The world of real hi-fi can be a bit confusing at times. And this is one of those times: despite the name, a bookshelf speaker shouldn’t be placed on a bookshelf. Yeah, we know. That was a poor naming effort on the part of whoever coined the term. Don’t get us wrong – if you are short on space you can (and will!) be forgiven for utilising them in such a way, but if you want to get the absolute most out of them, they need to be placed on dedicated speaker stands. Even if your book case is a particularly strong and sturdy one – it still won’t cut the mustard.
There are a number of advantages to dedicated speaker stands – they look amazing and they make your speakers sound even better, owed to them being ‘fillable’, which most of them will be. If you’re about to spend good money on a pair of bookshelves – do them some justice and look into a pair of stands to match. Plenty will have stands available which have been designed to suit – but there are an excellent selection which lend themselves nicely to the size and shape of any bookshelf. And here are the top five – our favourites of the whole batch.
Remember, all prices were correct at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. And don’t worry – everything comes in a pair, just like their speakers!
1. Atacama Moseco 6 – £112.90
They may be the first entry – and therefore the cheapest – but there’s nothing cheap about these stands. Who says so? What Hi-Fi say so. These very fetching stands have been awarded the Best Speaker Stand Award for 2014 – so they are currently the prevailing stands, according to popular critical opinion. They rank very highly on our opinion poll too! 600mm high stand and combine the aesthetic and aural benefits of bamboo with the adaptability, strength and stability of twin carbon steel poles, all Mosecos are able to have their front column filled with sound dampening material i.e, ‘filler’ – and this is where these stands truly shine.
Why do we like them?
They are very customisable in terms of appearance – with plenty of colours in both metal and wood to chose from, so they’re versatile. And their sound improving qualities really make them worthy of the title of ‘best’.
Why do they like them?
‘Great performance, build quality and value – these Mosecos are a must-have accessory for your hi-fi system’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
2. Partington Ansa 60 – £179.95
Four years ago, the Ansas were the holders of the heraded ‘Best Speaker Stands’ title, and they still carry their value to this very day. 600mm in height, these elegant and sylish stands are built using laser profiling, which results in a very clean cut, almost contemporary finish. Perfectly suited for a smaller speaker, they look great and they make the music really sparkle.These are the only stands on this list which are designed to be unfilled – but they sound just as good as fillable ones. A perfect purchase if you don’t want the added hassle of a fillable stand.
Why do we like them?
They are firm favourites of ours’ – always have been, always will be. There’s something very timeless about them, and they are excellent value considering the build quality.
Why do they like them?
’For the money these are incredibly well-detailed and sonically revealing stands…the Ansa 60s excel in their ability to provide transparent and clear detailing, a Partington trait that’s carried over from the higher-end models in its range.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
3. Custom Design FS104 – £189
The beautiful FS104s were the What Hi-Fi winners in 2013, and were very worthy winners. Easy to assemble (and fill!) and available in a range of heights and finishes, they are outstanding for reasons beyond their very striking and unusual appearance. Once filled, the FS104s allow for a vibrant, transparent and sound, bursting with rhythm, with no favour towards bass over detail, or vice versa. These stands won’t fade into the background – they’re as loud and proud as the speakers themselves. But when they look (and sound) this good, that’s hardly a bad thing!
Why do we like them?
They don’t look like any other speaker stands on this list – or indeed – any other. And with the range of options available, you know you’re making a unique and impressive call for your speakers.
Why do they like them?
’Allow speakers to sound vibrant, transparent and rhythmical […] If you’re after stylish, reasonably priced stands that make the most of your speakers, you need look no further.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
4. Partington Super Dreadnought – £249
Partington have long been favourites of ours’ – and the critics – and the Super Dreadnoughts are some of our absolute favourites. They’re some of the most popular speaker stands ever and have been awarded What Hi-Fi’s 5 star award – all of which points to some very high quality stands – and they’re British too! Available in both black and silver. Built using laser profiled panels, with 1 inner and 4 outer tubes, the Super Dreadnoughts offer excellent rigidity and vibration control. The base plate is pre-filled using Partington’s unique resin and silicon-iron damping system, so half of the job is done for you.
Why do we like them?
They are incredibly well-made and offer a stability you can rely on, as well as a truly superb quality of sound. If you’re after something a bit chunkier, for larger bookshelf speakers, they have heftier brothers – the Partington Broadsides – as a good, solid alternative.
Why do they like them?
‘One of our favourite designs – so good, we use them in our listening rooms when we want to hear small speakers at their best.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
5. Partington Ultima – £479
Striking in appearance and built like a battleship, our most popular hi-end speaker stands above the rest in pretty much every category. These are stands for audiophile who cherishes their bookshelf speakers, and wishes for them to take pride of place. Not only will they provide a powerful stance for said speakers, they will keep them safely ground all the while offering an excellent quality of sound. These flagship stands have been precision engineered, laser cut and welded throughout. the result is a clear, defined bass that you truly feel as well as a greater level of vocal and instrumental separation, with high detail. If you don’t believe that speakers stands make that much difference, you need to witness these for yourself.
Why do we like them?
Nothing says ‘I love my speakers’ than the Ultimas. You really can’t get much better.
It doesn’t just stop with the stands, however. In the same way that you need stands to get the most out of your speakers, there are a few accessories that you will need to get the most out of your speaker. We have mentioned filling a few times – but what do you fill them with? And why? Well, if designed to be filled, speaker stands will always sound better filled, and this increases the mass of the stand to deliver better and tighter bass response. A huge benefit of bookshelf speakers on stands over floorstanders is the ability to match the positioning of the speaker stands in your room to the room itself by varying the amount the stands are filled. We recommend filling your stands half way first, then testing the bass response, and then gradually fill them bit by bit until the optimal response is achieved. Some people use sand for this purpose – but there are better options out there. For the best possible performance, the purpose made Atacama Atabites filler is a very good bet, offering sound dampening owed to its porous nature.
To finish off the set up, and to keep your speakers (and stands) in place, we recommend the Atacama Gel Pads for the top and Atacama HD Spike Shoes for the bottom. Both keep everything firmly where it should be, without any risk of damage to either the speakers, the stands or the floor. The Soike Shoes may sound scary, but they’re felt backed and designed for use on wooden floors. No scratches, no marks. just a stable base for a beautiful sound. And don’t forget the speaker cable! Our current favourite is the Chord Silver Screen – an absolute bargain at £6.20 p/m. Watch this space for a full feature on cables – you wouldn’t believe the difference they can make.
We know that there is a lot to take on board when it comes to setting up just the basics of your hi-fi system, let alone optimising it – but you don’t need us to tell you it’s worth the extra time, effort and money to make the absolute best of it. And some well-made speaker stands (and their accessories) are worth every bit of all of those things.