Wall-mounting a heavy bookshelf speaker...possible w/drywall?

Hey guys,

Just want to see if anyone has some suggestions for wall-mounting a 25-30lb bookshelf speaker, most likely without studs. I just moved into an apartment and don't really have the room for stands. The living room layout is a little odd, so the only option is putting the speakers up in the corners/side walls, which is why I'm thinking there aren't going to be studs there. I tried uploading a quick and dirty mspaint job, but photobucket was giving me trouble. Thanks in advance.

You can do it in drywall without studs. Go to your local hardware store and ask. There are specific types of screws that will hold that weight on drywall.

You can also use drywall anchors.

The E-Z Anchor® Twist-N-Lock(TM) Anchors hold 75lbs each in drywall. That should work for you.

How is there not going to be studs in the corners?

mazersteven said:

How is there not going to be studs in the corners?

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That is what I was thinking.

Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't mean placing a mount directly in the corner, but that the side of the speaker would be flush with the rear wall. I'm no architect...

Basically like this except the couch is against the wall. The speakers would be facing/firing toward eachother.

I would place the surrounds at least a couple of feet from the back wall and angle them toward the listening position. This a a very good wall mount.

You could use some Hercules Hooks from Billy Mays!

But anchors is the way to go - if you are able to screw into the stud, then even better.

The E-Z anchors are the thing to use, as has been suggested. I use pairs to hold 38 lb speakers

I use these for mounting my PSB Image 1Bs (B15 are their replacement)

http://www.btech-usa.com/bt77.html

with 4 ez-anchors and it works just fine

You'll have a stud every 16"
Is your placement that critical that you can't move it 8" to either side?

^ Unfortunately yes, like in the picture I posted, imagine a wall directly behind the couch. The walls connecting to the back wall have a sliding door on one side and a window to the kitchen on another, limiting my options. Not ideal I know, but it'll be better than nothing. I will give those anchors a shot...just need to figure out how to brace them, $70 seems a little excessive for a temporary mount - thanks though.

Mw' What speakers are you running.. maybe we can help more by understanding what the product is that your working with... Some specific speakers work better with specific speaker mounts...

I will give those anchors a shot...just need to figure out how to brace them, $70 seems a little excessive for a temporary mount - thanks though.

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If you're referring to the EZ anchors, what bracing? The EZ anchors screw into the wall, be it just sheetrock or into a wood stud. So you just screw them at whatever locations you need.
Two of the speakers I mounted had a removeable back "grille" that upon removing provided me with a small hole (3/8") at each upper corner. I screwed the mounting screws, that come with the EZ anchors, into the anchors, leaving the head of the screws sticking out about 1/2". Then it was just a matter of sliding the holes, on the speaker back, over the screw heads.

The newer surrounds I bought have mounting brackets, that have holes for the screws in the anchors, Same mounting situation, just sliding the holes over the screw heads.

The $70 was for the speaker mounts that you may not need.

Mw` said:

^ Unfortunately yes, like in the picture I posted, imagine a wall directly behind the couch. The walls connecting to the back wall have a sliding door on one side and a window to the kitchen on another, limiting my options. Not ideal I know, but it'll be better than nothing. I will give those anchors a shot...just need to figure out how to brace them, $70 seems a little excessive for a temporary mount - thanks though.

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So if you have a slider on one side and a window on the other.
There should be a header above both. You can put screws into that, it's much more solid than just one stud, and very hard to miss.

Rickster71 said:

So if you have a slider on one side and a window on the other.
There should be a header above both. You can put screws into that, it's much more solid than just one stud, and very hard to miss.

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If that will work or not depends on how much space there is between the top of the window/slider and ceiling and the size of the speakers used.

But as for being solid, it almost takes an earthquate to bring down those EZ anchors. And if by chance only one was in the framing and the other in sheetrock, and that one some how broke away (I've never seen it happen) the other anchor would hold the speaker, although hanging at an angle, until the mounting was repaired.

Yes, I was referring to the mount someone linked in my last post. The speakers are the Swan Diva 2.1s, which are 26 pounds each and don't have any sort of mounts/holes on the back iirc. I was planning on a simple setup; just use a couple L brackets anchored to the wall and either rest the speaker right on the brackets or cut out some plywood to attach to the brackets and rest the speaker on that. Wouldn't moving the speakers forward on the side walls defeat the purpose of having rear surround? Thanks again for the input.

Yes, you do want your rear speakers on the rear wall. And if the speakers can be mounted around 6ft above the floor then a cleaner looking and cheaper install would be to drill two small holes in the back of the speakers, about 1/4 ~3/8", depending on the size of the screw head, supplied with the EZ anchors.
The EZ anchors are then screwed into the wall to the same c/c spacing of the holes in the speakers. Then you just run the screws into the center of the anchor, leaving them stick out about 3/8" ~ 1/2". Then just slide the holes over the screw head.
Those anchors each hold about 80 lbs.
The speakers I have mounted that way are 38 lbs. I prefer the look of the speakers flat on wall, instead of using piot mounts
side surround.......................................back surround