Drilling into Sierra

[JamesW]

Dave suggested I post here to see if any members have experience in what I need to do. I bought some Sierra-1s in piano black and need to drill into them to mount them. I was told to only go about ½” deep with the screws. Given the gloss finish on these speakers, I want to avoid cracking while drilling the pilot hole and driving the screws. Any suggestions on how to not cause cracks in the finish? Has anyone done this before?

Thanks,
Jamie

[Tower]

Please don't do anything , I will post photo how I mount tonight

[Tower]

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=504&stc=1&d=1316955305
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=505&stc=1&d=1316955305
just use small Tv Ceiling mount,

[JamesW]

While I'm sure that works fine for your situation, I still need to drill into them for mine. So, no one has drilled into the gloss black finish? Any wood workers out there?

I'm sinking (4) 20mm x 4 mm screws into them. After researching on guitar sites, I'm thinking of using a 5/64 brad point bit for a pilot hole. I'm not sure if masking or painters tape will be helpful to prevent cracking or just get in the way of the brad point operating correctly.

btw, it is a nice clean install, just doesn't fit my situation.

[curtis]

Can you give us the mounting scenario/situation? Perhaps someone can come up with a nice solution where drilling will not be necessary.

[Tower]

If you tell us more maybe we can help you. I'f you want to drill , use. Paint tape or clear tape . That what I use when I drill to gel coast on my boat.

[JamesW]

I'f you want to drill , use. Paint tape or clear tape . That what I use when I drill to gel coast on my boat. I really do appreciate your input, but I've installed a primer in one of my jetskis and that's a simplification of the process or you were a tad lucky. Not to mention I don't know enough to know that gelcoat + fiberglass = high gloss finish + bamboo. My question was specifically referring to the use of a brad point bit with tape.

I'd considered doing somthing a bit similar, but wall mounted. From a rotation and aesthetics standpoint, what I see in your pictures doesn't work for me. Also, I'm curious, I don't see a lip at the front or anything securing the speaker. What is preventing it from being the sword of Damocles? Do you have a bolt behind the bracket from the wood shelf into the mounting hole on the Sierra?

So, my situation...
50” Plasma on a Revo 9981 turntable stand that sits in a squared off archway between the living room and dining room. This allows us to watch in either room easily and switch from one room to the other in 3 seconds. The center is in the Revo and I want the L and R to rotate quickly as well, be secure, be tight to the archway wall to maintain the walkway, but have enough clearance to rotate without hitting the wall. Also, the aesthetics and usability need to work for my wife and I.

Plaster walls and ceiling. We have an 8-month old, so no stands, not to mention the space constraints and the need for rotation. I’ve decided on these, http://www.dynaudio.com/eng/systems/lines/accessories/wsb1.php. Solid, looks nice, can easily adjust/lock vertical and horizontal axis, close to the wall and allows for rotation to both rooms without hitting the wall. We should be able to switch viewing areas in about 20 seconds. It'll probably take longer to turn the surround sends on/off (they'll be fixed position in the living room) unless there's a setting I haven't found yet on the 991.

[Tower]

Yes I have a bolt behind the bracket. I have -+ 190 from left to right, +- 20 up and Dow. Just look at photo you can see

[curtis]

So, my situation...
50” Plasma on a Revo 9981 turntable stand that sits in a squared off archway between the living room and dining room. This allows us to watch in either room easily and switch from one room to the other in 3 seconds. The center is in the Revo and I want the L and R to rotate quickly as well, be secure, be tight to the archway wall to maintain the walkway, but have enough clearance to rotate without hitting the wall. Also, the aesthetics and usability need to work for my wife and I.
Interesting setup.

When you move from one room to the other, doesn't than reverse the L/R to R/L speaker situation? How do you change that? Very curious.

[JamesW]

@Tower

Honestly, from the photos you posted I can't tell and the information you provide is minimal.

I did notice there was a thread for center channel mounting solutions. Maybe you can start a thread for L/R mounting as your solution may work for someone. If you look through that thread, there is a nice amount of detail provided by people.

[JamesW]

@Curtis

Perceptive of you. It does reverse L/R. At some point, I’ll build a switchbox to swap L and R.

The living room will have a proper 5.1 setup and is where we watch movies, listen to music-the more critical listening room. In the dining room (where L/R is reversed) it will be a 3.1 setup, with the bass having less impact due to lack of proximity. We’re usually catching up on TV shows, streaming something from Netflix or I’m bouncing back between the kitchen to see if the Cardinals are winning or losing. We (as many people) are quite busy and like catching up on shows during a meal sometimes. After dinner, if there’s time, we want to relax on the couch and be more immersed.

Now for the controversial bit.

Depending on the content, swapping L/R isn’t a big deal. Sure listen to your favorite Beatles album and you wonder why the drums are on the wrong side or you see a door close on the left and you hear it on the right, it will mess with you a little. But in a lot of situations (like our dining room viewing), most of the time L/R is music bed, ambience, and a small percent of the dialogue output to give it some life/spread and you won’t notice the difference. Here is a test I’d love people to participate in. Swap left and right without telling family members and see how long it takes them to notice and what content made them notice.

If there are strong visual and auditory cues, very familiar stereo content, or you are watching in a tuned room (and that’s no guarantee http://www.bobhodas.com/educational-resources.html), it might be a different story.

Due to the directionality or lack thereof for various frequencies, the sonic characteristics of a normal living space, the ear/brain ability to localize sound or not, the level of attentiveness, the degree the ear is trained, etcetera, a lot of people won’t notice.

Another interesting read, http://www.soundstagelive.com/factorytours/psbnrc/. Read from Digitally Erasing Your Room down.

The moral of the story is, your money is much better spent improving your room and placing your speakers correctly than buying expensive cables you think you hear, or the ultra cool power conditioner that gives you a steady 120 volts, etc. Disclaimer, I have a UPS on my old 50” LCD that has exceeded its expected bulb life and I believe the non-deteriorating surge protection has helped me achieve that. But that’s a different story.

Additional disclaimer, current computer geek/interaction designer who spent 18 years as a live and studio music engineer until I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family.

Sorry for the lengthy post, hopefully someone found it interesting or informative. BTW, no one has answered my original question.

[JustaSheep]

Sorry for the lengthy post, hopefully someone found it interesting or informative. BTW, no one has answered my original question.

Very interesting and I do plan to look at those two articles you pointed out. However, my solution would have been to eat on the couch.

[curtis]

Now for the controversial bit.

Depending on the content, swapping L/R isn’t a big deal. Sure listen to your favorite Beatles album and you wonder why the drums are on the wrong side or you see a door close on the left and you hear it on the right, it will mess with you a little. But in a lot of situations (like our dining room viewing), most of the time L/R is music bed, ambience, and a small percent of the dialogue output to give it some life/spread and you won’t notice the difference. Here is a test I’d love people to participate in. Swap left and right without telling family members and see how long it takes them to notice and what content made them notice.

I think I would agree for music, L/R vs R/L is not a huge issue. For HT/TV it is a problem.

[JamesW]

Just following up on the thread I started, sorry I've been pretty busy lately.

The answer to my original question was answered by looking on guitar forums and substituting given my needs. I used a 3/32 brad point bit from Lee Valley (best drill bits I've ever had) to drill pilot holes with a plastic depth gauge on the bit. I used painters tape to be able to place marks, I don't think the tape is necessary to prevent tear-out with these bits, but for marking and to prevent the gauge from scraping the speaker. The screws were 4mm x 20mm and by the time you account for the screw covers and the bottom plate the depth is under the 1/2" max Dave recommended. It worked wonderfully and I now have them mounted. It's so nice to switch rooms with minimal effort. Next I have to find time to cut/paint/mount the wire guides.

@JustaSheep:), I'm trying to live like an adult these days, but that was my answer before getting married.

@Curtis, even with most TV and depending on the movie, L/R is not noticeable by an overwhelming percent of people when reversed. With music, I'd notice it if I knew the perspective the drums were mixed from - fills going the wrong way, high hat on the wrong side. It goes back to familiarity.

So, did anyone take me up on my experiment of reversing L/R to see if people who were not aware of the switch would notice?

[curtis]

@Curtis, even with most TV and depending on the movie, L/R is not noticeable by an overwhelming percent of people when reversed. With music, I'd notice it if I knew the perspective the drums were mixed from - fills going the wrong way, high hat on the wrong side. It goes back to familiarity.
I think that I would pretty much agree with this, but like you said, depending on the movie...it will be noticeable, and with some movies, very noticeable.

Familiarity, with anything, would make it worse.