Have you bought new speakers but do not have sturdy speaker stands to place them? Imagine having the most gorgeous looking and best sounding speakers but not being able to place them properly. This is where the best speaker stands step in!
People often choose speaker stands as the accessory that they can pass on when setting up a speaker system. But what they often overlook is that without proper height, direction and base, your speakers will not deliver the performance you need! To ensure your speakers deliver excellent sound quality, you must carefully decide where you want to place them. Never mind; we’ve got you covered.
To help you make an informed purchase, we tested 25 speaker stands on the market. We’ve shortlisted the top 6 speaker stands based on our experiences. In this guide, we’ll provide you with all the information you need to buy the right speaker stand, and review our top 6 choices one by one. We’ll also answer some commonly asked questions about speaker stands. Read further to know more.
Roundup of the Best Speaker Stands
| Best Speaker Stands for Bookshelf Speakers | Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″ Inch Bookshelf Speaker Stands |
| Best Speaker Stands for Small Speakers | Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stand |
| Best Looking Speaker Stands | Kanto SP26PLW 26″ Speaker Floor Stands |
| Best Speaker Stand for Large Speakers | Monolith – 124794 24 Inch Speaker Stand |
| Best Adjustable Speaker Stands | Mounting Dream Speaker Stands |
| Best Speaker Stands for Surround Sound Speakers | VIVO Premium Universal 23 inch Floor Speaker Stands for Surround Sound and Book Shelf Speakers |
Why You Should Buy a Speaker Stand
Having a speaker stand can make a lot of difference to your listening experience! Let us look at the reasons behind the same!
- With speaker stands, you have more freedom to place your speakers anywhere you want. Instead of adjusting and placing them where you find space, get a speaker stand to place your speakers as per your own choice.
- A speaker’s surround sound system truly comes to fruition when all the speakers are placed at the intended spots. Imagine having a 7.1 channel home entertainment system and placing the speakers all over the place or too close to each other. You will find it difficult to find the “sweet spot” for your listening experience!
- Often unnoticed by users, it is a fact that you do not only listen to the sound that comes directly from the speaker but also the reflected sounds that come to you. For example, if you place your speaker to close to a wall, you will not only listen to the direct sound but also to the sound being directed to you from the wall. This can deter you from having clearer sound.
- Placing speakers on existing bookshelves and racks may seem convenient. But have you ever thought how bad it will sound when your speaker produces sound and all the books in your shelf start rattling? So, to avoid such a circumstance, its best to place speakers on speaker stands to avoid unnecessary disturbances or vibrations.
However, if you’re planning to buy the best in-ceiling speakers, then of course, you do not need a speaker stand.
Things to Consider When Buying Speaker Stands
A lot needs to be considered when buying speaker stands, much like many other products! A lot of elements go into making a certain speaker stand the right one for your use! Imagine spending a good chunk of money and in the end not having the audio experience you were expecting. So it is best to pay due consideration to all the below mentioned factors before selecting which stand is the right speaker stand for your needs!
Weight Capacity
Different type of speakers come in different sizes and weights. It is obvious that a heavy duty speaker will likely weigh more than a small basic speaker set. It is important to note that speaker stands with low weight capacity aren’t the smartest choices for heavier speakers. They will cause instability and will likely be knocked down easily.
At the same time, smaller speakers shouldn’t be combined with large speaker stands as they are not only aesthetically unpleasing, but also cost you more than a lighter speaker stand will. In other words, it will be unnecessary. So a speaker stand needs to be selected base on its weight capacity and the weight of the speakers you own.
Height and Height Adjustment
The height and height adjustment factors of a speaker stand are very important. Place the tweeter of a speaker system at the same level as your ear. It is best to get a speaker stand with a height that places your tweeter right at your ear level. This dynamic changes when your sitting setup is at a lower level, such as mattress beds or bean bags. In that case, a low-height speaker stand would be more appropriate.
Speaker stands that comes with adjustable height are more preferred since they allow you to change the height per your requirements.
Top Plate
Another element of superior importance is the top plate of the speaker stand. This is where you place your speaker on the stand! The top plates usually come with screw holes or rubber pads. Rubber pads allow lots of friction, and therefore, are very sturdy. They even soak up vibrations allowing users to experience the best audio quality.
Some top plates come with screws and holes. Such top plates offer the best kind of speaker stability as they literally become one with the speaker.
Base
The base is the deciding factor when it comes to ensuring the stability of your speakers. Imagine having the best top plate but a weak base. What good will it be? Always keep in mind, the wider the base, the more stable the speakers will be. It is best to have the base of the size similar to the size of your top plate.
Most speaker stand bases come with either rubber pad footings or studded footings. Rubber pad footings are better off where the floor has a smooth texture such as wooden or marble. Studded footings are better suited when you are placing your speaker stands over carpets.
Material
A stand of all things requires sturdy construction. What ensures that? Tough and top quality materials! The most favored and sought-after durable materials are metal and wood because they provide the stability and sturdiness you seek from a speaker stand.
Metal based stands are often the strongest of the lot. The provide a lot of stability and go with most room decors. Although, hollow metallic stands are susceptible to vibrations that will cause distortions to your audio experience. So its better to go for solid metallic speaker stands.
On the other hand, wooden stands are chosen for their looks and gracefulness. Even they provide a lot of stability but similar to hollow metal speaker stands, wooden stands are also susceptible to vibrations. Always remember, the lighter the stand, the more likely it is to vibrate with your speakers. Most wooden stands are hollow and often come filled with sand to give them more weight and sturdiness.
Design
You can compromise many things but not aesthetics, right? The design of your speaker stand is very important, even beyond the ‘sight for sore eyes’ thinking. The design essentially is the deciding factor if a speaker stand is suitable for your room and décor. Imagine having a classy décor and a funky looking stand. Nah, we’d pass on that.
Not just that but the design also decides if you can place the stand where you wished to set up your speakers.
Strength and Durability
Everything considered, your stand must be durable and strong. Durability essentially depends on the materials being used to make the stand. Obviously a metal speaker stand will be more durable than a MSF speaker stand.
Metal stands might be strong but you need to keep them clean to avoid easy rusting. Wooden stands should be kept away from water as they are likely to spoil the wood.
Cable Management
Speaker wires making people trip is so common. Not only can this damage the speaker and stand but also injure you. Many speaker stands offer cable management systems that allow your wires to run internally through the speaker stand itself. Others come with stickers which you can use to stick the wires to the stand.
Speaker stands with cable management systems contribute to tidiness and help maintaining the look of your home décor. Though users should check if the wire type their speakers have would fit into a speaker stand internally.
Top 13 Speaker Stands for Bookshelf Speakers, Satellite Speakers, Desktop Speakers, and More
1. Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″ Inch Bookshelf Speaker Stands
Best Speaker Stands for Bookshelf Speakers
- High quality and sturdy speaker stands
- Premium look to match decor
- Uses medium density fiber core to minimize resonance
- Super stable thanks to rubber and brass studs at the bottom
- Suitable for all kinds of surfaces
- Hollow stand may need sand to increase weight
Most commonly sought after speaker stands are bookshelf speaker stands and the best bookshelf speaker stand we have come across is the Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″! Let us take a detailed look at this thing of beauty.
The Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″, as you can read, stands at a height of 36″ (3 feet) which is just about the right height for placing your speakers at ear height while sitting. The size of the top plate of the stands is 9.25″ x 7.28″ which is big enough to accommodate bookshelf speakers. Most people choose to get small bookshelf speakers as they are easier to place.
These wooden speaker stands are of premium quality and will ensure that your speakers stay stable while on them! These stands have a weight load capacity of 60 lb which is more than enough for bookshelf speakers. You can even use heavier speakers thanks to the 60 lb capacity.
A lot of attention has been paid to the look of the stands besides the quality. The wooden look is accompanied by furniture grade premium paint. This allows your speaker stands to blend in with your room decor with utmost ease.
The Rockville 2 RHTSC really stands out. This speaker stand has been made not only with build quality and look in mind, but with added focus to bring out the best sound quality out of your speakers. The stand has a high quality medium density fiber core to reduce resonance. Resonance is one of the major drawbacks of using an average speaker stand.
Lastly, the Rockvill 2 RHTSC stands come with brass and rubber spikes which allows them to stay stable over any kin of surface, be it carpet, wooden or marble. To add to it, the stands have no slip isolation pads that add to the stability as well as the overall audio performance of your speakers.
To conclude, the Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″ speaker stands are the best bookshelf speaker stands. It is a combination of their build quality, premium look and attention to performance that gives them this accolade. Also, you need not worry about knock overs, the brass or rubber studs will keep your stands in place. Rockville is a name we can always associate with quality and the RHTSC 36″ is no different.
View on Amazon: Rockville 2 RHTSC 36″ Inch Bookshelf Speaker Stands
2. Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stand
Best Speaker Stands for Small Speakers
- Height adjustable speaker stand
- Comes with multiple installment options
- Has a large hole for cable management
- Adjustable feet give it an edge
- Very sturdy metal build
- Weight load capacity is low for heavy speakers
Not everyone likes to get big bulky speakers. Many users feel that small speakers can do the job for them. The best speaker stands for small speakers are the Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stands. Let us take a better look at the features that put it on the top of our list.
Firstly, what helps the Mounting Dream’s case is its adjustable height system. Users can choose to fix the height of this speaker stand anywhere from 32.5″ to 42.4″, giving them a flexibility of choice of upto 10 inches. The speaker also has adjustable feet for better leveling.
Secondly, the Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stand comes with multiple installation options for small speakers viz. Key Hole, Vertical Hole, Horizontal Hole. For speakers that come without holes, the stands come with appropriate hardware to make them be able to fix to the stands.
Lastly, the stand is hollow and has been made so for the convenience of cable management. The hole is enlarged enough for any cable to go through the management system. It helps you keep the look of your room bereft of wires hanging here and there.
To conclude, this cast iron speaker stand is appropriate for smaller speakers thanks to its 11 lb weight capacity. Though, it is the best on the market keeping in mind the height adjustment, adjustable rubber feet and multiple installation options. The build is very sturdy and the stands showed great stability as well. To top it all off, the concealed wire management system is something you would really appreciate.
View on Amazon: Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stand
3. Kanto SP26PLW 26″ Speaker Floor Stands
Best Looking Speaker Stands
- Very sturdy steel alloy build
- Best looking speaker stand
- Concealed wire management system
- Interchangeable feet – spikes or rubber
- Rotatable top plate up to 15 degree angle
- 2 top plate sizes – 4″ and 7″
- Some users complained of facing a wobble
Not everyone likes to get big bulky speakers. Many users feel that small speakers can do the job for them. The best speaker stands for small speakers are the Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stands. Let us take a better look at the features that put it on the top of our list.
Firstly, what helps the Mounting Dream’s case is its adjustable height system. Users can choose to fix the height of this speaker stand anywhere from 32.5″ to 42.4″, giving them a flexibility of choice of upto 10 inches. The speaker also has adjustable feet for better leveling.
Secondly, the Mounting Dream Height Adjustable Bookshelf Stand comes with multiple installation options for small speakers viz. Key Hole, Vertical Hole, Horizontal Hole. For speakers that come without holes, the stands come with appropriate hardware to make them be able to fix to the stands.
Lastly, the stand is hollow and has been made so for the convenience of cable management. The hole is enlarged enough for any cable to go through the management system. It helps you keep the look of your room bereft of wires hanging here and there.
To conclude, this cast iron speaker stand is appropriate for smaller speakers thanks to its 11-lb weight capacity. Though, it is the best on the market keeping in mind the height adjustment, adjustable rubber feet and multiple installation options. The build is very sturdy and the stands showed great stability as well. To top it all off, the concealed wire management system is something you would really appreciate.
View on Amazon: Kanto SP26PLW 26″ Speaker Floor Stands
4. Monolith – 124794 24 Inch Speaker Stand
Best Speaker Stand for Large Speakers
- Extremely sturdy steel build
- Rectangular support columns for added stability
- Adjustable spikes for better stability
- Great weight capacity of 75 lbs
- Budget friendly
- No wire management system
- No height adjustment
- Sold separately as a single stand
Why should small speakers should have all the fun? Many users prefer large speakers. The larger the louder as they say. The best speaker stand for large speakers is the Monolith 124794 24″ speaker stand. Its the perfect choice for bulky speakers that small stands will not be able to house. Let us take a detailed look.
Firstly, the Monolith 124794 24″ stand has a 28″ variant as well. The size of the top plate is a spacious 8.5″ x 6″. What makes this stand so sturdy? And how does it manage to have a weight capacity of 75 lb? The stand has an overall steel construction. Each top plate is supported by 4 steels columns (2″ x 2″ each) which ensure your speakers stay in place without the slightest wobble. All 4 columns are hollow and can be filled with sand or steel shot to further reduce resonance or vibrations that may come from the stand.
Secondly, this stand comes with adjustable spikes that makes it easy for the stand to penetrate your carpet. These spikes insure that your speaker is isolated from any floor vibrations. A drawback is that the stand does not come with rubber pad option, but users can get them separately of course.
Lastly, these speaker stands are sold separately and not in pairs. Some might think of this as a drawback but for people with odd numbered speaker systems, its a better option. So for additional speakers, additional stands will be needed.
To conclude, even without height adjustability and the lack of a cable management system, the Monolith 124794 24″ stand does enough to stand out as the best stand for large speakers. This is largely due to (pun intended) its sturdiness and ability to shut down resonance. It makes sure that your speakers sound great, just as intended. We believe for the price at which this stand comes, its of great value.
View on Amazon: Monolith – 124794 24 Inch Speaker Stand
5. Mounting Dream Speaker Stands
Best Adjustable Speaker Stands
- Height adjustable speaker stand
- Comes with multiple mounting configurations
- Has a large hole for cable management
- Adjustable feet give it an edge
- Very sturdy metal build
- Budget friendly
- Weight load capacity is low for heavy speakers
Not only are these stands the best for small speakers, but they are also the best height adjustable speaker stands that we came across.
The Mounting Dream Speaker Stands have an amazing height range from 33″ minimum to a maximum of 42″. Not only this but the 4 different installment options that come with the speaker stands as well as the 2 different kind of feet gives users plethora of options with this stand.
As discussed earlier, the wire management system is very well concealed even for the thickest of wires. The build is also very sturdy and the 9.8″ x 9.8″ base also ensures that your stand stay where you intend it to stay, and is not easily knocked over.
To conclude, the Mounting Dream Speaker Stands are the best adjustable speaker stands on the market. With multiple installation options, interchangeable feet and a sturdy overall built, these stands are a no brainer. The cost very less as well and are sure to be of great value to customers.
View on Amazon: Mounting Dream Speaker Stands
6. VIVO Premium Universal 23 inch Floor Speaker Stands for Surround Sound and Book Shelf Speakers
Best Speaker Stands for Surround Sound Speakers
- Tempered glass top plate and base
- Premium look – aluminium and glass
- Has a large hole for speaker wires
- Interchangeable feet options
- Very sturdy metal build
- Budget friendly
- No adjustable height option
VIVO is a well known brand which is often associated with quality products at low prices. The VIVO Premium Universal 23″ is no different in that regard. It provides top quality surround sound system facilitation with its shape, size and sturdiness. Let us check out the product in further detail.
Firstly, the Premium Universal stand has a premium aluminum and glass finish with a sleek glossy black appearance. The plate size of the stand is 8″ by 8″ which is big enough to accommodate most bookshelf, desktop and satellite speakers. The stand is very sturdy and stable as well, largely thanks to the 10″ x 10″ base size. It has an overall weight capacity of 27 lb.
Secondly, like most top quality speaker stands, the VIVO Premium Universal 23″ has interchangeable feet to choose between spikes and rubber studs. This makes it suitable for carpeted floors as well as wooden/tiled floors. These help not only in saving your floor from unwanted scratches but also makes sure there is no drop in the audio quality of your speakers.
Lastly, the speaker stands also come with a convenient wire concealment system. This makes it an all-rounder and a very versatile speaker stand. The only thing we feel that would make this an even better choice would be the option to adjust the height.
To conclude, the VIVO Premium Universal 23″ speaker stand is a very versatile speaker stand. It looks very luxurious, is extremely stable and sturdy and will all you to have your surround sound system at its very best! The price is relatively very low for a stand that offers so much. We would certainly recommend this to users.
View on Amazon: VIVO Premium Universal 23 inch Floor Speaker Stands for Surround Sound and Book Shelf Speakers
Frequently Asked Questions About Speaker Stands
It is not absolutely necessary that an expensive speaker stand will trump an affordable stand. But in general, yes, a more expensive speaker stand should provide you with better quality and more features. These features may include interchangeable top plates, interchangeable feet, height adjustment, cable management system, etc. One should not judge a product solely based on the price. Lets take Atlantic Speaker Stands for example. Most of these are budget friendly stands but are some of the best ones on the market. But to bring out maximum sound quality out of your speakers, a little splurging of cash is acceptable.
The best materials for speaker stands are wood or metal based. To bring out high quality sound from your speakers, you must have a stand that is stable and has low or no resonance. Most wooden and metallic based speakers are highly stable. Some wooden stands are hollow but have the option of having sand added to them for added stability.
The mentioned materials should be used instead of materials such as high grade plastic or MDF. This is not only because they are stable, but also because they provide sturdiness and are more durable in the longer run.
Speaker stands do not directly affect the audio quality and sound coming out from speakers but indirectly, they definitely improve overall sound quality. The stands determine where your speaker is placed in your room. Speakers placed at ear level will give an overall better audio experience that speakers placed elsewhere. Also, the direction in which the speaker is placed will also make a difference. Speakers facing walls will create resonance from sound bouncing on walls. But, speakers facing directly towards your seating area will give you a better aural experience.
Most speaker stands stand at heights from 24″ to 42″. There isn’t one specific best height for speaker stands. It always recommended to place your speakers at ear level. Ear level refers to the level at which your ear is when you sit at the place where you wish to place the speakers. The ear levels would be different if you have a floor seating setup, or a bean bag setup or a couch/recliner setups.
Final Words
There is no dearth of speaker stands on the market and at the end of the day, only you know what’s best for you. If we had to recommend a speaker stand, it has to be the Mounting Dream Speaker Stand. These stands not only have brilliant height range but also a number of mounting options which makes them the right choice for a lot of users.
Feel free to share your feedback and questions in the comments below!
