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!