Soundocity Outriggers: Of Tweaks and Serendipity

Serendipity… An instance of making a fortunate discovery by accident. Well, one day Paul Stepanek, President/Owner & Designer from Soundocity was browsing the web. He came across a review at Audioholics. The author, a particularly whiny fellow, was lamenting the fact that the speaker he had reviewed was a bit “tippy” and that he wished the manufacturer would provide an outrigger setup as an option. Paul looked around at the warehouse full of aftermarket Outriggers and thought, “Hey, I bet that guy would review these if I sent him a set!” (Ok, I don’t know what he was thinking but that sounds good to me.) At the same time, said reviewer was working on yet another review where he was having problems leveling a different pair of floorstanding speakers. Not as bad as the first time, but still a little frustrating. Paul’s email couldn’t have come at a better time. And, yes, he was right, I would review them.

Tweaks. Audiophiles wonder what the big deal is while Audiophools swear by them. Here at Audioholics, we’re not one for tweaks. Keep your magic stones, your green markers, your mats and stabilization devices… we’re not interested. But that doesn’t mean we don’t wonder from time to time. Some tweaks actually have a use. Outriggers have been hailed by some as doing wondrous things to the soundstage, imaging, bass, treble, midrange, marital relations, and the Iraq war. Well, don’t expect any of that here. I’m interested in only one thing – how well they help me stabilize my speakers. That’s their use, that’s their purpose, and that is what this review is about. For those of you looking for validation for spending thousands on esoteric wooden knobs… well, I don’t know what you are doing on this site in the first place.