LSi7 LSi9 Wall Mount Questions

NeedingInfo

Hi all,

I am considering the purchase of LSi7s or 9s, and want to wall-mount them. I specifically want to wall mount because if I used stands, due to my listening location my speakers would end up directly to the right and left of my widescreen display, perhaps only 52" away from each other, and I am concerned that this would not provide sufficient stereo separation for music. My listening location is 8-10 feet away. However, by wallmounting, I can create a pretty good triangle, with the speakers 8-9 feet away from each other, and 8-10 feet away from me. Plus, by using swivel mounts I could point them right to my seating and get some decent toe-in for the highs.

However, having researched the issue, I see that many are specifically not recommending that these be wall mounted. However, no one says exactly what it is that is lost as a result. I am wondering to what extent it is only the lower end of the speakers which is compromised? I think the LSi series have excellent detail, and I figure that even if I lose the bass, I can add a decent subwoofer and make it up (PSW 1000 or similar from Velodyne).

Is anyone in a position to describe what the issue is with wallmount, and whether or not they feel that a quality sub would make it an acceptable tradeoff, especially when one considers the benefit of targeted tweeters?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

amulford

Que pasa. Welcome to the Club.

You could wall mount either, but you would need to use some rather heavy duty mounts (because of the weight) and have to drill into the cabinet (which I don't recommend).

An alternative would be to use shelves of some sort, either bought or DIY. You could accomplish the same effect...

NeedingInfo

Thanks for the info, but I am less concerned with the "how to" and more concerned with the "why not." What is the concern I am hearing about poor sound quality? Is that surmountable with a sub (that is, if loss of bass is the issue). If it is boominess, than I guess there are no options?

cheddar

There is no real issue with wall mounting the 7s. They have a keyhole slot on the back vent cover specificallly designed for this. A strong screw into a stud will hold the 7s just fine. You may be able to find swivel mounts that can be modified to take advantage of the keyhole too. I used metal straps and screws to attach even lsi/fxs to a sturdy ceiling mount without any cabinet drilling. The 9s, with their extra driver and increased cabinet length are not designed to be keyhole mounted. You do get a bump in the midrange because of the cross-over frequency of the cascade tapered array (the two midrange drivers do not produce the same frequencies) with one driver having to dig deep to make-up for not having a woofer. So the quality of sound from the 9s is different than the 7s in this range (many prefer it to the 7s).

But you definitely won't have any issues with boominess from the 7s and they do benefit from integration with a subwoofer.

Edit: Well I guess they won't be boomy if you use stands so you can adjust their orientation to the wall per McLoki below...

polktiger

just a shot in the dark here given the quality of the LSis, the concern may be related to how close the speakers would be to a wall as some space is generally needed for many speakers to sound their best. I have not owned any LSis, so I can't speak from experience with these. The polk manuals generally have some basic placement suggestions. Did you see any comments in your manuals about placement?

amulford

NeedingInfo wrote: »

Thanks for the info, but I am less concerned with the "how to" and more concerned with the "why not." What is the concern I am hearing about poor sound quality? Is that surmountable with a sub (that is, if loss of bass is the issue). If it is boominess, than I guess there are no options?

You should actually get better lower midrange/bass response by mounting them closer to the wall. That's not an issue.

McLoki

I wall mounted my LSi7's using the keyhole slot in the back and the bass got pretty boomy. I ended up using the B-tech stands (B-Tech 77's) and the bass cleaned up alot.

For LSi9's, they are not designed to hang from the power port and are pretty front heavy. The B-Techs will hold them, but that is the only stand I would trust for them.

cheddar

McLoki wrote: »

I wall mounted my LSi7's using the keyhole slot in the back and the bass got pretty boomy. I ended up using the B-tech stands (B-Tech 77's) and the bass cleaned up alot.

I didn't realize that being flush with the wall would make that much difference. I guess being on stands slightly off the wall tamed my set-up without me realizing it...

McLoki

I am not the only one who thinks so, Here is a quote from billbillw that came from the thread on my LSi7's. (click the LSi7 link in my sig to see the original post in context)

billbillw wrote: »

McLoki,
I don't think you will like the sound with them mounted using the built in keyhole. I had my RT25i mounted like that and the bass was dull/hollow. I now have them mounted using some Btech BT77 mounts.
Link here

Look at my showcase to see what they look like with some Polks mounted. They will allow you to angle/swivel if needed, plus they hold them firmly from the bottom and are SOLID!!! I use a little bluetak to isolate them further. They sound night and day different.

cheddar

No argument here. Just didn't realize I had avoided the problem by using these stands that just happened to line up perfectly with the keyholes in the lsi/fx and a metal plate I found at the local hardware store for joining 2x4s.

http://www.standsandmounts.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&PRODID=953

Pity they seem to be unavailable now as they allowed very precise ceiling placement (so you don't have to depend on an existing wall) and aiming at any listening position.

McLoki

Wow - those are pretty sweet. Would solve quite a few mounting issues with rear surrounds....