Suspending light speakers from drop ceiling

[mrnick]

As the title indicates I am trying to figure out the best gear to use to suspend my home audio speakers from the basement drop ceiling.

The speakers have screw holsters in the back so I could rig just about anything up that will support them, but wanted to see if anyone had some suggestions.

Thanks

 

[highfigh]

I have seen a clip that slides onto the track for the ceiling and they have a tab that would allow using a wire to hang the speakers. You would want to hang them where the suspension wires hang the metal track (the track won't work if you use only that) but if you don't have a wire where you want the speakers, you can always add a wire or two.

These clips are often used for hanging signs from suspended ceilings in retail locations.

 

[Rickster71]

How heavy are the speakers?

There are brackets that span two tracks, and mount above the tile. (You could even use a piece of a 2 X 4.)
The weight of any added device should be supported by the building's frame, and not the drop ceiling. Keep in mind that commercial ceiling grid is heavier than residential grid.
So, the mounting bracket, or 2 X 4 should be safety wired, to the wooden frame.

 

[just-some-guy]

no way would i hang speakers from the flimsy tracks.

take the panels out. screw a large board to the joists. get some pipe flanges(plumbing pipe) that have a threaded center and 4 screw holes, and get some pipes. screw the flanges to the large board. put a hole in the panel where the pipe would come through(easier said than done. use a piece of cardboard as a template), install panel. the screw a piece of pipe into the flange. mount your speakers to this pipe as you wish.

this will be so solid that you and a friend could swing from it, and not break it.

 

[highfigh]

I only posted that as one option. 'Surround speakers' being a relative term, it's only a matter of time before someone would try to hang a pair of floor standing speakers the way I described, so I should qualify this with:

"Use the maximum weight guidelines stated by the maker of the clips before hanging anything heavy". It shouldn't be necessary, but if they need to put "Not to be used in the shower" on an electric blow dryer,....

How the speakers will be hung depends on the desired look. If space allows, making a shallow plywood box and covering it with ceiling tile pieces, cut to fit, decreases the "look" of hanging speakers. If it has to be flush, heavy speakers should be attached to the structure.