are cheap speaker stands better than none? (1 Viewer)

[Ted Lee]

hey guys -
i was at cc this weekend and i saw some 16" stands for about 40 bucks (which is within my budget these days). i know the better stands allow you to fill them with sand or lead-shot to increase rigidity, provide a more stable platform, blah, blah, blah...
so what do you guys think?
is it a worthwhile move to buy cheap stands for now...or just wait until i can afford something solid. could i make the sound worse by using cheesy stands?
ps - i had my speakers on cardboard boxes before, so i imagine anything would be an upgrade.
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You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

 

[Ryan Peddle]

I bought some cheapies a while back and used them for about a year, not knowing what I was missing. Last year I picked up a pair of (company name eludes me) better quality stands that could be filled with sand, which I did. They were the same stands that the Paradigm Mini Monitors Version 1s stood on on the Paradigm website. They made a world of difference. The bass was the biggest difference, being a lot tighter and more controlled. So if you can add another 25-40 bucks and get yourself a good set of stands, I would.
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Oops, I dropped my eardrums.
Could you pick them up for me?

 

[Burke Strickland]

That "blah blah blah" is some pretty important stuff to consider. :>) You actually hit the nail on the head when you said the cheap stands might make the sound worse.
If the stands don't provide a stable platform, they could degrade the sound with spurious resonances, "wobbly" bass, etcetera -- and might even end up dumping your speakers on the floor (which is not recommended for optimal performance). :>) In the mean time, they probably won't look real good and will remind you each time you see them that you really could have had something better if you had waited until you saved up a bit more...
Burke

 

[Ted Lee]

yeah...this is kinda what i was thinking. i'm in no real hurry to get my speakers off the floor (gasp!) so i think i'll just wait until i can get somthing nice. i may be upgrading my speakers...that may affect what kind of stands i end up getting.
thanks guys!
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You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

 

[Keith_R]

If it helps you guys any, I know Radio shack has a pair speaker stands that adjust from 31' to 48'. I too am in the same boat as you guys. I need to get my speakers off the floor.
-Keith-
PS: those stands cost $49

 

[Eric S]

As long as the stands are reasonably rigid and sturdy, getting the speakers up off of the floor and placing the tweeters at ear level for listening provides the single greatest sonic benefit. Cheap vs. expensive doesn't always mean worse vs. better... Just make sure the stands are sturdy and you will be fine.