Time to look at our case study. The Peak Contrast speakers follow current fashion, in that they are deeper than they are wide. Fit the front casters first, in this case, along with the middle ones. This tilts the speaker backwards but the mass of the drivers sits well inside the cabinet footprint, even with that big bass unit in the top of the enclosure. When you come to do the rear pair, the front of the cabinet will be sitting higher and thus minimise the forward rake angle required to insert the rear casters. The idea is to keep the speaker as stable as possible throughout the operation. Likewise, having mounted the front casters, before you drop the front of the speaker, rotate the casters forwards and lock their wheels, extending the footprint as far forward as possible and preventing the speaker running away from the jack as you lift its rear end.
In the case of the Peaks, the forward extension of the front feet helps maximise the footprint anyway, but with a speaker like the Stenheim U2, the inset location of the threads in the underside of the cabinet, makes this a critical consideration. Get it wrong and you might well end up with the speaker horizontal and flat on its face after all! Think I’m exaggerating? Why do you think they produced the massive X-base outriggers? On the same basis, don’t be tempted to tilt the speaker sideways – at least not if that’s its narrower dimension.
Moving anything this heavy on your own demands care and respect. As always, you do so at your own risk. It’s not inherently dangerous, but being careless or not thinking it through can seriously increase the risk to your health and the health of your speaker. So, take care, take your time and here are the rules:
Always lift the speaker along its longer axis.
Always lift the ‘heavy’ side first, assuming there is one.
Always rotate casters away from the jack and lock them.
If you are worried about how much you will need to tilt the speaker, you can reduce the angle by raising the far (normally rear) face slightly first.
Never ever create a situation in which the speaker is unstable. Move from one state of stasis to another.
If in doubt, don’t do it: wait and get help.
Always wheel speakers rear-first. That way if they come up against an obstruction and a sudden stop, there’s far less chance of the speaker toppling over.
Likewise, it is always safer to pull a speaker (use a padded strap, set low, if necessary) than push it, for much the same reason.
Could I have used four wheels on the Peaks? It would have been quicker and easier, but with nearly €100K worth of someone else’s speaker in play, definitely better to be safe than sorry. €100K worth of your own speaker? ‘Nuff said!
All of the hardware that I used here, with the exception of the jack, was sourced from Amazon or ebay – and none of it fetched audio-level prices. The jack is on ebay too, it’s just that I have one that came from Wilson. Given the relative costs involved in buying the speakers and then sourcing the tools and components to make them moveable (if not exactly mobile) it seems like a no-brainer. A jack is invaluable when it comes to dealing with large speakers, not just for installation or removal, but also for set up and fine-tuning. The additional cost for casters and mounting hardware barely registers and, the day you need them, you’ll be glad it’s all ready and waiting. I deal with multiple speakers, have two sets of generic casters (beyond the ones supplied with speakers by the manufacturers) and various sets of spacers and washers to adapt them to different speakers, such as the Vienna Acoustics with their M15/2 threaded spikes and outriggers. For most end users, a single set of wheels is going to do the trick. Definitely a good investment against a rainy day. After all, just how are you going to shift your speakers if the river rises, breaks its banks and visits your listening room? It’s not only planned moves you might need to make, which is why having the facility on hand is so worthwhile.
