Rock The House
Hewn from granite, Rock HiFi's stands will bring the best from your loudspeakers, says Jon Myles.
Published in Hi-Fi World Magazine DECEMBER 2017 VOLUME 27: NO. 10
Loudspeaker stands come in many shapes and sizes. Some are relatively light - aiming to transmit excess cabinet energy into their framework to dissipate it. Others are heavy and sturdy looking, to direct that energy into the floor they are standing on.
Into the latter category comes the Rock HiFi range - undoubtedly one of the heaviest stands on the market at the moment. The reason? They are hand-built in Wales from locally-sourced granite. Each pair takes around a week to manufacture.
Unboxing them from their packing crates I was astonished by their weight - some 23.5kg each. They are a fairly standard 600mm tall with a 300mm x 250mm plinth and a 260mm x 220mm top plate
- although Rock HiFi founder Martin Legg ·can produce different sizes to suit your requirements.
He says the idea for the product came after he placed his own 'speakers on granite slabs and realised what a big difference it made to their sound.
The top and bottom plates are connected by a hefty granite column attached by a bolt running through the centre. Four spikes screw into the base and once done they sit perfectly level and look undeniably impressive. The only drawback is moving them around, which takes a bit of effort due to that weight. Once in place, though, there's no mistaking the fact they provide a firm, stable base for your 'speakers.
SOUND QUALITY
Taking a pair of Spendor A I 'speakers from a standard set of stands and placing them on the Rock HiFi ones quickly revealed how well the latter works.
Soundstage, bass depth and stereo imaging immediately took on a more focussed, revealing and lifelike quality. The stands gave the 'speakers more room to breathe - bringing out their best qualities. With New Order's 'The Perfect Kiss' the low end came over with extra punch, being firmer and more rounded. That enabled the midband and treble to open up so the whole frequency spectrum seemed extended.
It was the same with everything I played - from opera to jazz to heavy rock. One aspect that was particularly impressive was how the Rock HiFi supports managed to widen the stereo image - the music extending wider and becoming more enveloping.
As such there's no doubt they are acoustically effective. As an added bonus they also look absolutely gorgeous - not just a loudspeaker stand but also a piece of furniture which will go a long way in the partner acceptance factor stakes!
CONCLUSION
These are a fine set of stands for getting the best out of good standmount loudspeakers. They're not cheap - starting from £750 a pair - but considering they are hand-built, hewn from granite and undeniably effective that's not a bad price to pay. Rock HiFi can also tailor stands to your specific requirements in terms of height and plate sizes with different finishes available, so you are getting a bespoke service.