Sub on a paving slab?

Having taken the plunge and ordered one of those Ruark Log Rhythm subs I was wondering if it might be worth getting hold of a large paving slab to sit in on, as I think I've read people talking about this sort of arrangement being good, right? My floor is a wooden upstairs one, so I thinking it might give a more solid base for it to sit on, as well a protecting the floor a bit as the sub isnt light and might dig into the floorboards a fair bit otherwise. Am I miles off here?

Cheers,

Martin

 

You're spot on Martin .

Given that your on the first floor AND have wooden floorboards, I'd say that you NEED to have one under the sub. It's cheap and you can paint it any colour you want or cover it with fabric. Hell, you can even spike it. It'll be just like Blue Peter .

 

I have 500x400x30mm granite slabs on 3 alu cones apiece under each of my speakers, on a floor similar to that which you describe. It works...

At the last bakeoff I had SCIDB and Gazz (in turn, not at the same time) stand on the slab. You can feel the difference through your feet. Standing on the granite feels like a much firmer, more solid surface.

Get some coasters for the sub's spikes to connect into, and blu-tak (it's good stuff ) the coasters to the slab. If nothing else, this gives you complete repeatability over the positioning of the sub on the slab, and you can measure the coaster positions to get the sub centred on it (or not, perhaps you will find it sounds different... I haven't tried and I'm not going to). Given that I got both pieces of granite for £20 or so, you might want to look into that material as well.

 

where did you get granite slabs of that size for 20 quid?! did you have them finished / cut / polished? i was quoted 150 quid to get 2 slabs 35x25x3cm!!!

 

That's about right if you have them custom cut and have the edges finished and so on...

Mine are pieces that were there at the stoneyard, already cut (not exactly the same as one another), and I haven't had them finished as that is the expensive part of the process.

 

Yepp! Martin, all your sub bass will disappear straight through the floor without a slab. The difference is huge.

 

Cheers for all the comments guys . I reckon I'll see what I can pick up cheaply at B&Q to get me started and then investigate something more serious like granite when I get the chance.

Isaac - not quite with you on you coaster idea. Are you talking about some made of something soft so that the spikes make an indent you can return them too easily? Or maybe some more solid ones you make holes in for the spikes?

Techno - I was wondering about the bass disapearing into/through the floor. Fortunately the sound proofing is better in my new flat that where I was till last week, but I do have to worry about neighbours below so reducing that is a good plan. I might actually see about some smaller paving slabs for my speaker stands to sit on while I'm at it...

 

Martin,
B&Q concrete paving/patio slabs are around £1 each.
I believe Isaac means spike cups/supports when he says coasters.

 

Cool, even cheaper than I'd thought

 

And you can paint them with Plasti-Kote spray paint also available at B&Q I used grey primer and then satin black. Spikes will scratch it though so you need to be careful when placing the sub.

 

Thanks Chris. I'd meant to ask what to paint them with but forgot. You're good!

Some sort of cups for the spikes like Isaac/Penance mentioned would get round the paint scratching problem too...

 

I have read quite a bit on this subject recently. I think the best article is by a guy on the Athens Audio Club Site. (One of the best sites for information and ideas).

His theory, backed up by a lot of enthusiasts, was that to get the absolute best out of any speaker on the floor, the support had to be the same weight as the speaker. Adjust the size or thickness to suit.

Theory had a lot to do with energy cancellation, the closer the two were in weight the less energy transference in to the floor. (I think - as a lot of it was over my head)

Look it up and give it a go.

Ken

 

Well that rules out torlyte then

 

Lol :lol:

 

No it doesn't, you just need more.

 

Yeah Issac but weight:volume of torlyte is gonna mean that you will just about get in the room never mind anything else, in fact you would need a house sized stand of torlyte just to weight the same as a decent set of standmounts

 

There are people mad enough.

 

as a box of frogs

 

Right, so all I need to do is persuade the owners of the flat under mine that what they really want is large stacks of torlyte in their lounge, running all the way up through holes cut in my floor to support my speakers. Oh, and I'd better plan a bank robbery sharpish to pay for it all.

Sorted .

 

Glad to be of help