Among various considerations, decoupling speakers from the surrounding environment is an essential aspect of achieving accurate sound reproduction. While spikes are often considered a popular choice for decoupling, it is important to understand the limitations they possess. In this article, we will quickly find out why most spikes do not effectively function as speaker decoupling devices.
In the last post, we briefly discussed how spikes are not really as functional as they are shown to be, here we will dive into the details.
First of all, it's important to understand what decoupling is, which a surprising number of people get wrong. Simple - detach. Acoustically detaching one sonic source acoustically from another physical solid medium could facilitate sound propagation. In our case, Decoupling the Speakers from the room. (In our firm, we do not decouple speakers from desks, the idea is nonsense to place speakers on desks in any way, decoupling would be a fool's errand)
While understanding decoupling is not the agenda of this article, if you're wondering why is there a need to do so, the short answer is - to prevent vibrations from the speakers travel in the room, affecting the architectural acoustics and further inducing the vibrations on withheld objects, including listeners.
If it doesn't ring a bell, we strongly recommend you to check this article out before reading ahead, in order to fully understand the concept of decoupling - Speaker decoupling - what and why?
Now, let's debunk our dear spikes!
Note: We do not intend to demote or discourage any business or organization. In fact, properly designed spikes are good to a limited extent, however, are seldom marketed in an extremely exaggerated manner, and even if not, we find them not worth the price tag they usually have. The sole intention of this article is to find - WHY?
Here we go;
1. Destability and Excessive Oscillation:
Spike-based decoupling systems often lack stability due to their inherent design. The slender contact points of spikes create a small contact area with the floor, making them susceptible to instability. This can lead to excessive speaker oscillation, especially when subjected to vibrations from low-frequency sound reproduction. Unwanted movement of the speakers compromises the accuracy and clarity of the sound, defeating the purpose of decoupling.
2. Lack of Pre-loading:
Pre-loading refers to applying a specific amount of downward force on the speaker, enhancing its stability and minimizing resonant frequencies. Traditional spikes fail to provide adequate pre-loading, as they primarily rely on point contact with the floor. This absence of pre-loading leads to a loss of control over the speaker's movement, resulting in compromised sound quality.
3. Absence of Damping Factor:
Damping is crucial for dissipating energy and reducing vibrations within a speaker system. Unfortunately, most spikes do not incorporate any damping materials or mechanisms. As a result, vibrations generated by the speakers can freely propagate through the spikes and transmit to the floor, contributing to undesirable resonances and diminishing the accuracy of sound reproduction.
4. Insufficient Elasticity:
Effective decoupling requires a certain level of elasticity to absorb and dissipate vibrations. Spikes, primarily made of rigid materials such as metal, lack the necessary elasticity to adequately absorb the energy generated by the speakers. Consequently, vibrations can easily transfer between the speaker and the floor, negating the benefits of decoupling.
5. Uneven Load Distribution:
The weight across the speaker's base is not distributed evenly, but spikes are installed on the 4 corners, each assumed to carry equal load, but they don't. It creates an imbalance that affects the speaker's performance and introduces unwanted resonances.
Conclusion:
While spikes have been widely used as decoupling devices for speakers, their limitations in terms of stability, lack of pre-loading, absence of damping factor, and insufficient elasticity make them less effective in achieving optimal sound quality within music studios. For acoustic consultants and studio owners seeking to achieve superior sound reproduction, Mass-spring-mass systems are the go-to solutions for optimum speaker decoupling. To know what they are and how they can be built (not easy, ofc), read our last blog!
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