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Filling speaker Stands?

I have a modest system. Continually look for ways to improve it's performance even to a slight degree. I have read many posts about improvements than can be achieved by filling the hollow spaces of some speaker stands with some type of material....sand, kitty litter, lead shot, and some others. Here are the stands I have......
https://www.sanus.com/en_US/products/speaker-stands/sf26/ 
These stands are of metal construction. There are 2 upright support tubes which are approx. 2" diameter. The stands sit on a carpet floor with spikes. On the top plates are a layer of Sorbothane and PSB Imagine B speakers sit on top of that. The 2 metal supports are attached to the base and top plate with just threaded holes about 1/4 " diameter. Pouring some type of dampening  material would definitely require a funnel.
The reason I ask this question is that, when I thump on each upright post, it rings for several seconds. A dampening fill would minimize this but would filling those posts really benefit the speaker performance to even a small degree given my modest setup? I don't know. Probably, few have experimented with this type of scenario.Thanks for any advice.



jrpnde
miketuason
264 posts
 
How about a molten lead where you can pour inside the stand which will fill up every small spaces then let it cool down, would that work?
jerroldls's avatar
jerroldls
15 posts
 
Lead is toxic, no need to use it. You can get steel ball bearings from many industrial suppliers at very low prices. stainless won't rust and is safe to handle and get rid of if u want to latter on. Some of the newer kitty litters are pretty dense and could be used. The steel shot or bearings can be had in small diameters so they pack tight.

pesky_wabbit's avatar
pesky_wabbit
39 posts
 
One common mistake people make is to fully fill their stands. It can kill the sound totally dead. Far bettter results are usually usually obtained by going 50% to 65% max. Keeps a lower C of G too.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Generally speaking, lead is not a good material for sound. Yes, I know, it’s not too soft and not too hard and seems like the perfect material for audio applications. But in most cases, lead has a toxic effect on the sound, especially the bass, which can get all weird and unnatural sounding. If you want something to address ringing hollow fiber wool works very well, and used sparingly. Isolating the speakers is probably worth considering, too.
pesky_wabbit's avatar
pesky_wabbit
39 posts
 
S’funny Geoff I have heard some people swear by that foam stuff you get in cylinders to inflate your flat tyres in an emergency when you can’t reach an auto repair shop. Never tried it myself, but may have a similar effect to the wool you are talking about.
Again I expect use in moderation may be preferable.
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