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How to move/install heavy speakers?

108.233.126.68
Posted on October 22, 2015 at 21:11:12
FrankC
Audiophile

Posts: 1230
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: April 6, 2000
 Thinking about upgrading my speakers. All the speakers that I've looked at so far all weigh at least 250 lbs each! One is 420 lbs! The heaviest thing I have at the moment is the Pass amp @ 150 lbs that require assistance from my brother to move around. So my question is how the heck would someone be able to get these babies into the listening room? Would I call places like professional piano movers to do the job to ensure they don't damage the finish?

FrankC

 

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RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 22, 2015 at 22:14:57
Raiderman
Audiophile

Posts: 2129
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Joined: March 14, 2003
 Hey Frank,

Our friend Mr. Tong, with his 420 lb Rockport speakers, did just that to uncrate and set up his speakers. He said using piano movers was a "no brainer", and I tend to agree with him.

I had a friend help me uncrate my 215 lb Egglestonworks Andra II speakers.
I will point out however that I managed, with difficulty, to do all the fine tuning of them by myself. (Fine tuning the Andras is actually more difficult than the Rockports since mine have spikes and his don't - for the reason that they would just punch a hole through the sub flooring!)

Good luck in your search for speakers.

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 05:11:33
Jack G
Audiophile

Posts: 9740
Joined: September 24, 1999
 Yes, piano movers is definitely a good idea. Have them place furniture movers (slipstick) under the speakers temporarily, so you can slide them around to find the right position. Once that is done, you may or may not want to remover the casters (with help) from underneath the speakers.
Jack

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 06:12:56
cdb
Audiophile

Posts: 2948
Joined: April 6, 2001
 My thought exactly after skimming the Harley piece on the Magico Q7s.

At 750 lbs ea, I thought how do you adjust toe-in? How and when do you attach the spikes? That's like trying to move a solid block of granite in 1/8 or 1/4" increments.

Initially, at over a quarter million dollars the pair, delivery, installation, and tuning should be on the dealer and written into the purchasing contract. Afterwards, when you want to replace the carpeting in the room or move, you're on your own.

For rooms with suspended floors, that's a significant concentrated "live" load.

None of which Harley mentions even in passing. Big name reviewers as we know all get the manufacturer to deliver and set up loaners.

 

Walk them, posted on October 23, 2015 at 07:44:10
Kloss



A rocking motion that owners of large loudspeakers master. Can use roller dollies if you have no carpet.

 

If buying new, the dealer should arrange and execute the move-in operation..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 07:49:23
genungo
 Usually, when someone buys brand new, extremely large/heavy, and very expensive speakers (from a well-known manufacturer) the moving/setup part is included in the deal. If you are thinking of upgrading in this manner and all the moving help you need is NOT included in the final price, start looking elsewhere.

If you are buying used speakers, then obviously you are on your own. The suggestions provided so far are good ones.

BTW, you must be absolutely sure that the flooring in your room is able to withstand the stresses produced by two concentrations of heavy weight situated symmetrically, on one side of the room. Factor in the pounding activity of driver arrays concentrated at each of two weight-bearing points, and you might have cause for concern. I would be inclined to put them in a basement room with concrete flooring if I was able.

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 08:13:21
Inmate51
 Piano movers would be a good bet.

But there are also pro sound guys who unload, set up, break down, and load heavy equipment on a regular basis. When I worked for a little regional rock band, my motto was "don't carry what you can drag, don't drag what you can roll, and don't move what can be left where it is". :)

Also, furniture delivery guys, especially from a really good high end store, have got this down. They do stuff like this every day. They're probably your best bet.

:)

 

Depends on how heavy..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 08:18:22
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...when I was reviewing speakers, I bought a decent hand-truck at Home Depot and covered the inside with a towel using duct tape to hold it on.

I could move 200lb speakers by myself without scratching them up and down a couple of steps.

Anything over 250lb you may need piano movers.

 

Once you can get them in the house..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 08:47:36
Mr. Dick Hertz
 ...you could try these. Just hope you don't have stairs.

 

RE: Once you can get them in the house..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 09:07:54
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13976
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Yes, those things work very nicely. But if you leave them under the
speakers, in the event you have to adjust tow in/out or distances from
walls, well you know ... your speakers will NOT be coupled to the floor!
There will be stray resonances! And how are you going to put spikes on
those babies to ensure proper coupling with the floor?

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

RE: Once you can get them in the house..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 09:43:26
Mr. Dick Hertz
 I'm guessing a 250 lb. speaker is coupled to the floor pretty well unless it's in a large bowl of Jell-O.

 

I think I just found my answer..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 10:04:55
FrankC
Audiophile

Posts: 1230
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: April 6, 2000

.

 

Nice idea, but....., posted on October 23, 2015 at 15:24:32
Raiderman
Audiophile

Posts: 2129
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Joined: March 14, 2003
 ... One of your prerequisites was: "... to ensure they don't damage the finish?"

Something tells me those claws just might damage the finish.
(I certainly would not let them touch the granite sides of my Andra II speakers!!!)

But a nice idea, nonetheless!

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 18:00:21
Bodhi
 I'm quite interested in this thread also as the loudspeakers i've settled on (Magico S7's) are 300lb's each (600lbs!). We're on the same page Franc as i'm also thinking of engaging a specialist piano mover who has experience moving expensive grand pianos. I got a good recommendation from Steinway Pianos in my local area. My theory is they would have the necessary experience and equipment to carefully move very heavy, valuable equipment.

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 18:31:01
Schurkey
Audiophile

Posts: 121
Location: The Seasonally Frozen Wastelands
Joined: May 14, 2015

 

moving Heavy speakers:, posted on October 23, 2015 at 18:39:05
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 UH?
Carefully?

I've helped riggers move VERY large / heavy / delicate wafer fabrication equipment and you do so slowly, with great deliberation. Every step is planned, right down to the final set-down.


Too much is never enough

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 18:40:10
REL54
Audiophile

Posts: 1944
Location: Virginia Coast
Joined: January 3, 2003
 IF, I stress IF, the bottom of the speakers is flat AND strong, you could move them around the way I move a safe: placing a series of golf balls under them to roll them around and get them where you want them. While it is easy to move something in one direction by putting it on pipes, using the golf balls provides for not only easily moving something around, but also for rotating the item and lateral movement as well. My gun safe weighs nearly 900 pounds empty and was it was easy for me to move it around once I had a number of golf balls under it.

As the speakers more forward and the balls come out from under them from the back, just take the balls back around to the other side, put them in position, then continue the movement. The item will easily glide back onto the balls that were placed in front of it. Works like a champ.

The caveat of course is that there will be force applied not to just the edges of the speaker cabinet, presumably the strongest near the sides/wall, but also randomly all across the bottom. That is a very important consideration and one that should not be overlooked.

What ever/ how ever you do it, I wish you success and a damage free event. Of course the EASIEST way to move them is to be well-heeled enough to pay somebody else to do it!! LOL

That's not a problem I'm likely to have any time soon.


roN

 

RE: Once you can get them in the house..., posted on October 23, 2015 at 19:13:01
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13976
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 I think you are correct, of course, but there are those who will swear
that bad things occur if your speakers are not spiked to the floor
or otherwise very securely affixed so as to do away with cabinet
vibrations and suchlike.

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

RE: How to move/install heavy speakers?, posted on October 23, 2015 at 19:19:18
mcbuddah
Audiophile

Posts: 384
Location: Wisconsin
Joined: June 8, 2012
 I have Genesis 6.1's that weigh about 140# each and must be set up meticulously to get the best out of them. I put their outrigger spikes into Herbie's Titanium Giant Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders on new carpet. Their designer/guru, Gary Koh personally sets up all their speakers and has written a cookbook that he says shows the exact way to set up speakers in 10 separate chapters. Each chapter selects a parameter of setup geometry and uses a selected musical piece and describes how to adjust to get a particular result. Most of his chapters suggest that you resolve the measurements to less than 1/10". These actually can let me make tiny, precise adjustments easily and alone.

Now I understand that 140# is not even close to 700#. But, I have also put these Titanium gliders under my new Steve Blinn Super-Wide rack's cones and have loaded it up to over 650# including the rack. The gliders allow me to actually move this 60" x 18" x 30" rack away from the wall for occasional power-cord swapping and contact cleaning. I must do this ever so carefully swinging one end away from the wall to avoid 'burping' components all over the floor, and so I do unload some things, but I am convinced that if the load were solid - like a speaker - I could easily dance with it.
Everything is going to the dogs

 

To couple or decouple, that is the question, posted on October 24, 2015 at 05:50:41
Inmate51
 On a solid floor, such as a concrete slab foundation, coupling is good, because it helps the speaker to remain stationary.

On a flexible floor, such as wood over wooden joists, decoupling is good, because it reduces the resonances of the floor.

:)

 

Here's another thought, posted on October 24, 2015 at 06:00:19
Inmate51
 Call a few of the mastering studios and ask them how they got their Dunlavy or other giant speakers into the room and into position.

I'm serious. Many of them are regular folks who would be happy to answer your question.

:)

 

Bought from a dealer. . . , posted on October 24, 2015 at 12:21:36
risabet
Audiophile

Posts: 3197
Location: SoCal
Joined: January 10, 2005
 the dealer should be delivering and setting up what I assume is a multi-thousand dollar speaker.


Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.

Adam Smith

 

RE: Depends on how heavy..., posted on October 26, 2015 at 09:54:37
russ69
Audiophile

Posts: 951
Joined: December 13, 2009
 Hand truck. If you have some practice at it, no problem. I move my 800 pound safe by myself, not a scratch. 200-300 pound speakers, easy peasy.

 

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