Need assistance with screw measurements for RTi A3's

[kristv]

Hey, folks! New member and Polk owner here. I'm hoping you can help me with some information if you have the time...

I ordered some RTi A3's for my front and rear speakers to go with a CSI A6 center and PSW505 sub. My wife wouldn't agree on paying for towers, so I'm trying to make the best 5.1 setup I can on a limited budget. I got a deal on the A3's, so I ordered them.

Anyway, I am looking at wall mounts for these and have found a couple that might fit the bill, but I need to know how far apart the screw holes are on the mounting plate of the A3. I won't be receiving the speakers for another week and I was hoping to get the brackets ordered so they arrive around the same time. I am assuming the mounting plate on the A3 can be removed, right? Or does it have to stay in place? I can't tell by looking at pictures whether it serves any other purpose but to mount the speaker to a wall screw. The brackets I am considering have 4 screw holes, one in each corner of the mounting plate for the speaker. I just want to make sure the measurements match before I order them.

Could an A3 owner here please give me the measurements between the holes on the A3 mounting plate? Thanks in advance!

[leroyjr1]

The mounting plate (power port) needs to stay on the speaker.

There's a guy on here that uses ther RTI a3 on a B tech mount. Heres pictues of the speakers mounted in this thread. Post #24

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72553

[kristv]

Crap....I was afraid of that. :(

Well, that's going to make things more interesting then. Do you think something like this would work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=350141496018

I could fit a bolt through the keyhole on the speaker's mounting plate and slip the bolt through the long slot on the bracket plate, and then tighten it down with a nut on the backside of the bracket plate. Do you think it would be strong enough to keep the speaker on the bracket?

Yeah, I saw that thread you mentioned, but the brackets cost more than what my wife is willing to pay for them. Don't get me started on that one. :/

[leroyjr1]

If price is an issue why not just use the keyhole on the bracket.

[kristv]

Well, from what I read on this forum as well as the avs forums, I need to get the speakers away from the wall to get the best sound out of them. Also, I won't be able to angle the speakers towards my listening area, which will be a definite problem for the rear speakers. I could probably get away with using the keyhole for the fronts though....was just trying to get the best sound I can out of these.

Am I misguided about mounting them directly on the wall? I'm pretty new to the world of audio so any advice is appreciated.

[leroyjr1]

No, your correct. The bass sounds better when the speakers are away from the wall. What about speaker stands?

[Erik Tracy]

Crap....I was afraid of that. :(

Well, that's going to make things more interesting then. Do you think something like this would work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=350141496018

I could fit a bolt through the keyhole on the speaker's mounting plate and slip the bolt through the long slot on the bracket plate, and then tighten it down with a nut on the backside of the bracket plate. Do you think it would be strong enough to keep the speaker on the bracket?

Yeah, I saw that thread you mentioned, but the brackets cost more than what my wife is willing to pay for them. Don't get me started on that one. :/

The B-Tech BT-77s are cheaper than the mounts you linked above and won't require drilling holes or adapting the bracket to mount to the RTiA3.

I'm the guy in the thread with the RTiA3s on the B-Tech BT-77s.

And it really is the way to go.

I have a pair of RTi4s as my surrounds that are ceiling mounted using the Omnimount 20.0 that has a ball and thread set up. And I used the power port key hole on the back exactly the way you described above - so it can work. But for my surrounds I have them aimed down towards my listening spot such that lower corner of each speaker touches the wall and relieves some of the weight/stress of the ball/clamp. Otherwise the mount has to completely support the weight of the speaker.

With the weight of the RTiA3, you may find that the bracket you linked will creep and droop over time.

And since it costs more than the B-Tech BT-77 why even go this route?

Erik

PS Here is another thread with some more pics of my mount setup
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76679

[kristv]

Erik, where did you find the BT-77's for cheaper? I can't seem to find them for less than $60/pair. The one that I linked to was only $35/pair. I have to admit, I was a little concerned about whether the bracket I found is strong enough to do what I suggested. Thanks for your input and if you have a recommended site to get those BT-77's from, I'm all ears! :)

leroyjr1, sorry I forgot to answer your question. The stands that I have found online are either too expensive or are too short. Also, I have a 15 month old daughter and I can just see her tipping the stands and smashing the speakers on the floor. So, wall-mounting it is! :D

[Erik Tracy]

Erik, where did you find the BT-77's for cheaper? I can't seem to find them for less than $60/pair. The one that I linked to was only $35/pair. I have to admit, I was a little concerned about whether the bracket I found is strong enough to do what I suggested. Thanks for your input and if you have a recommended site to get those BT-77's from, I'm all ears! :)

leroyjr1, sorry I forgot to answer your question. The stands that I have found online are either too expensive or are too short. Also, I have a 15 month old daughter and I can just see her tipping the stands and smashing the speakers on the floor. So, wall-mounting it is! :D

Sorry - I saw the MSRP at $89 for the mounts you linked - that's why I said the BT-77 were cheaper.

I understand that times are tight - $30 is $30 - but its better to buy right once than wrong twice! :)

[kristv]

Totally agree, Erik...unfortunately, trying to get my wife to understand that is a bit difficult. She nearly flipped when I told her how much the BT-77's were going to cost (for 4 of them), so I hunted high and low for something cheaper. It's amazing how few companies make brackets that will hold more than 10 lbs worth of speaker, and all of them seem to be charging around $60+/pair.

Maybe I can get her to agree on just buying 1 pair of the BT-77's for the rear speakers for now, and buy the other pair in a few months or something. Thanks again for your help!