Most floor standing speakers and stands for small speakers are supplied with a set of spikes. Once you have established the best position for your speakers, fitting the spikes to the bottom of speakers or stands will give further improvement.

Manufacturers of well designed speakers go to great lengths to deaden the box and reduce resonances. This ensures that only movement from speaker drive units excite the air and not the vibrating box panels.

Speakers that sit directly on the floor couple the box with the floor, and the two could resonate, resulting in overblown and uncontrolled bass. The spikes decouple and isolate the speaker from the floor.

With carpeted floor boards or concrete slabs, the spikes go harmlessly through the carpet and lock the speaker to the floor; this also prevents the speaker from settling into the carpet over time.

The spikes are threaded to allow adjustment so that the speaker can be levelled to prevent any rocking movements.

Stability is important for achieving good high frequency performance. The treble drive unit moves very fast and the length of the sound waves it generates is so short that any movement of the box, back and forward, can alter the response.

Even speakers on wood or tiled floor areas can use spikes; just place rubber blocks under the spikes to prevent scratching.

If your speakers didn't come with spikes, or if you've lost your spikes, you can buy gold plated adhesive spikes here.

The advantage of using adheshive spikes is that you don't have to match up the threads in existing speaker inserts with spike threads. Also, if your speaker doesn't already have a pre drilled / threaded insert, then by using adhesive spikes you avoid having to drill holes into your speaker box.

- Terry Anderson