Tall and sturdy speaker stands for large bookshelf speakers? (1 Viewer)

[kalm_traveler]

Hello again my friends - this time I need some help finding tall and sturdy speaker stands for large bookshelf speakers for the PC's 5.1 surround speakers.

I rearranged the PC setup while finishing this 5.1 surround system for it to hopefully keep everything out of the way from being bumped into but as I'm a bit taller than average, seated ear level height at the desk means that the speaker tweeters are likewise a bit higher than typical.

For the front L and R on the desk I have them on some bookshelf speaker stands which from the floor are about 39 inches up. I found these speaker stands on Amazon which are adjustable up to that height and technically can hold my SVS Ultra bookshelves weight-wise and width-wise but after getting them set up are super flimsy and seem like a strong gust of wind from opening/closing a door quickly will topple them: See on Amazon

Also, their clamp bracket is not really tall enough to securely grab the sides of the speakers due to their angled cut shape and they're a bit tricky to balance because the speaker is larger than the floor base plate and much larger than the top plate.

This all being said, I'm having trouble finding large/sturdy/stable stands that won't be so flimsy and can properly support a speaker of this size. It seems that most stands are around 20-30 inches and I need something that's more 39-40 inches tall. Do you guys know of anything that would work or am I likely going to just need to find someone who can make something custom for me out of wood? Don't need anything pretty, just functional.

 

[JohnRice]

Any decent stand probably won't have clamps or be adjustable. They also can be rather expensive. You might try the 36" (tallest) version of THESE. They're quite sturdy, and you can even fill two of the three columns with sand, if you want.

 

[kalm_traveler]

Any decent stand probably won't have clamps or be adjustable. They also can be rather expensive. You might try the 36" (tallest) version of THESE. They're quite sturdy, and you can even fill two of the three columns with sand, if you want.

Many thanks John!

I don't need adjustability if they're the right height - and I guess expensive is relative but those you linked are totally fine with me. If they got into the $500+ range for a pair I might need to decide how much I need them

Do you think the surround tweeters being 3-4ish inches lower than ear level would matter much?

This is on my PC and I'm guessing the surrounds are only going to be active for playing games so I'm not sure that it would impact the audio experience much eh?

 

[JohnRice]

In a 5.1 system the surrounds should be above ear level. A couple feet above. Shelves work much better than stands.

 

[Dave Upton]

I am going to disagree with John slightly on tweeter height. While it's true that for older bipole/dipole designs having the surround above ear level was standard, it's not an optimal decision acoustically. Loudspeakers are designed to image best with the tweeter at ear level, and that's not suddenly untrue because it's a surround speaker.

I use a pair of these in my office to hold up some hefty ATC SCM19's and have been extremely happy.

Since your bookshelves aren't quite as heavy, these are a good alternative: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39495

I would suggest you measure your ear height in the chair you listen in most often, and make sure that your speakers tweeter will be at that same level. This should tell you which height of speaker stand to select.

 

[JohnRice]

Well... I'm considering it from a different set of factors. In 5.1 systems it has always (so I thought) preferable for the surround to be coming somewhat from above. I've personally never liked the effect of surrounds in a 5.1 system coming from ear level, and I have tried it. With Atmos, there are speakers overhead, so it makes sense to move the surrounds down to ear level. My consideration has always been where seems to be most natural location for the sounds to come from, not necessarily how the speakers image. It just goes to show, there are different approaches and philosophies and there will never be universal agreement.

Those Monoprice stands, especially the first ones, look pretty darn nice.

 

[kalm_traveler]

Appreciate both your input @JohnRice and @Dave Upton

I may need to look into some kind of a shelf since stands just don't go this high. As I mentioned previously, the top surface of the desk stands are ~ 39-40 inches from the ground and I can't find any sturdy-looking options that are that tall. Most (including the two Dave linked) are in the low 20's so the tweeters would be around stomach height and the rear right might not clear my work desk.

Here's a picture of the current setup for reference (mind that I need to find a better solution for the center speaker - it is currently aimed directly at my chest):

 

[JohnRice]

The first one Dave linked has a 32" version, and the one I linked has a 38" version.

 

[kalm_traveler]

The first one Dave linked has a 32" version, and the one I linked has a 38" version.

aye, 32 is still 7-8 inches lower than what i need for ear-level. That would put them roughly upper-chest level which might sound a little funny for panning sounds (which you do get in games quite a lot - turning a character for example).

Your link only shows me a max of 36" on Amazon at the moment. That might also do, although again the surrounds would be a few inches lower than the mains.

You guys have inspired me to see if I can find some skinny shelves that are about 40 inches and see what that gets us. I'll google a bit and report back if I find something perfect.

 

[JohnRice]

I didn’t realize this was a gaming system. I probably forgot. In this case, ear level really is the best way to go, even in my flawed opinion.

 

[kalm_traveler]

This wire shelf is about 12" square and ~ 39 inches tall - might do?

See on Amazon

Can't find anything else that seems suitable so far.

 

[MickyLong]

Adding to the help requests here. I just recently bought two Klipsch RP 400's for surround speakers and bought two speaker stands for them, as shelves and wall mounts aren't an option. My problem is that the stands have a flat plate with a single screw hole for mounting speakers and the speakers offer only a back mount option as is. I'm looking for a type of L bracket that can match to the mounting screw in the back of the speaker and the bottom of the stand plate. Anyone know of someone offering something along those lines? I just have nightmares on my dog running past a stand, bumping it and causing the speaker to slide off the stand from a four foot height.

Micky

 

[Dave Upton]

Adding to the help requests here. I just recently bought two Klipsch RP 400's for surround speakers and bought two speaker stands for them, as shelves and wall mounts aren't an option. My problem is that the stands have a flat plate with a single screw hole for mounting speakers and the speakers offer only a back mount option as is. I'm looking for a type of L bracket that can match to the mounting screw in the back of the speaker and the bottom of the stand plate. Anyone know of someone offering something along those lines? I just have nightmares on my dog running past a stand, bumping it and causing the speaker to slide off the stand from a four foot height.

Micky

There's really no such thing - unless you want to have a local metal shop fabricate something. That's your call, but it'll be expensive.

I personally just use tacky rubber feet on the bottom of the speaker to keep it secure, but you could also use one of the reusable style double sided tapes if you're that worried: Here's an example

It's also totally fine to insert screws into the bottom of the speakers through the stands if you need to do so for peace of mind. My suggestion on that front is to use a threaded insert like this so you don't have an actual hole in the cabinet that goes all the way through the wood.

Klipsch can confirm the thickness of the cabinet, but assuming they use 1/2" or 5/8" MDF like most speaker builders, these inserts should work perfectly. You can then use a simple M4 machine screw + washer to attach the speaker to the stand using the hole on the bottom. If the cabinet is super thin/crappy, then you might want to stick with the tape or metal shop option.

 

[kalm_traveler]

Adding to the help requests here. I just recently bought two Klipsch RP 400's for surround speakers and bought two speaker stands for them, as shelves and wall mounts aren't an option. My problem is that the stands have a flat plate with a single screw hole for mounting speakers and the speakers offer only a back mount option as is. I'm looking for a type of L bracket that can match to the mounting screw in the back of the speaker and the bottom of the stand plate. Anyone know of someone offering something along those lines? I just have nightmares on my dog running past a stand, bumping it and causing the speaker to slide off the stand from a four foot height.

Micky

Micky - if stands are an option you might want to consider those wire racks I linked.

I've been using them for a couple weeks now for these SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers on the PC setup and they are pretty much exactly what I needed. Their footprint is not much larger than the speaker itself but they are infinitely more stable than a single metal pole stand.