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Thread: 170s take a licking and keep on kicking

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Bloomfield, CT
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    291

    Thumbs up 170s take a licking and keep on kicking

    Kicking a**, that is...

    About an hour ago, a drywall anchor holding one of my CBM-170 surrounds pulled loose from the wall and the speaker plummeted about 7' to the floor, hitting an aluminum heating unit and bouncing into the side of the tent that my twins play in :-o (thank god they weren't in it at the time).

    I know, I know, they should have been mounted to a stud but WAF and acoustic factors dictated their placement. I check the security of the anchors fairly often, but it's been hella humid in CT lately and I can only assume that softened up the walls somehow. Either that or vibrations from a recently installed air conditioner rattled it loose.

    In any case, I am ecstatic to report that not only is the speaker still fully functional, it has barely a mark on it. Fault the aesthetics of their finish all your want (I don't) but these babies are built to last.

    p.s. needless to say, the 170s will now replace my old Cambridge Soundworks speakers downstairs in a 2-channel setup, and the much lighter CS will become my new surrounds. Not optimal, I know, but better than worrying about my kids getting brained because Daddy needs a seemless soundstage. Word to the wise -- never assume drywall will hold the 170s up.
    Last edited by sensibull; 07-18-2005 at 08:25 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    SoCal
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    Since the center of mass/gravity/whatever is so far off the wall, I wouldn't recommend mounting except into a stud. The 170's not exactly petite. For you, it wasn't a matter of 'if' but 'when' (sorry for the cliche). Good to hear it'll withstand some punishment though.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
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    Were you using toggle bolts or just a drywall anchor? A plain drywall anchor definitely wouldn't be enough for the CBM-170s.

    I'm glad to hear the speaker survived its drop.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Bloomfield, CT
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    Quote Originally Posted by BradJudy
    Were you using toggle bolts or just a drywall anchor?
    I used the beefiest drywall anchors I could find. Believe me, I know how dumb it sounds in retrospect (and the more posts I make about my boneheaded blunders and AV snafus, the more ridiculous my screen moniker becomes) but I did test the anchor repeatedly and the speakers have been in place for about 9 months. The particular mount I use (found here) directs all the weight downward, rather that outward, so I thought I might be OK. Live and learn...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
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    For future reference, use the straight pulling (as opposed to perpendicular) rating of an anchor for this type of thing. The mount actually works a bit like a lever rotating around the lower point and pulling outward at the upper point. At least it wasn't an expensive lesson to learn.

  6. #6
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    SoCal
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    I'm no structural engineer, but hanging something off basically a sheet of chalk isn't the same as drilling into a solid piece of wood. Yes, live and learn. Now, whadda ya gonna do. Stands?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    49

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    I plan to hang my 170's from drywall once I get them, but I plan to use the butterfly type expanding brackets. I figure that way there is much better support.

    Then again, the drywall in my place is very thick, and I already have some fairly heavy stuff hanging on the walls without problem. The key is just to use the correct anchors. The ones that look like big plastic screws just don't get the job done.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    21

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    Since studs are usually 16.0" apart OC (about 18" outside to outside edge), perhaps you could attach a 1 X 4 X 18" back plate across two studs, and then attach the CBM's to that? We did that, and it worked great.

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