I found that sand will deaden the sound of your speakers, or you can tune the stands with the correct amount of Atacama Atabites. I found this works best but only three quarters full.
very well introduced! thank you!! wish someone could expand a bit on how to fill em with iron powder and how much can it fit in (I just have to go all the way) :)) can't wait for mine to arrive!
I have the Solidsteel SS-6s & I'm very happy with them, but the fill holes are so small I couldn't find a funnel that would fit. I had to hold the funnel still while pouring in sand. I was afraid I'd struggle getting lead shot or atabites through those holes.
Nice video! I really liked my SS-6s until I sadly had to sell them. I have a cat who liked to jump on my speakers and one day (when I turned my back) he was able to topple one of the speakers over with the stand. Turns out most of the weight is at the front, which makes sense given there's two legs at the front and one at the back. Despite filling the stands with attabites (a metal filling), they were still were front heavy albeit a lot more stable, I wasn't comfortable with the risk of them toppling over again, given one speaker already took a hefty knock already. (The LS50 meta speaker still sounds ok btw, but the case is a little damaged). Great stands though. I'd thoroughly recommend them but be wary if you have a cat / indoor pet who likes to get close to speaker stands. I went over to the Kef stands and they're solid as a rock (filled with attabites too).
Damn these are beautifully industrial . VERY purposeful looking ❤ But to me I would love to see these in my living room in either an industrial completely raw steel with unfinished joints OR super finished such as a brushed stainless steel with ground down joints. Both would be equally beautiful in different ways. Painted would be kind of meh. I shall look into maybe selling a kidney though as I am sure they don't come cheap for this level of performance and design.....but so worth it.
The SS-7’s completely transformed my set up in both looks and sound. Assembly was quick & easy, however, partially filling them with #4 shot was very time consuming.
Thanks very much Solidsteel too. Enjoyed making this and all the encouraging comments I get make me feel the same particularly with effort I put into these videos.
I'm not sure what I found more impressive: the look and design of the actual speaker stands under review, or the fact the you managed to seamlessly shoe-horn footage of Hancock into a hifi video.. Brilliant!
Thanks Anton. It wasn’t political. More how can I have a laugh…. I always like Ian Hislop of ‘Have I got news for you’ fame exclaiming, about politicians ‘compromising photographs’ Lol. 😂😂😂😂🤣
Just subscribed! Your video production is mind boggling! Nothing like it on UA-cam. What do you do for a living? Video production? Love your reviews.....But you are costing me $$...
Excellent video Simon! I commend you for picking a topic other than HIFI equipment to review as a change of pace. I’ve been looking pretty at these stands pretty hard myself, but unfortunately their top plate dimensions won’t fit my speakers.
Thanks very much SydsM3.doing the Brooklyn amp at the moment.I would have a chat with the distributor or solidsteel as maybe they can make them up for size. I wouldn’t think a little overhang is a disadvantage though
Nice looking stands...and they seem very solid in construction. I did consider them when I was in purchasing mode. However, I ended up with a pair of Sound Anchors, which are also very heavy steel construction. It did take a long time to receive the stands as they manufacture to order.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Have you considered the "inert filler" that KEF offers? It's advertised as non-magnetic but they claim it's very dense. I don't have any experience with it, but I did consider it when I was looking at the KEF stands.
Love KEF products generally but a bit dubious of that if I’m honest and for the price too. If you fill them up with no airspace’s or little, not sure how bog standard metallic powder etc can resonate.
@@mtkreger hi Mark, just tried to send you a message after your donation on PayPal, but couldn’t do via that route. Really appreciate that and thanks for thinking of me as I don’t make that much money from this website and with, what I think you know is going on. If you ever need any advice be sure to ping me over a message or chat on zoom etc. Thanks again. Bw simon.
While the SS stands design is one I happen to like and has good stability, using a metal powder as a filler I find highly questionable. Not that I know it all, but it goes against what I do know. Any brace or unfilled hollow tubing qualifies as a resonant cavity. Doesn’t matter who makes it, any unfilled metal tubing on any speaker stand constitutes a resonant cavity. Even the smallest parts matter if you want a truly deadened speaker stand. Some cables may not go in those stands that have the wire way. The wire way on that stand which uses one is also a resonant cavity even if the other tube is completely full of deadening material. No portion of any tubing on any stand should be left unfilled. That is the key to a true deadened stand. I’m sure there are those who may not agree and given what size the cavity or cavities are that are not filled, will have some effect on the sound. The single tube stand with the top and bottom plate may not be the most visually pleasing one, but because it is a single cavity design, it is the easiest to completely dampen. I enjoyed your video and I do like the way the SolidSteel stands are made. They are very stable having that pyramid/ obelisk shape.
Hi Simon, Sorry mate but I only just found this. I am seriously considering purchasing a pair of Buchardt S400 Mk 2 speakers. I love these Solid Steel stands but to be honest - I don't know which height to choose. My confusion stems from the Buchardt's speaker/ tweeter placement (tweeter on the bottom) and thus which part of the speaker baffle is optimum for the perfect ear height. I am thinking that the S-6s might be right? I'll contact both manufacturers but your input would be valued. I sit at a normal chair height and "stand" firm on listening in a sitting position. (clever I am - Yoda) Happy New Year from 🇨🇦
Normally they say tweeter height is best Charles. Before you buy Buchardt which I’ve never tried - although I couldn’t get a pair when I tried - try some of the active genelec’s. I’m reviewing one atm, 8330a, and they are absolutely superb. Better than kef actives and ls50 meta etc.
Thanks very much Billy. Really appreciate the praise. I haven’t yet filled them but some sort of metal powder I think I will use. Maybe some form of industrial merchant is the best bet to go to. I was looking at industrial blast cleaning firms when doing my research for this vid, where they fire metal particles to clean things, so maybe that’s where I go. Atabite disks are a bit big I think or not utilising all the space in the cylinder uprights. 😀👍
I'm interested in the SS6 or 7s for my Genelec 8340s, and wonder if it's possible to swap the standard top plate out for a Genelec stand plate measuring 156mm? Cheers!
Those Soildsteel are stunning, it's a shame they don't make an 800mm version, the 7's would still put the tweeters on the bookshelves I'm getting about 4 inches below my ear when I'm in my chair. Another 100mm and they would be just about spot on.
It depends more whether I’m using the words as a synonym or in a metaphorical sense, and more than the literal sense of the words. In fact I think I might have just done it there……
It’s a nice change to see a pair of speaker stands discussed as they are vital for getting the best out of a speaker. One thing I will say though is the inclination is always to mass load stands that have voids. HiFi fans seem always eager to tweak and fiddle. In my experience, mass loading can seriously be of detriment to the sound quality. Giving it a sat on presentation. I once had a home demonstration where the dealer himself wanted to play a selection of mid priced stand mounts for my appraisal. After much tutting and shaking of head he just couldn’t find satisfaction with the speakers he had brought. “Just what have you got in these stands?” he enquired. They weighed a ton! I proudly told him they were full of the atacama sound bites. Immediately he said “go and tip it out, please”. This was done and one of my biggest HiFi lessons was learned. Everything, on all the speakers, just opened up. It was briefly explained that the mass of the stand was draining the energy out of the speaker. I’d years earlier owned a pair of Epos S11s. The Epos stands were open framed and had sounded wonderful. The stands were obviously a big factor here. It’s such a worthwhile thing to do and is free. Sometimes you have to accept you’ve made a mistake and that you didn’t listen for any improvement (or that it got worse). I have played this out on numerous friends and family systems and it never fails. On some stands you may need a little mass to stop the stands “ringing” but how this would affect the sound isn’t fully known either. Give it a go.
The Track Audio Precision is the best bookshelf stand in the business. They are in the UK - so local to you for perhaps doing a review. They are pricy but worth it though.
I bought the Solidsteel SS-5 and the chainring is not straight, not horizontal, so the speaker is tilted. This is the case for both stand but one of the two leans a lot more, so I am sad because they are magnificent. Also, the small cylinder that is fixed under the tray in the middle is made of gray plastic so it's ugly and one of the two is too small so it is useless. The construction is therefore not great, be careful
Did they sort it for you? You could use the bolts to adjust height by loosening one and tightening other?. I don’t find the plastic cylinder a problem because it’s out of sight.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 it's not out of sight with the black version and on their commercial it looks metallic. Yes i manage with the bolts but it is almost a cm and it should be straight as a speaker stand
Is using the spikes still an option for hardwood flooring surfaces? I have a pretty rugged laminate flooring that is scratch resistant and I'm pretty confident they wouldn't mark up the floors. Just curious if the spike's are still an option for a certain hard surfaces?
13th Note HiFi Reviews thanks for the advice. Going to a somewhat local audio store on Saturday to take a look at them in person. My only concern is the top plate perhaps not being big enough to hold the Dynaudio evoke 20s and some other speakers I’d be interested in acquiring down the road such as the sonus Fabre sonetto ii and buchardt s400s.
I used the Dynaudio Emit 20 with these stands, which correct me if I’m wrong although I’m pretty sure, they have similar footprint to the evokes. I think its perhaps best to have a base that is ‘under-hanging’ as less speaker in contact with stand for vibration reasons. The plinths are small but so long as the speakers won’t get knocked off. I’ve been using them with gold100 from monitor audio and I’ll probably use all sorts of speakers with these.
We have to go on what most people think and generalised wisdom. If it doesn’t suit you then there will always be cases, so put yourself in my position. And Tbh I’ve never found the less sturdy a stand the more it sounds good.
Your videos are beautifully produced
Thank you very much.😀❤️
You forgot to thank the stands for their support.
Brilliant, we stand up for your comment! 😄
I’m taking a good stand on that comment. Pun count7 lol 😂😀
I do love the production value of these videos.
Thanks, I’m doing a cracking one on a turntable set up atm.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks. Btw I bought the Monitor Audio Gold 100s in Leeds based on your review. Brilliant speakers.
I found that sand will deaden the sound of your speakers, or you can tune the stands with the correct amount of Atacama Atabites.
I found this works best but only three quarters full.
Would the solid steel speaker stands be suitable for the dynaudio special 40 or confidence 20 or is tbe stand too small? Thanks
very well introduced! thank you!! wish someone could expand a bit on how to fill em with iron powder and how much can it fit in (I just have to go all the way) :)) can't wait for mine to arrive!
I have the Solidsteel SS-6s & I'm very happy with them, but the fill holes are so small I couldn't find a funnel that would fit. I had to hold the funnel still while pouring in sand. I was afraid I'd struggle getting lead shot or atabites through those holes.
@13thnotehifireviews7 What rubber gel pads are those on the SS6 top plate? Howcome you didn't use the patafix provided? Thanks.
Nice video! I really liked my SS-6s until I sadly had to sell them. I have a cat who liked to jump on my speakers and one day (when I turned my back) he was able to topple one of the speakers over with the stand. Turns out most of the weight is at the front, which makes sense given there's two legs at the front and one at the back. Despite filling the stands with attabites (a metal filling), they were still were front heavy albeit a lot more stable, I wasn't comfortable with the risk of them toppling over again, given one speaker already took a hefty knock already. (The LS50 meta speaker still sounds ok btw, but the case is a little damaged). Great stands though. I'd thoroughly recommend them but be wary if you have a cat / indoor pet who likes to get close to speaker stands. I went over to the Kef stands and they're solid as a rock (filled with attabites too).
Thanks very much. That’s true Matt, more space in the Kef stands for atabites.
Thanks, nice to see the raw finish.
Very interesting.. They certainly stand out amongt's there peer's
Damn these are beautifully industrial . VERY purposeful looking ❤
But to me I would love to see these in my living room in either an industrial completely raw steel with unfinished joints OR super finished such as a brushed stainless steel with ground down joints.
Both would be equally beautiful in different ways. Painted would be kind of meh.
I shall look into maybe selling a kidney though as I am sure they don't come cheap for this level of performance and design.....but so worth it.
The SS-7’s completely transformed my set up in both looks and sound. Assembly was quick & easy, however, partially filling them with #4 shot was very time consuming.
"A kid infested environment"! Classic
Fantastic video review, thank you 13th Note HiFi Reviews!
All these beautiful comments and feedbacks makes us very proud.
Thanks very much Solidsteel too. Enjoyed making this and all the encouraging comments I get make me feel the same particularly with effort I put into these videos.
It's nice to see some brazing.
I'm not sure what I found more impressive: the look and design of the actual speaker stands under review, or the fact the you managed to seamlessly shoe-horn footage of Hancock into a hifi video.. Brilliant!
Thanks Anton. It wasn’t political. More how can I have a laugh…. I always like Ian Hislop of ‘Have I got news for you’ fame exclaiming, about politicians ‘compromising photographs’ Lol. 😂😂😂😂🤣
Just subscribed! Your video production is mind boggling! Nothing like it on UA-cam. What do you do for a living? Video production? Love your reviews.....But you are costing me $$...
Thank you very much, not doing anything atm with illness in past but trying to build reviewing or production up. Just did 3D video
Hey thanks for all the info ! super useful. Also, what's the track @ 3:30 ? I love it !
Excellent video Simon! I commend you for picking a topic other than HIFI equipment to review as a change of pace.
I’ve been looking pretty at these stands pretty hard myself, but unfortunately their top plate dimensions won’t fit my speakers.
Thanks very much SydsM3.doing the Brooklyn amp at the moment.I would have a chat with the distributor or solidsteel as maybe they can make them up for size. I wouldn’t think a little overhang is a disadvantage though
Judging by the M Hancock clip it's not only the speakers that require decoupling
Like it, decoupling is happening in more than one way. Lol. 👍😂😀
I'm in the process of starting over. Am looking at these stands to use with the new Klipsch 600 v2's.
You’d do well to find better imo.
Nice looking stands...and they seem very solid in construction. I did consider them when I was in purchasing mode. However, I ended up with a pair of Sound Anchors, which are also very heavy steel construction. It did take a long time to receive the stands as they manufacture to order.
Gotta find something to fill these ones Mark, a metallic powder but from where? I suppose Solidsteel on FB good place for me to start.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Have you considered the "inert filler" that KEF offers? It's advertised as non-magnetic but they claim it's very dense. I don't have any experience with it, but I did consider it when I was looking at the KEF stands.
Love KEF products generally but a bit dubious of that if I’m honest and for the price too. If you fill them up with no airspace’s or little, not sure how bog standard metallic powder etc can resonate.
@@mtkreger hi Mark, just tried to send you a message after your donation on PayPal, but couldn’t do via that route. Really appreciate that and thanks for thinking of me as I don’t make that much money from this website and with, what I think you know is going on. If you ever need any advice be sure to ping me over a message or chat on zoom etc. Thanks again. Bw simon.
Great video as always. Keep making these! 👌
Thank you Mario as always too. Bw simon
While the SS stands design is one I happen to like and has good stability, using a metal powder as a filler I find highly questionable. Not that I know it all, but it goes against what I do know. Any brace or unfilled hollow tubing qualifies as a resonant cavity. Doesn’t matter who makes it, any unfilled metal tubing on any speaker stand constitutes a resonant cavity. Even the smallest parts matter if you want a truly deadened speaker stand. Some cables may not go in those stands that have the wire way. The wire way on that stand which uses one is also a resonant cavity even if the other tube is completely full of deadening material. No portion of any tubing on any stand should be left unfilled. That is the key to a true deadened stand. I’m sure there are those who may not agree and given what size the cavity or cavities are that are not filled, will have some effect on the sound. The single tube stand with the top and bottom plate may not be the most visually pleasing one, but because it is a single cavity design, it is the easiest to completely dampen. I enjoyed your video and I do like the way the SolidSteel stands are made. They are very stable having that pyramid/ obelisk shape.
Don’t worry - lots of what you say is academic to hearing anything. I’d have no concerns filling them . They are sturdy enough already too
Hi Simon, Sorry mate but I only just found this. I am seriously
considering purchasing a pair of Buchardt S400 Mk 2 speakers.
I love these Solid Steel stands but to be honest - I don't know which
height to choose. My confusion stems from the Buchardt's speaker/
tweeter placement (tweeter on the bottom) and thus which part of the
speaker baffle is optimum for the perfect ear height. I am thinking
that the S-6s might be right? I'll contact both manufacturers but your
input would be valued. I sit at a normal chair height and "stand" firm
on listening in a sitting position. (clever I am - Yoda)
Happy New Year from 🇨🇦
Normally they say tweeter height is best Charles. Before you buy Buchardt which I’ve never tried - although I couldn’t get a pair when I tried - try some of the active genelec’s. I’m reviewing one atm, 8330a, and they are absolutely superb. Better than kef actives and ls50 meta etc.
But sorry. I’d go for somewhere in the middle. Can’t go wrong, cheers.
Really excellent and you have really sold me on the SS-7's I think I have also seen John Darko using them.
Thanks very much, I think I suggested to him in fact then sprung up on his channel. They are very well made.
Hi, Can I use a pair of Solidsteel SS5 speaker stands with ProAc's D2R speakers? Thanks.
What do you mean? You measure them and…….
Thanks for another great video.
Your content is always first class.
Have you filled your stands? and if so what material have you used?
Thanks very much Billy. Really appreciate the praise. I haven’t yet filled them but some sort of metal powder I think I will use. Maybe some form of industrial merchant is the best bet to go to. I was looking at industrial blast cleaning firms when doing my research for this vid, where they fire metal particles to clean things, so maybe that’s where I go. Atabite disks are a bit big I think or not utilising all the space in the cylinder uprights. 😀👍
I'm interested in the SS6 or 7s for my Genelec 8340s, and wonder if it's possible to swap the standard top plate out for a Genelec stand plate measuring 156mm? Cheers!
Those Soildsteel are stunning, it's a shame they don't make an 800mm version, the 7's would still put the tweeters on the bookshelves I'm getting about 4 inches below my ear when I'm in my chair. Another 100mm and they would be just about spot on.
Thanks!
3:33 “more unique”. There are no degrees of uniqueness, things are either unique or not.
It depends more whether I’m using the words as a synonym or in a metaphorical sense, and more than the literal sense of the words. In fact I think I might have just done it there……
Bought ss7 a couple of months ago. Highly recommend.
Which colour did you go for. Good finish?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Black. Finish was excellent.
Their entire line is brilliant. Love my rack system. 🙏
It’s a nice change to see a pair of speaker stands discussed as they are vital for getting the best out of a speaker.
One thing I will say though is the inclination is always to mass load stands that have voids. HiFi fans seem always eager to tweak and fiddle.
In my experience, mass loading can seriously be of detriment to the sound quality. Giving it a sat on presentation.
I once had a home demonstration where the dealer himself wanted to play a selection of mid priced stand mounts for my appraisal.
After much tutting and shaking of head he just couldn’t find satisfaction with the speakers he had brought.
“Just what have you got in these stands?” he enquired. They weighed a ton!
I proudly told him they were full of the atacama sound bites.
Immediately he said “go and tip it out, please”.
This was done and one of my biggest HiFi lessons was learned.
Everything, on all the speakers, just opened up.
It was briefly explained that the mass of the stand was draining the energy out of the speaker.
I’d years earlier owned a pair of Epos S11s. The Epos stands were open framed and had sounded wonderful.
The stands were obviously a big factor here.
It’s such a worthwhile thing to do and is free. Sometimes you have to accept you’ve made a mistake and that you didn’t listen for any improvement (or that it got worse).
I have played this out on numerous friends and family systems and it never fails.
On some stands you may need a little mass to stop the stands “ringing” but how this would affect the sound isn’t fully known either.
Give it a go.
The Track Audio Precision is the best bookshelf stand in the business. They are in the UK - so local to you for perhaps doing a review. They are pricy but worth it though.
I had the KEF S2 stands for my ls50 meta's then filled with atacama Atabites and i didnt think they were very stable
Do they come with those rubber disks that you have on the top plate under the speaker?
No I think they are mine but cheap as chips on eBay etc 😀
I bought the Solidsteel SS-5 and the chainring is not straight, not horizontal, so the speaker is tilted. This is the case for both stand but one of the two leans a lot more, so I am sad because they are magnificent. Also, the small cylinder that is fixed under the tray in the middle is made of gray plastic so it's ugly and one of the two is too small so it is useless. The construction is therefore not great, be careful
Did they sort it for you? You could use the bolts to adjust height by loosening one and tightening other?. I don’t find the plastic cylinder a problem because it’s out of sight.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 it's not out of sight with the black version and on their commercial it looks metallic. Yes i manage with the bolts but it is almost a cm and it should be straight as a speaker stand
@@control1019 ask for it to be changed 😁sorry if stating obvious
If you are having issues with the dealer please contact me and I could help you sort it.
Is using the spikes still an option for hardwood flooring surfaces? I have a pretty rugged laminate flooring that is scratch resistant and I'm pretty confident they wouldn't mark up the floors. Just curious if the spike's are still an option for a certain hard surfaces?
Just use spike cups and you’ll be fine , even stick felt underneath
13th Note HiFi Reviews thanks for the advice. Going to a somewhat local audio store on Saturday to take a look at them in person. My only concern is the top plate perhaps not being big enough to hold the Dynaudio evoke 20s and some other speakers I’d be interested in acquiring down the road such as the sonus Fabre sonetto ii and buchardt s400s.
I used the Dynaudio Emit 20 with these stands, which correct me if I’m wrong although I’m pretty sure, they have similar footprint to the evokes. I think its perhaps best to have a base that is ‘under-hanging’ as less speaker in contact with stand for vibration reasons. The plinths are small but so long as the speakers won’t get knocked off. I’ve been using them with gold100 from monitor audio and I’ll probably use all sorts of speakers with these.
I just plonk my bookshelves on top of my towers. Is that wrong? 🤔🙂
Not ideal I don't think. Invest in some good stands as you won't regret it! 😁
Top notch as always Simon. The raw finish with the royal blue metas look awesome 👌
Thanks very much John.
Very generalised. Not all speakers match high mass stands. The opposite in fact. As I have found with my atabite filled partingtons ...
We have to go on what most people think and generalised wisdom. If it doesn’t suit you then there will always be cases, so put yourself in my position. And Tbh I’ve never found the less sturdy a stand the more it sounds good.
Solidsteels are too light.
The ones Ive got aren’t. Well they are , well, solid steel
I couldn't stand the wooden stands...
No need to spend ridiculous money on stands. 28” Monolith steel stands filled with sand are absolutely unbeatable for the $$$.
A lot of them don’t look much cop and looks are a big part of why some buy…each to their own of course though 😀
Any tripod stand is ugly, but these are by far the ugliest ones I've ever seen.
I think industrial looks add something as they aren’t usual perfect finish types