Moving Speakers

[Jonesy09]

So tomorrow I'll be tossing my gear into a couple trailers and hauling it 3 miles down the road to the new digs. Most everything is packed in factory boxes and what isn't is packed pretty well. My only concern is two large pair of speakers and in which position to transport them.

I've heard that moving speakers with the drivers facing up, thereby enabling movement along the natural travel of the cone, is the way to go. I've also heard that most speakers are shipped form the factory in their upright position.

I have a pair of B&W DM604S3's put back into their factory boxes. I'm thinking they were shipped upright and will likely go that route. I will also be moving a pair of Infinity RSII's au natural. I moved them from Chicago on their backs as they had rotted foams. They now have new foams so I'm torn between laying them down and keeping them upright.

Anyone want to weigh in on this one?

 

[budgetaudio6]

i dont think it would matter if they have supple intact foams. unless you are doing 85 down a gravel road.

 

[CoogarXR]

x2- I don't think it will matter, especially only going 3 miles.

 

[Art K.]

It won't matter. Whatever way will minimize their opportunity to get banged up. I've moved speakers both ways and never had any damage.

 

[budgetaudio6]

would be a good idea to tie down in some manner or even blocks or some such to keep them from moving around...Thats the only thing i would consider. Speakers sliding around and banging into things is not a good imagination to endure.

 

[Ragnar_AT]

If I were to transport speakers without cardboard boxes I'd certainly put them with the drivers facing up for fear of any sharp object sliding into the drivers and ruining the cones. Of course sideways front-to-front would work too, don't do that with metal grilles though without at least an old towel between the speakers.

 

[dosmalo]

Maybe call UPS and ask how they do it.......OH CRAP!!!!

 

[jsixis]

run a jumper wire between the terminals, that will keep the speaker cones from moving freely,,,,,,,,

then again I move PA gear way harder then any normal person would move their stereo gear & I have never had a problem

 

[mech986]

Here's my take. First, get a length of solid wire, enough to bridge the two speaker connections. By shorting the terminals, there is back EMF to stop the cone from flopping around during transport.

If there is nothing to fall onto the speakers, then move them on their backs or bottoms to prevent any veneer damage, preferably on some type of wheeled mover assuming they can't shift around during transport. Like shipping anything, you don't want stuff shifting or moving around at all if possible, even for a short trip. A hill, pothole, or driveway can jar stuff around enough to move it.

I prefer to move them upright if possible since the speakers work that way. But again, a big pothole can cause a magnet to shift and occ. a baffle to be cracked or torn.

Having a lot of help to move them up and down (ramp!) from the truck, and setting up good ramps into the house are very important. Failing that, then lots of help moving up and down steps. More important with stuff like washers, refridgerators and the like.