Desktop Monitor (speaker) Stands: Isoacoustic, Atacama or..?

[4tune]

I`ve just recently had the revelation of decent monitor placement. For 10 years my shoulders have been sitting in the sweetspot as my tannoy reveals happily sat flat on my desk reflecting bass up at me. Having read something in passing before about monitor height position, I thought I`d try piling some books under each speaker to get the tweeters at around ear level and WOW what a difference! Much more clarity and definition.

It feels like I`ve been monitoring through a low pass filter for years with some random notches added in the mids just for good measure. Anyway at least I know now what my first bit of advice for anyone I talk to about setting up will be!


So my question: To get my books back on the bookshelf, which of the following might anyone recommend? I`m particularly interested what people have got to say about the Isoacoustics. There`s a lot of marketing stuff on youtube about them but I`d be interested in any Kvrers experiences, particularly with stability/ wobble on the higher configuration:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/IsoAcoustics-L8 ... oacoustics



The Atacama`s look more solid but non-configurable, a bit more expensive but not really an issue:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Atacama-SL200i- ... YQBVA9DKDS



Any suggestions for alternatives welcome too.

[Aiynzahev]

I'm seeing professional speaker companies starting to use the Isoacoustics.

http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=17055

Personally I've not used them, but I had the primacoustic RX slab things, and they work very well. It's easily the best bang for buck in my whole studio.

I did have some big heavy metal stands before and they didn't do nearly as good a job so those Atacama's probably wouldn't be as good as my primacoustics and maybe not as good as the Isoacoustics. I looks like more RnD and technology is in the later compared to the atacamas.

[4tune]

Thanks Aiynzahev,

Interesting to see a monitor vendor showcasing their own stuff on the isoacoustics, rather than just the isoacoustic promo vids I`d seen before.

I did see the Primacoustic slabs mentioned on my google travels too. Out of interest how have you got them placed; are your monitors on a shelf to get the height or are the slabs placed on top of monitor stands themselves?

[Aiynzahev]

They are on top of monitor stands



Only I am using Neumann Kh120's now.

[4tune]

Nice!

They look pretty sturdy up there, I see you have the down pointers for the sweet spot.

I decided to go for the Isoacoustics in the end, just waiting on delivery now,

I`ll post back here when I`ve had a bit of time with them, for anyone interested.

[4tune]

After getting the Isoacoustics:

Set-up was relatively quick. The stability on the higher level could be better but it`s acceptable, one stand seems a little less stable than the other, so maybe a QC issue there.

I did try a rough test with one of my monitors on top of the piled books vs one on the Iso stand. I set a couple of reference songs to mono and hard panned left then right to AB compare each of them. I have to admit that the monitor on the isoacoustic stand did sound more defined to me, enough to be noticable.

With both monitors on the stands I`m pretty happy with the sound and placement, so overall a good purchase I think. Maybe a second revision of the stands would be good for the stability issue but I`d buy these again if needed.

[billcarroll]

They are on top of monitor stands



Only I am using Neumann Kh120's now.

Nice setup. You're one of the few people I've sen mouse left handed like me