Wall Mount vs. Speaker Stands

[EQ3282]

I have the speakers in my sig below (not out of the box yet). Plan on setting it all up either tonight or tomorrow.

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to wall mounting speakers? It is possible to do w/o any special mounts, or do I need stands if I don't have special mounting brackets? I'm hesitant about ordering stands because I only need three, and the ones that I would get come in pairs.

Any advice/tips would be great!

[cravnsn]

I’ve always felt that the integration & interaction between the wall & speaker is too much when mounted directly on the wall. I prefer the sound quality from stand mounting – it also gives you more freedom with placement & tweaking the positioning of the speaker to get optimal sound.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by cravnsn

I’ve always felt that the integration & interaction between the wall & speaker is too much when mounted directly on the wall. I prefer the sound quality from stand mounting – it also gives you more freedom with placement & tweaking the positioning of the speaker to get optimal sound.

Yea but at the same time wouldnt the receiver auto calibration be able to calibrate for optimal sound, no matter where placed? For the most part that is...

P.S. I tend to like stands better also, but wall mounts look nice at the same time....

[cravnsn]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

Yea but at the same time wouldnt the receiver auto calibration be able to calibrate for optimal sound, no matter where placed? For the most part that is...

P.S. I tend to like stands better also, but wall mounts look nice at the same time....

It will probably try to strike a balanced EQ, but there is still interaction of the drivers motion influencing the enclosure, which is transmitted to the wall & mount. Depending on how solid (or not) the speaker is mounted, there could be unwanted vibrations leading to coloration of the sound.

Maybe some experimentation is in order – put up a make-shift stand. Place just the two front/main speakers on them. Listen to some 2 channel music. Now, move the speakers around, and then move them to right up against the wall, and see how the sound characteristics change.

Wall mounting might be more aesthetically pleasing, but don’t rush into a “one or the other” way of choosing – always leave yourself a way to change things up if you want to.

Craig

[aramis109]

The 6750's probably would stand out from the wall quite a bit- they have a rear port that would be affected as well unless you had some kind of swivel mount. I'd recommend just some stands.

[rded]

I you can provide good speaker stands, then this is the way to go unless you have space constraints because bass is better translated and less attenuated through the floors IMO. In this case you can better position the speakers to attain the best possible imaging(so it won't feel too tall). If too close in proximity to walls, some speakers can present themselves as "more boomy", sacrificing detail in the midrange. If they have rear ports, you may want to get port plugs to correct this....

[cravnsn]

Well, I just looked at a picture of your speakers. From what I understand about speakers meant to be mounted on a wall, they usually have a shallow depth because of how the cabinet interacts with the bass frequencies – basically, it reinforces the bass & upper bass region. Being as the speakers are small, they might actually benefit from being close to the wall.

For the most part, leaving space around a speaker will lend to a more airy sound – a larger soundstage. Again, I would suggest not doing anything permanent – give the speakers a proper amount of break in time, then try both mounting solutions, and see (hear) which one you like best.

Craig

[dad2erin]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

Yea but at the same time wouldnt the receiver auto calibration be able to calibrate for optimal sound, no matter where placed? For the most part that is...

P.S. I tend to like stands better also, but wall mounts look nice at the same time....

Never trust auto calibration! It might seem good at first but you will soon be tweaking it.

[EQ3282]

Thanks. I think I am going with the speaker stands. Going to have to order a sub cable anyway (went to Radio Shack for a cheap one, but they only had $17+).

Just another quick question: I got 14 gauge wire from Monoprice, and it has the blue polarity strip. It doesn't matter WHICH connector the blue line is connected to, so long as it matches the same connection at the other end, correct?

[cravnsn]

Originally Posted by EQ3282

Thanks. I think I am going with the speaker stands. Going to have to order a sub cable anyway (went to Radio Shack for a cheap one, but they only had $17+).

Just another quick question: I got 14 gauge wire from Monoprice, and it has the blue polarity strip. It doesn't matter WHICH connector the blue line is connected to, so long as it matches the same connection at the other end, correct?

Nope, doesn’t matter at all to the speakers or the receiver. What I do though is keep it all consistent – if you make the marked wire the positive on one speaker, do the same for all the speakers. This helps eliminate the possibility of phasing problems.