Some consoles won’t have space for a complete sound system. Also, many floor stands can be too low for optimal sound positioning.
Getting adjustable speaker stands is way too easy, and, more often than not, they can break the bank. If you want your sound system setup to be a fun and rewarding activity, you can make your own speaker stands.
We’ll be laying down the basics of speaker positioning before we tackle some interesting ideas for DIY speaker stands.
Where To Position Your Speakers for the Best Sound
Regardless of the number of speakers you own, you will have the same goal of special effects localization, seamless panning, and 3D imaging. You can only accomplish all of these goals by positioning your speakers correctly.
For a pair of speakers, the locations of a listener and the two speakers should be on points that form an equilateral triangle.
With a surround sound system, you can obtain the best imaging with the tweeters positioned close to ear height on either side of a room. While tower speakers can accomplish this naturally without stands, bookshelf monitors will require speaker stands or wall mounts.
If you have a five-channel surround system, raise the tweeters two feet from ear level for the best feeling of spaciousness.
Generally, the ear level sits at 37 inches from the floor while sitting on a sofa. If you’re setting up a sound system for an office workstation or a gaming computer, raise the ear level to around 42 inches.
Things You Can Use
While a hardware store can be just around the corner from your home, you might want to consider repurposing waste materials. Not only will it save you more money, but you’ll also be turning garbage into beautiful pieces.
You will also want to check your tool shed for what equipment you may already have so that you can purchase much-needed implements.
Tools
The tools that you will need will depend on what materials you plan to use. Check out the following list for items that can diversify the results of any DIY project. Notice how some of them can get the cogs in your brain rolling.
- Personal protective gear
- Tape measure
- Level bar
- Speed Square
- Pencil
- Table saw
- Jigsaw
- Power drill
- Assorted drill bits
- Concrete mixer
- Screwdrivers
- Hammer
- Grinder
- Ratchet pipe threader kit
- Paintbrush
The list goes on. It is up to you to decide whether we hit the mark or you need something more.
Materials
Aside from the plethora of tools you can use for DIY projects, you also have to choose your primary materials. Depending on how creative you can be, the list of materials you can use is also pretty endless.
We have compiled a list of possible materials for a DIY speaker stand, but you can add more if anything else comes to mind.
- Plywood
- Lumber
- Recycled wood planks and boards
- Recycled GI pipes and fittings
- Concrete mix
- Recycled welded wire mesh
- Shelf pins
- Assorted screws and wire nails
- Joinery connectors
- Wood glue
- Wood stain
- Spray-on polyurethane
- Mold-making silicone compounds
- Sandpaper
- Paints
DIY Speaker Stands
Now that you know where to position your speakers and what items you might need, let’s head to the possible DIY projects. We’re here to discuss five different ideas, each of which may require different sets of materials and tools.
Speaker Stands With CD Case
Although online streaming services are gradually making discs a thing of the past, many gaming consoles still use them. For those who still keep DVDs and CDs, having them organized right beside your entertainment system can make things more convenient.
Like desk organizers that help you tidy up your workstation, speaker stands with CD cases can be great additions to your home theater.
Additionally, many disc copies of movies and games become rarer by the minute. You can show off your collection with a CD rack instead of having them collect dust in the attic.
Since only you can tell how many discs you have to organize, building a DIY speaker stand with a built-in rack is one of your best approaches. Not only will your entertainment area look neat and unique, but you will also set the parameters for the positioning of your audio system.
Recommended Items for The Project
Since you will need precise dimensions to fit your CDs, the material easiest to work on is plywood or lumber. You can use recycled wood planks, as long as you trim them down to straight edges using a table saw.
If you don’t have a table saw, use a circular or miter saw for a workaround. You’ll also need measuring equipment, such as a speed square, to make accurate 90-degree marks.
Flatpack Speaker Stands
Flatpack pieces of furniture have been around since the 1950s, and they continue to provide consumers with the portability they need. Also called knock-down furniture, a flatpack is any ready-to-assemble and easy-to-disassemble furniture that packs into a tight collection of pieces.
Imagine a speaker stand that forms like a three-dimensional puzzle and allows you to break it down into smaller pieces so you can carry it around.
Recommended Items for the Project
The best wooden flatpack furniture will take advantage of different types of joinery, such as dovetail joints and dado joints. To make precise joints on wood, you will need a jigsaw.
Speaker Stands With an Industrial Look
With some spare iron pipes, square boards, and industrial design, you can make speaker stands of varying lengths. Use two boards for the base and the top rack, and cut the pipes to desired lengths to make legs.
The weight of each whole stand should be enough to support the weight of your speakers so that the entire thing doesn’t topple over. You can maybe add a potted plant over the base and between the legs to increase its weight.
Recommended Items for the Project
Use an angle grinder to cut the pipes, but be sure to wear gloves, a mask, and eyewear. The pipes can get hot and sharp with a grinder, and the fumes and sparks can get into your circulation, causing unwanted problems.
You might be wondering how to connect the pipes to the boards. For a more sophisticated industrial look on your speaker stands, consider purchasing some pipe flanges and adding threads to both ends of each pipe.
With threaded pipes and flanges, all you need to affix the boards are wood screws. Paint the pipes black and seal the boards with polyurethane.
Concrete Pedestal Speaker Stands
If you want a speaker stand that is more stable than any other type, you can play around with concrete.
As you probably already know, concrete is a hardened mix of cement, sand, aggregates, and water. You can form it into anything, provided that you can build a good set of formworks.
A concrete speaker stand is an excellent choice for speakers that require a more permanent location inside your house. It can fit almost any modern home. It can be a great accent piece with brutalism as its design principle.
Recommended Items for the Project
You can use different materials to make your formworks, including plywood and mold-making silicon compounds, such as Mold Star 16.
Don’t forget your materials for reinforcing the concrete as it hardens. The most manageable reinforcing material for concrete furniture is wire mesh, as you can use cutters to trim them down to shape.
Position the wire mesh into your formworks with spacers so it stays in place while you pour your concrete mix.
Concrete and Iron Pipe Speaker Stands
Some of you might think that an all-concrete pedestal is too much for a speaker stand.
In that case, you can mix things up a bit by combining a concrete base with iron pipes for legs and a wooden board for the rack. With these materials, you can still develop something light enough to carry around and heavy enough for stability.
The base doesn’t have to be large as long as its estimated total weight is just slightly heavier than your speaker. To give you a basis for making estimations, a cubic foot of cured concrete weighs 150 pounds.
Start with a shape of a desired concrete base and compute for its volume in cubic feet. Compute for the weight of the base by multiplying 150 pounds with the resultant volume.
If the result is slightly higher than the weight of your speaker, proceed with the assembly of your forms. Otherwise, adjust the dimensions of your base.
Form the legs of your speaker stand by inserting the pipes into the wet concrete. You can ensure a level top by using clamps, straps, and weights to secure the pipes while the concrete is still curing. Finally, assemble the top wooden rack with the same flanges that we suggested earlier.
Recommended Items for the Project
With the recommendations from the previous sections, you already know the tools and materials needed for this particular project. Remember to use an electric handheld concrete mixer if you have one to eliminate any air pockets within the mixture.
Final Thoughts
Making DIY speaker stands gives you the option to move your sound system to places where positioning is a bit of a problem. You can bring your music anywhere, like an outdoor bar in your backyard, while entertaining some friends.
If you love your home entertainment system and like being a handyman, a DIY speaker stand can be an excellent next project to accomplish.
Among the ideas we presented, we like the flatpack speaker stands the most. With such a DIY project, you can be as creative as you can get.