When I contacted the company to inquire about the possibility of them selling two bases to replace the too small top pieces, I was asked many questions about why I wanted what I wanted and given advise I wasn't seeking

And then the vertical pieces split, one of them badly.

Every piece split

I had no problems screwing the pieces together or with any sort of splitting.

The vertical piece cracked about 6" straight down the side!

After that I did the same with the top piece and after they were snug I torqued them down but not too much in consideration of the apparent softness of the material.

I split one piece when the screw missed the hole and had to glue it together

They are an attractive piece of furniture and really fit

the long pieces that connect the base to the top platform are split while inserting the long screws.

Also, use some sticky Blue-Tak or a square piece of rubberized shelving cover material under the speakers to help "glue" them to the stand securely

Plan the cable run before you put the top piece on

The rear piece is very flimsy and pops out easily