If you have a pair of stand-mount speakers, do not overlook the importance of the stands on which they are placed. Small monitors in particular do not have much of low-frequency extension, and a less than perfect stand will not only compromise this, but can have the effect of smearing or diffusing the stereo image created.
And that’s one of the main reasons you get a pair of mini-monitors in the first place, isn’t it?
Like everything else in high-end audio, there is an ongoing debate about whether stands should be high-mass or as light as possible. Rather than try to solve that puzzle today, I’d like to present the Mavin stands, which strike a perfect balance.
Opening the shipping container reveals well-packed parts consisting of five risers per stand, with the outer ones made of aluminum and the three inner ones made from maple wood in a black matte finish. Ten Allen bolts join the pieces together and go in a specific order, so follow the instructions carefully. This minimizes interaction with the acoustic environment and has a contemporary aesthetic that should be welcome in anyone’s listening room. Each piece has threaded inserts, so should the need to take these apart arise, they can be re-assembled without issue. Save the box!
Looking at the risers in the box, it looks like a hexagram from the I Ching. I don’t know if this is real or a coincidence, but I like it!
Once assembled, listening begins with my bamboo-finished XSA Vanguard speakers, as I didn’t have a pair of LS3/5as at this time. However, mid-way through the review, I was able to borrow a pair of Rogers LS3/5as and found the effect of the Mavin stands to be similar when used with the Rogers speakers.
A vintage pair of ADS L400 speakers and a pair of current TOTEM Acoustic Bison monitors were used—all with excellent results. So, while these speakers are designed for an LS3/5a, I can happily recommend using them with any small monitor with a similar form factor.
My experience with stands for the LS3/5a has been with the massive Sound Anchors stands, the somewhat flimsy Skylan stands, and the crazy-money (and even spindlier) Ton Trager stands.
Stands are like any other vibration control device in the sense that they allow you to fine-tune your system to the sound you prefer. While many enthusiasts swear by the above-mentioned choices, I have always found the Sklyan and Trager stands lacking in bass extension while the Sound Anchors are a little overdamped for my taste. Perhaps too much of a good thing, but again, the overall tonal balance of your system might dictate one over the other.
With the intended LS3/5a speakers, I prefer the overall tonal balance the Mavin stands provide. They minimize this speaker’s mid-bass bump while keeping the lower frequencies solid. Tracking through a number of female vocal tracks, it was easy to hear the overall top to bottom smoothness these stands provide.
For those of you that are motoring enthusiasts, I always think of an LS3/5a as a 400cc sport bike or an original Mazda MX-5; you can’t waste any power or grip. The goal is always to transmit as much power and cornering force to the pavement as possible. And this is what the Mavin stands accomplish brilliantly.
There’s only so much I can say about a pair of speaker stands, but these are a major success on every level. Sound, build quality, and visual appeal are superb.
Highly recommended.
$700/pair
Publisher’s note: As the Mavin site is under construction for now, please order from their distributor, Image Music & Film co., LTD. Please click here…
