Real Cable Universal counter spike CPU660OR

Real Cable CPU660 Universal Spike Shoe

A decoupling spike steadies a speaker, but it marks a wooden floor within a few days and slips on tiles. The spike shoe sits between the two. It is a small 30 mm metal disc with a central recess that holds the tip of the spike, resting on a pad that protects the floor. It slips under a floorstanding speaker, the stand of a bookshelf speaker or an audio rack already fitted with spikes.

A 30 mm disc between the spike and the floor

The metal body has a low profile. The speaker is raised by only a few millimetres, which makes no difference to the tweeter’s height relative to your ears. On top, a central recess accommodates the spike: it centres it and prevents it from slipping sideways, even when you gently push the speaker while adjusting its position.

The spike concentrates the speaker’s entire weight on a tiny area, and that is what damages the floor. The spike shoe distributes this load over a diameter of 30 mm, a much larger area. The pressure drops accordingly: the wood no longer retains an indentation, and the glaze on tiles does not get scratched. Each spike shoe has a non-slip pad underneath, so the metal never comes into direct contact with the flooring.

The stability of spikes, without the marks

A spike’s primary purpose is to give the speaker firm support without rocking, regardless of how level the floor is. The spike shoe preserves this behaviour. The spike stays seated at the bottom of the recess, without lateral play, and the speaker remains supported on three or four points.

The pad adds a thin, flexible layer between the metal and the floor. The connection is therefore not quite as rigid as a spike placed directly on a concrete slab. In return, the assembly stays in place on smooth tiles or sealed wooden flooring, where a bare spike would slide. On a hard, finished floor, most setups benefit from this.

Screw-free installation, under any spike

The spike shoe does not screw onto anything. The spikes’ thread size (M6, M8 or otherwise) does not matter: the spike simply sits in the recess. That is what makes it universal. It can be used under floorstanding speakers, under the spikes of a speaker stand, under a hi-fi rack or under an audio or video device mounted on spikes.

Since nothing attaches it to the spike, it must be positioned carefully. The simplest method is to tilt the speaker, slide a spike shoe under one spike, lower it back down, then repeat on the other side. Aligning four spikes with four recesses takes a little patience, and with a heavy floorstanding speaker, it is best to have two people do it.

• Recommended for speakers or equipment that already have their own spikes, to protect hardwood floors and tiles.
• Floorstanding speakers, bookcases, audio and video devices, audio and video furniture.
• Universal models to put under equipment.
• 30 mm diameter.