Not too long ago, I finally got around to attempting to install the carpet spikes that were supplied with my M50s. Much to my chagrin, one of the threaded inserts in one of the speaker bottoms was broken. I called you guys and someone (I forget who) ever so willingly shipped me several inserts. It appears that they shipped both the new kind that Axiom is using and some of the old kind that was originally used. After looking at both kinds of inserts, I surmised that it would take me cutting out the old insert using some kind of metal cutting tool and then hammering in one of the inserts. Seeing as how I'm not used to this kind of work and taking into account how much I adore my Axioms, I feel somewhat uneasy about banging away (albeit with a rubber mallet) on my speaker.

So, I was wondering what kind of aftermarket spike/footer you can recommend for a pair of M50s. You know, the kind that have some kind of adhesive (or I can use some Blu-Tack) to keep the footer in place. Also, what kind of improvement can I expect to hear in my bass, besides it being tighter? Sorry for the drawn out question...thanks!!!

Hi Anonymous,

I responded to your question but lost the response when our message boards went down. Sorry about the delay.

The rationale for spikes, keeping in mind the laws of physics, is rather dubious, at least in terms of making any audible differences in bass quality or "tightness." The practice of "spiking" speakers originated in England and became something of a fad, along with sand- or lead-shot-filled speaker stands and the like. In some listening tests in which I participated with several colleagues at the National Research Council in Ottawa (the listening panel included a world-renowned PhD in psychoacoustics and engineering), we heard no differences whatsoever in bass or overall sound quality whether the speaker was supported on spikes, lead-shot-filled stands, or a stack of encyclopedias!

Spikes are useful for securing a tippy speaker on soft carpet because you don't want the speaker falling over. And a solid stand is important to raise speakers off the floor to avoid boundary effects that can cause bass boominess. Otherwise, use simple rubber feet or no feet at all. I should think a hardware store or Home Depot would be a good source for small rubber feet that could be screwed into the speaker base with short wood screws. The problem with adhesive feet is that after a few years the adhesive becomes gummy and the feet may detach. Suggestions anyone?

Regards,