speaker stands to enhance your own home audio experience.
Coupling/Decoupling, Isolation, General Stand Info/Theory
http://www.gamma-sa.fr/pdf/gb/Theories.pdf
http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/wesworld-menu/feature-articles-reviews-menu/639-isoacoustics-component-stands-magic-or-science
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12206-011-1227-9
Testing Info
http://www.corporatetechdecisions.com/photo/professional_speaker_testing_and_tuning_apps_for_your_sm
art_device/6 - apps
http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/bjfurman/courses/ME120/me120pdf/SoundPressureLab.pdf lab about sound testing
AUDIO TOOL APP- $8 is an interesting Android app that tests a bunch of different things
Info about the Speakers Used in this Experiment
Material Properties of PVC
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/physical-properties-thermoplastics-d_808.html - PVC material properties
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-dimensions-d_795.html PVC dimensions\Information about Decoupling Materials
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