The Best Speaker Stands

At first it might seem strange to say that the speaker stand you choose is as important as the speakers themselves. The truth is, any speaker, regardless of quality, will suffer if not matched with a suitable stand; this due to a few reasons.

The speaker must be at the right height in order to properly direct sound towards your ears. Having a stand to hold your speakers also helps to keep sound waves from reflecting off surfaces like the floor, walls, and the tops of shelves.

Keeping them away from solid surfaces also helps to decouple the low-end frequencies that can build up and “muddy” up a mix.

The stands themselves can also help hide the wires needed to run the speakers, with many stands having hollow poles to aid in cable management.

So, what is the proper height for a speaker? Most people find the sweet spot to be when the high frequency horn is aimed slightly above the listener’s ear level. Every speaker is slightly different though, and listening carefully as you move up and down the speaker’s vertical axis will help tell you what sounds best for you. Many stands have height adjustments to help fine tune the height once you have mounted the speaker, but it is worth doing some quick calculations to make sure the speaker’s horn will be within the stand’s adjustable limits.

Apart from height, some stands also have the ability to adjust the tilt angle of the speaker. If you are restricted in where and at what height you can place your speakers, then this could be a must have option when deciding which stand to buy.

A stands construction is another factor to pay attention to as you will want a stand that is not flimsy and is durable enough to handle years of use.

Another point to keep in mind is how your speaker needs to be mounted. Speakers can sit on a flat surface, be mounted with screws using a mounting bracket, or both. Whichever mounting method is used, make sure the stand is rated to handle the full weight of the speaker.

The design of the stand is also important. Not only do you need it to perform the functions required, but you will want it to match the overall style of the room, or even blend into the background.

There are many options for stands available but once you have decided on your needs like height, weight limit, and mounting type you can focus on a design that works for you. Below is a list of speaker stands available that we feel are worth considering.

VideoSecu’s MS07B2 has a unique way of securing the speaker to the speaker stand—it uses a top plate with adjustable sides that clamp the sides of the speaker. While it does not have some of the other options available to mount satellite speakers, like the ability to mount through a rear screw hole, it offers flexibility in other ways.

The top plate clamp can be adjusted to a maximum width of 11” and a minimum width of 5.5”. Then, once the top plate has been adjusted, it can pan 180° and tilt +/- 10°. The height is also adjustable from 26.5” to 47”, providing a sizable area to accommodate different speaker types and designs.

Mounting with a flat top plate also lends itself to hold more weight and the MS07B2 can handle 30 lbs each. If you have speakers with flat bottoms and are looking for a tilt ability, then this stand is perfect.

Someone looking for a tilt function.

Speakers without a flat bottom.

Looking to mount those small satellite speakers discreetly? Then Atlantic’s PN77305018 could be the stand for you.

It has a small top plate for the speaker to rest on, but there is also a bracket on the rear that provides a secure way to mount the speaker. There is also an impressive amount of height adjustment available from 27” to 48”, plenty of adjustability to work with many speaker types. With its discreet design comes the limitation of its speaker weight limit. Maxing out at 2.5 lbs, this limit is still suitable for most satellite speakers.

Someone looking for a slim stand with lots of height adjustment.

Speakers that weight more than 2.5 lbs.

For both small bookshelf speakers or satellite speakers, the VuePoint HTBS from Sanus is an excellent stand that provides a few different mounting options. 

This speaker comes with a top plate to mount a small bookshelf speaker, while for satellite speakers an L-shaped or keyhole bracket is also provided. The stand’s height can be adjusted from 28” to 38”. This is not as much adjustability as others on this list, but still enough to focus the sound to the listener for many speaker types.

The slight curve near the top of the steel pole adds counterbalance as well as a nice design element to the NF24B. One limitation with this stand is its speaker weight limit of 3.5lbs, so double check your speaker’s specs before placing an order.

Someone looking for a few different options in mounting their speakers.

Speakers over 3.5lbs.

If you are looking for a stand that can be used for different speaker types, then the PSSS1 from Perlesmith may be for you. One mounting option is a flat top mount that can hold a fair-sized bookshelf speaker. But if your speakers have mounting holes, the L-shaped and keyhole brackets are both provided, offering superior mounting security.

There is also a fair amount of height adjustment available, from 30” to 45”. The sturdy triangle base is stable and comes with both rubber feet for hard floors or adjustable spiked feet for carpet. For a slim stand, the speaker weight limit is rather impressive at 8 lbs each.

There is even enough room in the pole for cable management of RCA ends if you have powered speakers. Whether you have a few different speakers you like to swap in and out or if you want to eventually upgrade your speakers without having to buy new stands, then the PSSS1 are worth considering.

Someone looking for the versatility to change their speakers without changing their stands.

Someone looking for improved acoustic properties.

If Hi-Fi listening is your hobby and you want a speaker stand to help get the most out of your speakers, then the DS400 from Pangea Audio is a stand worth looking at.

Pangea designed this stand to be incredibly rigid and stable while also paying extra attention to audio isolation. The four support pillars are hollow so you can fill them with sand or steel shot to increase the stand’s isolation from speaker vibrations while also increasing the stand’s rigidity. Inside each of the four supports is a heavy duty large-diameter solid metal bolt that couples the columns from the top plate to the base.

The large base measures 9.75” by 12” and has adjustable spiked feet, making for a strong, sturdy footprint. The top plate measures 6” by 8.5” and has rubber pads to further help isolate the speaker from the stand. This is the 32” tall version, but Pangea also makes them in 24” and 28” heights. Each stand can support an incredible 120lbs of maximum speaker weight, so finding a speaker that this stand can’t hold would be a challenge.

Someone looking to improve their Hi-Fi set up with high-end speaker stands.

Those who don’t own a Hi-Fi set up.

A speaker stand’s first purpose is to place the speaker at the right height to be heard properly. That being said, if it is going to be in the room right beside your TV then you also want it to look good. The design of Monolith’s 139168 is as attractive as it is well built.

It is finished in a beautiful cheery finish that is classic looking and will complement most speakers. This model stands at a height of 24” but Monolith also makes them in 28” and 32” model heights. The top plate is 6” by 8.5” while the sturdy base is 10” by 12”.

To further stabilize the stand the base has four adjustable spiked feet. With the robust base and rigid center supports this stand can handle a large speaker with a maximum speaker weight of 50lbs. Keep in mind though that these stands are sold individually, good if you plan on needing an odd number of stands, less so if you thought the price listed was for a pair.

Anyone who wants to highlight their speakers with attractive stands.

Someone tight on space.