Full Metal Stand Review - 06/23/05 05:17 PM
I've never posted a "review" post before, so bear with me.
As indicated in my other post - my downstairs neighbor just picked up a set of M2s for both her front and surround speakers.
She had an issue with mounting the speakers on the wall for the same reason that everyone else does - aesthetics, baby. Also, she wanted some flexibility to move them around if her furniture changes or if she wants to move them for a party or whatever.
We decided to go with the 24" model, since they were specifically designed to raise the M2s to ear height when sitting on a couch. True to form, the stands raised the speakers just high enough to project over the backrest and armchairs of the couch, but were not so high as to draw unnecessary attention to the speakers which sat on top of them.
Right out of the box, the stands felt as if they were a high quality. They come in a matte black finish, and are very "heavy" looking - very solid or substantial.
The main "tube" portion is rather large, and provides a nice visual anchor to the floor, and allays most fears that one may have about the thing tipping over and ruining your speakers.
Putting the stands together was a breeze. While I checked out the instructions to make sure I was doing it properly, a brief glance was all that it took to ensure that I was asembling it correctly. Total assembly time for both stands was less than 20 minutes or so.
The mounting platform is specifically designed to carry the M2 speaker - the platform floor follows the lines of the M2s trapezoidal shape, creating a perfect match, without any leftover space showing.
The speakers are secured in the back with a hand tightened screw which cranks down on a pair of felt padded square pieces. After hand-tightening, the speaker wasn't going anywhere. While I wouldn't swing it around the room or anything, the speaker was firmly attached such that it would take muchy more than a bump or nudge to dislodge the speaker from its perch.
Threading the speaker wire through the tub was also easy, and resulted in a really clean look, with only a minimal amount of wire showing.
The stands come with all the tools needed to put it together, including two L-wrenches and a screw driver.
THey came with both rubber feet and spikes. We went with the rubber feet on the hardwood floor, but both my neighbor and I agreed that the spikes were pretty sexy looking. We saved the spikes for later use, just in case...
Overall, I would give these stands a 9 out of 10. It would have been nice to have some telescoping ability, maybe. We were lucky that the stand was the right size, but if the couch was just a touch taller, the stand would have been too short. This is a minor quibble, though, as I'm just trying to find something to pick on.
The other desired addition/change would be adjustable feet to ensure a lever surface. Sure, the stand is provided foudnation with a triangular base, (and we all know that the triangle will touch the floor on each of its feet), but we live in an older building, with sloping floors. Having the ability to tweak the speaker one way or another just slightly might have helped ensure that the speakers stodd exactly straight up. As it stands, though, this was not a problem - and is mostly getting really nitpicky for the sake of it.
In the end - I'm very satisfied. More importantly, my neighbor is really satisfied. They are 100% functional, and really complement her room with a clean, finished, and contemporary look.
Well done, guys!
As indicated in my other post - my downstairs neighbor just picked up a set of M2s for both her front and surround speakers.
She had an issue with mounting the speakers on the wall for the same reason that everyone else does - aesthetics, baby. Also, she wanted some flexibility to move them around if her furniture changes or if she wants to move them for a party or whatever.
We decided to go with the 24" model, since they were specifically designed to raise the M2s to ear height when sitting on a couch. True to form, the stands raised the speakers just high enough to project over the backrest and armchairs of the couch, but were not so high as to draw unnecessary attention to the speakers which sat on top of them.
Right out of the box, the stands felt as if they were a high quality. They come in a matte black finish, and are very "heavy" looking - very solid or substantial.
The main "tube" portion is rather large, and provides a nice visual anchor to the floor, and allays most fears that one may have about the thing tipping over and ruining your speakers.
Putting the stands together was a breeze. While I checked out the instructions to make sure I was doing it properly, a brief glance was all that it took to ensure that I was asembling it correctly. Total assembly time for both stands was less than 20 minutes or so.
The mounting platform is specifically designed to carry the M2 speaker - the platform floor follows the lines of the M2s trapezoidal shape, creating a perfect match, without any leftover space showing.
The speakers are secured in the back with a hand tightened screw which cranks down on a pair of felt padded square pieces. After hand-tightening, the speaker wasn't going anywhere. While I wouldn't swing it around the room or anything, the speaker was firmly attached such that it would take muchy more than a bump or nudge to dislodge the speaker from its perch.
Threading the speaker wire through the tub was also easy, and resulted in a really clean look, with only a minimal amount of wire showing.
The stands come with all the tools needed to put it together, including two L-wrenches and a screw driver.
THey came with both rubber feet and spikes. We went with the rubber feet on the hardwood floor, but both my neighbor and I agreed that the spikes were pretty sexy looking. We saved the spikes for later use, just in case...
Overall, I would give these stands a 9 out of 10. It would have been nice to have some telescoping ability, maybe. We were lucky that the stand was the right size, but if the couch was just a touch taller, the stand would have been too short. This is a minor quibble, though, as I'm just trying to find something to pick on.
The other desired addition/change would be adjustable feet to ensure a lever surface. Sure, the stand is provided foudnation with a triangular base, (and we all know that the triangle will touch the floor on each of its feet), but we live in an older building, with sloping floors. Having the ability to tweak the speaker one way or another just slightly might have helped ensure that the speakers stodd exactly straight up. As it stands, though, this was not a problem - and is mostly getting really nitpicky for the sake of it.
In the end - I'm very satisfied. More importantly, my neighbor is really satisfied. They are 100% functional, and really complement her room with a clean, finished, and contemporary look.
Well done, guys!
LOL