DIY home loudspeaker "flying"?

[Racket Scientist]

I think I'm going to keep my ancient Pioneer HPM 900s in the exercise room after adding a bit of additional bracing and stuffing. In order to satisfy the wife, I plan to gain some floor space by suspending (or "flying") them from the ceiling beams (its in the unfinished basement, so the beams are exposed). I'd like to do so without drilling holes or otherwise damaging the speakers. They are kinda medium sized speakers, maybe around 20" deep and wide and 30" high, and maybe 40 lbs each. I'd also like to mount them so they are angled a bit downward. Any suggestions on how to approach this?

[Pano]

With caution!

Rigging is special and subject to all sorts of regulations for good reason. But maybe not in a home environment. Without hard mounts into the cabinet, you'll need to be extra careful. You may be able to build a frame around them and attach to that. Not likely to be pretty, but it is the basement.

[tinitus]

use plastic coated steel wire

wire should be fixed at speakers around where backplate and top meet

hang them in the ceiling, and in the corners, angeled, about 5"+ from backwall
but close enough to backwall for bottom speaker corners to rest wall
woofers upwards

its common in some places, and works quite well

[Racket Scientist]

Maybe I will drill some small holes in the back to suspend them from. I hadn't thought about hanging them upside down, but that makes perfect sense. I think if I drill 2 holes and put locking nuts with large fender washers on the inside of the speaker that should be completely secure. Thanks for helping me think this through!

[Pano]

Yes, that would work well. The fender washers will spread the load.

[cyclotronguy]

Food for thought. When you hang cabinets by the tops, back or sides you have to trust that the speaker structure holds... maybe it will stand tension.....maybe it won't. Most consumer or prosumer speakers were never designed with this in mind.

That said if you rig your cables from the bottom of the cabinet you've done nothing to stress the enclosure beyond what they would see sitting on the floor... under those conditions it all falls on the beams, and cable.

Cyclotronguy

[pheonix358]

I agree with Cyclotronguy. I have seen the back of a speaker ripped out by hanging. The best way is to make up a stout base, fix the speaker to it and hang the new base. Over engineer it! A 40 lb speaker could kill if it falls. Check it every week! Especially if you have children, check it every week! Consider building a speaker into (Between) the exposed beams!

[Top Shelf]

My recommendation is to get some 3/8 threaded rod(times 2) that are
3 inches longer than the total height of the enclosure, and pass them
both thru from top to bottom (after drilling holes) and use nuts and
fender washers top and bottom, effectively sandwiching the enclosure.
Then get some 3/8 couplings and eye bolts for the tops of the rods
and you're ready to go!
Oh yeah maybe try expirementing how far back to put the rods
To get just the right downward tilt

[Pano]

Yes, as I mentioned in post #1, build a frame around it. Falling speakers have killed in the past. Not too likely with these, but you do need to be careful.

[cyclotronguy]

If you use wire rope to hang speakers with cable clamps (evil) be aware there is a proper and improper way to place the cable clamp saddle against the saddle. The right way sorta works.... the wrong way sorta doesn't.

Better yet, learn to backbraid cable and then apply a proper crimp sleeve over the braid.

Cyclotronguy