[tyrion]

I have the stands and they are substantial. They are very flexible in terms of adjustment of position of the speakers. They are also made to integrate with the Headroom amps and headphone amp/preamps. If you are serious about a desktop audiophile rig, you will have to consider these as part of that rig. By the time you've spent $1800 on the the preamp/amp, another $1000 plus on speakers, the $500 for the stands will likely not be an issue, imo.