What are Speaker Stands? And How Do I Set Them Up?

With all the new audio technologies, Dolby digital, surround sound and all the others, it is paramount that you set up your sound system correctly in order to get the best out of your audio systems and home theater. People use speaker stands for a number of reasons. Firstly, they lift the speakers away from the floor. And also, the stand helps to reduce vibrations. This means that your speakers will be working at their full capability.

Old speakers were very, very simple. Tweeters, and woofers were in one box, and sound quality was often really poor. Now you have surround sound, with multiple channels and speakers that are capable of producing the kinds of sounds that will make you think you are at the centre of the action. Surround sound makes it so you not only hear speaking clearly, but things like cars racing around a track can actually go from one side of the room to the other. Sounds like rainfall and whispering, which are soft and distant can be heard quite clearly. This makes home theater systems seem like you are watching the real thing and can make you jump out of your seats when explosions happen.

It is important that you place your speaker stands high enough that you can hear the sound when you are sitting down. Some varieties of stands have the capability to be adjusted to different heights depending on how you want them, there are others that can be mounted onto walls and ceilings. The positioning of your speakers is just as important as the components and connections between them. The first thing you should do when placing your speakers and stands is to read the instructions that comes with them. The makers of your speaker stands and audio racks know what they are doing, and have done extensive testing to make sure they produce an optimal sound quality.

When positioning your speaker stands in a good sized room, place them at least eight feet apart, but you can shorten this distance if your room is smaller. They should never be touching the walls, because this could affect the sound quality, as they will vibrate against the surface. You should place your speakers facing where you are going to be watching television, or listening to your stereo. By this, the sound will always be pointing in the right direction eg. towards your ears and not to the walls. Make sure there is nothing blocking the front of them, since this will muffle sounds and make it harder to get the full effects.

When looking for speaker stands, make sure that they have a solid base, and that the speaker platform is the same size as the bottom of the speaker itself. Vibrations and ‘deleterous colourations’ can be reduced by placing rubber under the speakers. Once you’ve set up the speakers on the stands, sit in your usual tv watching or listening position. Then, switch it on and double check all the speakers are facing you. Now you can get going!