Speaker stand alternatives: advice/suggestions?

[Funambulistic]

Good day to all in the Ascend Community!

I am the proud owner of a pair of Sierras with a newly installed NrT upgrade (they are en route from Ascend Central as I write this) and I figured it was time to give them the support they deserve (I currently have a pair of rickety stools - too short at a mere 17 1/2" - that are quite old). The thing is, I really dislike the appearance of speaker stands in general, but the audiophile in me appreciates the importance of proper placement, height, resonance control, etc.

The only dedicated speaker stands that I have seen and really liked are by Solidsteel (from Music Direct) which are an excellent tripod design (inherently more stable and easier to adjust than 4 points) but are a cool $400. Sonus Faber has some nice ones, with the rubber cords surrounding the square post, but again, are a little too dear. The Partington Dreadnaught is a fabulous execution (I am a fan of the raw, "industrial" look [and music, btw ]) but are not available in the US to my knowledge (What HiFi loves 'em).

So, I am on the lookout for a nice looking design or a viable alternative. Barstools perhaps? I noticed one of our fellow members has a simple, elegant HK/Ascend setup (posted in the Ascend forum and was featured in Sterophile - Monkeyhaus, dude!) with wood barstools. I would have to get espresso or black to go with the piano black of my pair and other furniture. My favorite solution so far is a "C" table from CB2 ( http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=5618 ) but I am afraid the metal might be a little too resonant (possibly rectified with a sheet of Dynamat underneath?). So, does anyone out there know of any "alternative" or unusual, yet functional (and somewhat affordable - I have spent most of my allowance) designs that they may have come across? Any suggestions would be most welcome! And, just in case, I do not like the Bello stands (no offense to anyone that has them - just not a fan of them or "AV" furniture in general: I should have stated in my preamble that I am an interior designer, so my tastes are somewhat particular [peculiar? ]).

Also, I know the dedicated stands that Ascend offers are 24" high. Have most of you found that this is the optimal height, or do some of you enjoy them a little higher? Preemptive response: I know that Curtis suggests that the "acoustic center" of the speaker be at ear level. Just wondering?

Thank you in advance and I am glad to be a part of such a wonderful community!

[davef]

Hi Funambulistic,

I hope you have been enjoying the speakers!

We hope to soon be offering several models of Sanus stands. Check out their website and please let me know if any of the stands interest you.

http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/...r-foundations/

[SRW1000]

I remember seeing a similar topic posted at AVS a few months ago. Someone suggested looking for planter stands. There were some really different looking options out there, far from the typical speaker stand, and in a variety of materials - from wood to iron to marble.

Many of the prices were comparable to what you might pay for regular old speaker stands.

Happy hunting!

Scott

[Funambulistic]

Thanks for the replies guys!

@Dave: Of the Sanus stands, I would probably go with the Ultimate series (UF26). They have a bit of an industrial look to them and $289 on Amazon is not too bad. Are you going to carry that specific line? As soon as I get that replacement part that Dina sent me last week (again, wonderful customer service!) I will give a proper report on the NrT upgrade.

@Scott: I have done A LOT of searching and plant stands did indeed figure into the equation. As did telephone stands, side tables of all shapes and materials, some specialty tables (there is cool one one that is a drum-kit tripod with a glass top - I showed it to a percussionist friend of mine and he about had a fit, he wanted it so bad!). A plethora of options out there... For the moment, I purchased a couple 24" high wood stools in an espresso finish. They are utilitarian, but look great with the piano black finish (and the price was right). Of course, they were shipped via UPS and were damaged, so a replacement pair is on the way (Amazon rocks almost as much as Ascend Acoustics). Raising the Sierras up 6" has really made a difference. Once my wife and I settle into our new digs, I will explore some more...

@Dave again: I know you probably get a good corporate rate with UPS and I am sure you receive great service from them, but every single piece of audio equipment (this is no exaggeration) I have ever received or shipped via UPS has suffered from some sort of damage. I am not fussing at you (quite the contrary!) just complaining about my seemingly extraordinary bad luck.

[davef]

@Dave: Of the Sanus stands, I would probably go with the Ultimate series (UF26). They have a bit of an industrial look to them and $289 on Amazon is not too bad. Are you going to carry that specific line? As soon as I get that replacement part that Dina sent me last week (again, wonderful customer service!) I will give a proper report on the NrT upgrade.

I am curious, what are your thoughts on the Sanus SF-30 stands? http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/.../sp-steel/SF30

@Dave again: I know you probably get a good corporate rate with UPS and I am sure you receive great service from them, but every single piece of audio equipment (this is no exaggeration) I have ever received or shipped via UPS has suffered from some sort of damage. I am not fussing at you (quite the contrary!) just complaining about my seemingly extraordinary bad luck.

I think you would be surprised at just how small corporate discounts are with UPS

That being said, I am sorry to hear of your problems with UPS. To be honest, freight damage is an issue with every carrier and has much to do with packaging. We have shipped tens of thousands of packages and our freight damage rate is less than 1/10th of 1 percent. I think we have had 3 reports of freight damage in the last 12 months.

The real test of a carrier is how they handle the damage claim. In this regard, UPS is the absolute tops in our experience and that makes for happier customers on our end

[Funambulistic]

Dave,

Thank you for the suggestions - those Sanus stands do not look bad at all.

Even though I was complaining about UPS' penchant for damaging (my) equipment, I agree with you about their customer service. I recently purchased a used Thule IA60B integrated amp on Audiogon. The amp must have been dropped on its side because the toroidal transformer was ripped from its mount, dislodging the ribbon cable from its own respective mount, rendering the amp DOA. The unit was shipped insured and UPS refunded the total amount. So, in essence, I got an amp for free (minus repairs, which were minimal cost-wise). The refund and subsequent sale of the Thule enabled me to purchase an even better integrated: a brand new T+A Power Plant at a severely discounted price. BTW, the T+A was shipped via FedEx and arrived intact...