Why speaker stand height matters more than the speaker

Get the tweeter level with your ears when seated and most of the harshness people blame on their speakers disappears.

Measure from the floor to your ear while sitting in your normal listening position. For most sofas that is 95-105cm. Subtract the distance from the base of your speaker to the centre of its tweeter. The number left is the stand height you need.

If you are between sizes, go slightly low rather than high. A tweeter marginally below ear level sounds warmer; above it sounds thin and tiring.

Mass matters next. A light stand lets the cabinet rock as the driver moves, which smears bass timing. Solid hardwood with a wide footprint holds the cabinet still without the ringing you get from thin steel tube.