How to know where to drill

[tiagopimentel]

hi guys,

I want to mount bookshelf speakers on the ceiling (to do atmos) to be able to properly aim them at the listening position. Most bookshelf speakers don't have threads, so I'll need to drill. Anyway to know where is it safe to drill in a given speaker to avoid damaging the wiring and other things?

Thanks!

 

[nopiano]

You don’t know, that’s exactly the issue! And they aren’t meant to go on the ceiling.

That said, some designs, like Q Acoustics’ smaller models have wall mountings that might function to meet your needs. Generally, somewhere away from the terminal block rarely has any wiring, and few crossovers are attached at the back (more likely at the bottom, or behind the terminals, but anything is possible).

Best to write to the manufacturers in advance, or choose a system designed for Atmos.

https://www.qacoustics.co.uk/collections/stands-brackets/products/q-acoustics-3000wb

Check before trying!

 

[nads]

I would not.

 

[daytona600]

Not a great ideal to drill speaker cabinets better with a grip/vice mounting
IsoAcoustics V120 Atmos Mount

V120 Mount

Studio monitor ceiling and wall mounts for impeccable wall and ceiling isolation. More natural and transparent sound with greater clarity.

isoacoustics.com

 

[Fandango Andy]

hi guys,

I want to mount bookshelf speakers on the ceiling (to do atmos) to be able to properly aim them at the listening position. Most bookshelf speakers don't have threads, so I'll need to drill. Anyway to know where is it safe to drill in a given speaker to avoid damaging the wiring and other things?

Thanks!

The simple answer is don't. How to avoid the wiring will depend on the speaker, but that isn't really the issue. If the speaker doesn't have a thread, it isn't intended to be on the wall or ceiling, and probably won't sound great there. The best thing to do is get speakers suitable for the application.

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1 for what? I reckon stereo or 2.1 is more than enough for music.
What kind of sound sources come from above in music? I can only think of gospel/worship music, where maybe the choir, priest or organ sings or recites.

 

[tiagopimentel]

Thanks guys. The thing is, most speakers made for atmos are not possible to aim 45º for the listening position. Even the in ceilings, most of them just allow for tweeter aiming and not even close to 45º. There are a few atmos speakers (such as Triads) that allow for that kind of aiming, but those are very expensive.

So bookshelf speakers sounded like the best choice, since they will sound good. And with the proper support they can be pointed at whatever I want. Problem is finding bookshelves with threads. Maybe outdoor speakers?

I'll read more about the V120 mount. Looks interesting.

 

[Horowitz]

Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1 for what? I reckon stereo or 2.1 is more than enough for music.
What kind of sound sources come from above in music? I can only think of gospel/worship music, where maybe the choir, priest or organ sings or recites.

Surely it's what the OP 'reckons' that is important here?

 

[twinkletoes]

hi guys,

I want to mount bookshelf speakers on the ceiling (to do atmos) to be able to properly aim them at the listening position. Most bookshelf speakers don't have threads, so I'll need to drill. Anyway to know where is it safe to drill in a given speaker to avoid damaging the wiring and other things?

Thanks!

Your biggest problem wont be the drilling, it will be that back baffle, it wasn't designed to take load there. so with some heavier speakers you run the risk of literally pulling the back baffle off.

if it were me id but some proper in ceiling speakers, they aren't that much and are easy to install and look way way neater

 

[twinkletoes]

Thanks guys. The thing is, most speakers made for atmos are not possible to aim 45º for the listening position. Even the in ceilings, most of them just allow for tweeter aiming and not even close to 45º. There are a few atmos speakers (such as Triads) that allow for that kind of aiming, but those are very expensive.

So bookshelf speakers sounded like the best choice, since they will sound good. And with the proper support they can be pointed at whatever I want. Problem is finding bookshelves with threads. Maybe outdoor speakers?

I'll read more about the V120 mount. Looks interesting.

the tweeter is all that counts the mid bass will be omni directional so doesnt matter so much

 

[daytona600]

Atmos, 5.1 or 7.1 for what? I reckon stereo or 2.1 is more than enough for music.
What kind of sound sources come from above in music? I can only think of gospel/worship music, where maybe the choir, priest or organ sings or recites.

5.1 Music Try to get a demo of a good 5.1 system & Full 9.4.6 Atmos system will amaze

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

5.1 Music Try to get a demo of a good 5.1 system & Full 9.4.6 Atmos system will amaze

Thankfully there aren't many Blu-Ray Audio Discs or other downloadable formats out there from record labels. Even if I were to sit in the middle of a fairly decent surround sound setup (5.1 or Full 9.4.6 Atmos), I wouldn't have a clue what I'd be doing for odd ~3-4 minutes of the audio playback.

 

[Fandango Andy]

Thanks guys. The thing is, most speakers made for atmos are not possible to aim 45º for the listening position. Even the in ceilings, most of them just allow for tweeter aiming and not even close to 45º. There are a few atmos speakers (such as Triads) that allow for that kind of aiming, but those are very expensive.

So bookshelf speakers sounded like the best choice, since they will sound good. And with the proper support they can be pointed at whatever I want. Problem is finding bookshelves with threads. Maybe outdoor speakers?

I'll read more about the V120 mount. Looks interesting.

The ceiling speakers are background sound. The front and stereo speakers are still doing the heavy lifting. The largest concern is making sure the speakers work well with other speakers in the system. Are the drivers made of the same material? Q Acoustics, Tannoy, and JBL all have speakers compatible with full pan and tilt brackets.

 

[tiagopimentel]

Thanks. I also wanted to ask if you guys know any good wall mount that can fit any bookshelf speaker, with the ability to slightly tilt it down.

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

If you're going to drill something, why not drill the ceiling and put in some ceiling speakers? Or, have some wedges / pods made which you mount to the ceiling and then mount a ceiling speaker in that (if an angle of firing is required). That could create a very clean look.

 

[Messiah]

If you don't have any speakers already then you could look into the Monitor Audio Radius range. The 45/90's have dedicated brackets.

Can use them as a full package together and/or they will complement the Silver range.

 

[tiagopimentel]

If you're going to drill something, why not drill the ceiling and put in some ceiling speakers? Or, have some wedges / pods made which you mount to the ceiling and then mount a ceiling speaker in that (if an angle of firing is required). That could create a very clean look.

Hi, thanks for your tips. Can you share an image of such wedges / pods so I can see what kind of solution that is? My problem with "proper" atmos speakers is that they have like 20º aiming at best, which is really not enough and will hurt performance.

Thanks!

 

[daytona600]

Atmos speakers ( all same brand ) 5.2 or higher
1/ in ceiling - firing straight down or angled down
2/ speakers with built in atmos - firing up bouncing of ceiling

 

[Deliriumbassist]

KEF Q50a's are the fix if you can't do in-ceiling for Atmos. Did this all the time when I was in retail. They have an angled baffle as they are used as speaker toppers, but because of that, the Uni-Q dispersion and the keyhole mounts, we would mount them on the wall above the fronts and rears as high up as possible, so they fired down and into the room. Much closer to in-ceilings than speaker toppers, and they hit every seat. Just works.

 

[Fandango Andy]

hi guys,

I want to mount bookshelf speakers on the ceiling (to do atmos) to be able to properly aim them at the listening position. Most bookshelf speakers don't have threads, so I'll need to drill. Anyway to know where is it safe to drill in a given speaker to avoid damaging the wiring and other things?

Thanks!

It's been some time since your original post, so you are probably already sorted.

In a previous response, I mentioned some manufacturers that made mounts with full pan and tilt, one being Q Acoustics. I have 3010! In my AV setup, the side speakers are on wall brackets. I have just removed the speakers to decorate and can confirm they can point 45° down.

Although advertised as for 3000 series speakers, I believe they work with 2000s too.

I then googled it and found this: