‘Flown’ speakers? (Hang from ceiling)

[nuyorican]

Not sure if ‘flown’ is the right word. But you get the idea. To hang a pair of speakers from the ceiling facing down at an angle like you see in nightclubs.

How best to go about it. Most google searches seem to be about live sound installations which might be a bit overkill. I’m guessing it’s going to have to be fixed into a joist, or a bar balancing between two joists. But how is the other end attached to the speaker? I’d rather not be drilling into them if possible, but if needs must. And would drilling into them affect the sound?

Currently they’re just kind of balanced on some foam, wobbling around waiting to fall over and squash me. Also, they’re right in my face about a metre from my sitting position. I want them up and over the other side of the room so I can give them a workout without deafening myself.

You might not be able to judge scale, but they’re about two-foot high. That’s a breeze block at the bottom. I could even have them hanging on their sides if need be. I’m also wondering how far they should be from the walls/corners. It’s not the biggest room.

[TheRainMaker]

All the ones we use are designed to be used like that from the outset.

They all come with the hardware.

[nuyorican]

You mean the speakers you use? Ahh right. Yeah, there’s nothing on the back of these. I’m now wondering whether I could just hang them with some kind of ratchet strap or bungee cord type arrangement.

[996owner]

I looked at hanging a set of speakers from the ceiling in the garage conversion.

To get decent isolation I was thinking of using bungee cords. Big hooks into the joints and the same into the sides of the speakers and one in the rear to get a slight angle.

I decided not to go down this route as the speakers I felt were too heavy 12kg each and i didn't fancy coming home one day to find one had landed on whatever is below it.

[TheRainMaker]

nuyorican said:

You mean the speakers you use? Ahh right. Yeah, there’s nothing on the back of these. I’m now wondering whether I could just hang them with some kind of ratchet strap or bungee cord type arrangement.

If it were me, I would get a few Tnuts. These have to go on the inside; you don't want them coming off.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-4-pronged-tee-n...

Then get some eyebolts.

https://www.essentialsupplies.co.uk/rigging/fasten...

You would then need some gripples, wire, etc.

https://www.essentialsupplies.co.uk/rigging/wires-...

https://www.essentialsupplies.co.uk/rigging/wires-...

If the whole lot comes down on your head, don't blame me

[Mr Pointy]

There's items like this on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nbguigdstr-Speaker-Suppor...

They are just screwed into the speaker, but try & avoid drilling through the crossover. K&M make a sturdy item but at £71 each plus an adapter bracket they might not be the first choice:

https://www.k-m.de/brand/en/new-wall-and-ceiling-m...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Konig-Meyer-Ceiling-brack...

[Sporky]

I wouldn't fly speakers that weren't designed to be flown.

[nuyorican]

TheRainMaker said:

If the whole lot comes down on your head, don't blame me

If the whole lot comes down on my head, blame the person on the internet who made you do it. Got it. Thanks!

Sporky said:

I wouldn't fly speakers that weren't designed to be flown.

It’s happening! It’s just a question of how.

[OutInTheShed]

996owner said:

I looked at hanging a set of speakers from the ceiling in the garage conversion.

To get decent isolation I was thinking of using bungee cords. Big hooks into the joints and the same into the sides of the speakers and one in the rear to get a slight angle.

I decided not to go down this route as the speakers I felt were too heavy 12kg each and i didn't fancy coming home one day to find one had landed on whatever is below it.

Seems to me, if you want the speaker to move the air instead of moving the speaker, it helps if the speaker has mass?

Maybe it's a matter of either rigid mounting is good, or you can imagine a sealed box speaker will still work freely suspended? However it might pump air equally backward and forwards?
One can imagine it will at least change the directivity and radiation pattern if that's the right term?
Imagine maybe a pair of face to face 'clamshell' bass drivers? Or maybe several drivers arranged to give omni-directional radiation?
(is it obvious I've worked with antennas yet? :-) )

I have some moderately hefty speakers on wall brackets FWIW.

Food for thot.

[nuyorican]

Hmm. Good point. ‘Soffit mounted’ I could perhaps build something over winter. Might suspend them on ratchet straps first and see how we go.

[eliot]

will the bass be warmer and the highs be brighter with better separation?

[nuyorican]

eliot said:

will the bass be warmer and the highs be brighter with better separation?

I’ve no idea. Though I’ve tried to understand acoustics, I’ve never really fully grasped it. All I know is that if I stand as far back as I can from them where they are now, before I back into the wall, then sit down, the bass suddenly sounds awesome. Which is why I want to move them so they’re further away and higher. Then I can keep my listening position.

I have some other little speakers which are fine up close to me, but those big un’s need to be moved.

I’m in a weird long, small room though.

[mac96]

nuyorican said:

eliot said:

will the bass be warmer and the highs be brighter with better separation?

I’ve no idea. Though I’ve tried to understand acoustics, I’ve never really fully grasped it. All I know is that if I stand as far back as I can from them where they are now, before I back into the wall, then sit down, the bass suddenly sounds awesome. Which is why I want to move them so they’re further away and higher. Then I can keep my listening position.

I have some other little speakers which are fine up close to me, but those big un’s need to be moved.

I’m in a weird long, small room though.

I would be wanting to experiment with the proposed position to see if it had the effect on the sound you are looking for before building/modifying anything. The bass boost you are noticing from the far end of the room will be caused by roomfactors which you may not be duplicating by flying the speakers.

Could you perch them temporarily on something tall, like a pair of stepladders?

[nuyorican]

Well ahead of ya, just got them up into position on top of a stack of random bits of furniture only to realise my cables don’t reach…

Well that’s that game over until I can source about 30m of speaker cable.

[mac96]

nuyorican said:

Well ahead of ya, just got them up into position on top of a stack of random bits of furniture only to realise my cables don’t reach…

Well that’s that game over until I can source about 30m of speaker cable.

[996owner]

OutInTheShed said:

996owner said:

I looked at hanging a set of speakers from the ceiling in the garage conversion.

To get decent isolation I was thinking of using bungee cords. Big hooks into the joints and the same into the sides of the speakers and one in the rear to get a slight angle.

I decided not to go down this route as the speakers I felt were too heavy 12kg each and i didn't fancy coming home one day to find one had landed on whatever is below it.

Seems to me, if you want the speaker to move the air instead of moving the speaker, it helps if the speaker has mass?

Maybe it's a matter of either rigid mounting is good, or you can imagine a sealed box speaker will still work freely suspended? However it might pump air equally backward and forwards?
One can imagine it will at least change the directivity and radiation pattern if that's the right term?
Imagine maybe a pair of face to face 'clamshell' bass drivers? Or maybe several drivers arranged to give omni-directional radiation?
(is it obvious I've worked with antennas yet? :-) )

I have some moderately hefty speakers on wall brackets FWIW.

Food for thot.

I'm more thinking about isolating the speakers from the house. I tried isolating foam on the bottom of the speakers but they are that heavy they just compressed it.