Stands for P3ES2: Comparative A vs. B Observation

[BAS-H]

For info.

Yesterday I took delivery of a pair of dedicated stands for my P3ES2s. Something Solid XF open-frame stands replaced a pair of cheap no-name stands brought to height with a couple of pint glasses (!). Two pics are attached showing the Harbeths in my front room.

Structurally they could not be more different. The no-names are unspiked, hollow, unfilled, ringy, unstable and couple the speakers at the centre. The XFs are spiked, made from solid bar, inert, rigid and couple the speakers at the four corners. There are similarities: both couple the speakers using blu-tack, neither features a top-plate and most importantly, both place the speakers at the same position and height.

Now, I will be the last to claim my comparison was a valid double-blind test; this really isn't possible in a domestic setting. I compared the two using recordings with which I am very familiar. Sonically, the two are indistinguishable to my ears. (This isn't to claim that the sound really is identical, only to say that I couldn't tell them apart given the testing limitations).

This wasn't as surprising as it might have been, as I had read Harbeth's take on stands first, which can be found here.

[timber715]

thanks for sharing your insights, but wouldn't the glasses defeat the purpose of the stands?

[lizzzy]

Hi,
another option is the SH-I stand from liedtke-metalldesign it looks similar.

lizzzy

[BAS-H]

thanks for sharing your insights, but wouldn't the glasses defeat the purpose of the stands?

I don't think so. The main purpose to stands second to stability is to bring the speakers to height.

[Double D]

Well.... even if you aren't necessarily perceiving an acoustic difference betweeen the 2 stands, your new stands are much stabler for your P3's .. the concept of the P3's sitting up on those glasses just gives me the heeeby jeebies !! :-)

[BAS-H]

The blue tak helps but thank goodness I have no cleaner/dogs/kids! Yes, they're infinitely safer on the new stands.