I recently had a chance to buy a pair of used Paradigm Studio 40v.3 speakers for a good price, and since I had the urge to try something different, I picked them up. I decided to make my own stands, using a design I’d had in mind for a while. I wasn’t interested in getting the matching Paradigm stands partly due to the cost, but also because I prefer the appearance of floor standing speakers. So I made what’s basically just a simple box out of MDF the same width & depth as the bottom of the speaker.
The Studio 40’s have the Black Ash finish, so I had to decide what to do as far as the finish on the stands. Although Parts Express sells rolls of adhesive-backed laminate in Black Ash for refurbishing speakers, I chose black cloth because it matches the 40’s grilles and also the Def Tech towers I’m using for my surrounds. Went to a fabric store and got some black material with a little stretch to it.
I don’t have a table saw, so I used my circular saw to cut the MDF and put the stands together with some finish nails & glue. Then I sanded & painted the stands black so the MDF color wouldn’t show thru the material. My wife cut the cloth to size and sewed what I would describe as sleeves - open on the top and bottom to fit over the stands. The “sleeves” were slightly smaller around than the boxes so the material stretched a bit when put on to eliminate wrinkles. Drawstrings on the top & bottom pull the material tight & hold it in place. This is the same method Def Tech uses for their speakers, which is where I got the idea.
The speakers come from the factory with ¼”-20 mounting holes in the bottom, so I drilled a couple of corresponding holes in the top panel of each stand & used bolts to attach the stands to the speakers. Due to the weight of the stands and because of their position in the room, there is little risk of them being bumped & tipping over, so I didn’t bother to put any stabilizers on the bottom.
The color variation between the stand & the speaker grille isn’t as pronounced as it appears. The light is coming thru a window to the left. The grille is curved and the front of the stand is not.
A very simple DIY project but I’m pleased with the way they turned out.
The Studio 40’s have the Black Ash finish, so I had to decide what to do as far as the finish on the stands. Although Parts Express sells rolls of adhesive-backed laminate in Black Ash for refurbishing speakers, I chose black cloth because it matches the 40’s grilles and also the Def Tech towers I’m using for my surrounds. Went to a fabric store and got some black material with a little stretch to it.
I don’t have a table saw, so I used my circular saw to cut the MDF and put the stands together with some finish nails & glue. Then I sanded & painted the stands black so the MDF color wouldn’t show thru the material. My wife cut the cloth to size and sewed what I would describe as sleeves - open on the top and bottom to fit over the stands. The “sleeves” were slightly smaller around than the boxes so the material stretched a bit when put on to eliminate wrinkles. Drawstrings on the top & bottom pull the material tight & hold it in place. This is the same method Def Tech uses for their speakers, which is where I got the idea.
The speakers come from the factory with ¼”-20 mounting holes in the bottom, so I drilled a couple of corresponding holes in the top panel of each stand & used bolts to attach the stands to the speakers. Due to the weight of the stands and because of their position in the room, there is little risk of them being bumped & tipping over, so I didn’t bother to put any stabilizers on the bottom.
The color variation between the stand & the speaker grille isn’t as pronounced as it appears. The light is coming thru a window to the left. The grille is curved and the front of the stand is not.
A very simple DIY project but I’m pleased with the way they turned out.
