If you’re still propping your speakers up on a cheap MDF bookshelf, it might be time to hand in your hi-fi card - that's a bit of a no-no if you're truly serious about sound.
When all you need to get the best from them is a pair of dedicated speaker stands, there's no excuse for not picking up and pair, and while prices vary, you don't have to spend an eye-watering amount of money to reap the benefits either.
A decent set of stands will provide your speakers with a solid, non-resonating base that neutralises pesky cabinet vibrations, which minimises distortion and positively impacts the resultant sound quality.
There’s no need to splash out on the latest and greatest, either. The technology is such that a fine pair of stands from a few years ago will be a fine pair of stands today, so all you need to do is decide on your budget and then pick the stands that look and feel right for you.
Below are the best stands that we've tried and reviewed in our dedicated test rooms, all put through their paces to make sure you're getting the best for your system.
There's a reason these Atacama speaker stands continue picking up What Hi-Fi? Awards. Two metal columns – one filled for better stability, one for cable management – and a bamboo base offer sturdy support and a neat look.
And they allow our system to flourish by letting the speakers deliver their best in terms of punch, detail and rhythm. For around a ton, you'll struggle to do better.
Read the full Atacama Moseco 6 review
The Soundstyle Z2 speaker stands have been favourites of ours for more than a decade, winning Awards at various prices, and they remain a solid (ahem) choice.
Soundstyle has added lockable spikes to the base and improved the bolt and socket assembly of the main support for additional rigidity, while also filling the stands with damping materials to reduce resonance. They also come with top spikes. The new stands can help improve detail, add drive and help bring out the excitement in your music.
Read the full Soundstyle Z2 review
Designed for the Q Acoustics Concept 20 but compatible with any speakers, these are a little more expensive but deliver a performance to justify the price.
The clever construction – a layer of compliant compound in the metal top plate that helps dampen unwanted resonances by turning them into heat energy – makes them superb supports for all types of speakers. They look classy and have some cable management, while sonically they will free up your system in terms of punch and bite.
Read the full Q Acoustics Concept 20 Speaker Stands review
The FS104 Signature has five columns: a large one in the middle and four satellites. Assembly is fairly simple, especially for anyone who’s ever played with construction sets or a certain brand of Swedish furniture.
There’s an all-black option but, for contrast, the satellites also come in gold, chrome and brushed chrome. Overall, these stands allowed our kit to perform with more control and precision than did their rivals, offering a livelier, clearer sound.
Read the full Custom Design FS104 Signature review
How we test speaker stands
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door – including speaker stands
What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so we build and compare every stand we review against each other and the current leader in its field, to gauge how it compares to the best-in-class competition. We keep What Hi-Fi? Award winners – such as the long-standing Atacama Moseco 6 – in our stockrooms so we can always pit new products against ones we know and love, and we do our best to review as many new models in as many markets as possible to ensure our contextual knowledge is the best it can be.
We are always impartial in our testing and ensure we take time to build and set up the speaker stands properly and securely. We'll use a variety of speakers to place on the stands to see how well it copes with different sizes and designs, as well as the impact the stand's materials have on the system's overall performance.
All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.
You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.
MORE:
Best hi-fi and AV racks: from budget and premium
Check out the best stereo amplifiers across all budgets
8 ways to make your hi-fi sound better for free
Best hi-fi systems: micro, vinyl and streaming music systems for the home
These are the best standmount speakers
