Set up heavy speakers alone?

Yeah do it yourself man. You'd get a much better sense of accomplishment and when you press play the reward will be all the more worth it. Carpe diem.

I think you've answered this one - wait for your friend  or your dealer - strange that he's not doing this for you. You certainly don't want those cabinets scratched or a spike through the wrong place including your hand.

I was going to install my Sopras but the wonderful James from Tom Tom and Jason from Naim did it for me - plus my wife said no - especially as I fell from our loft a few years back and ended up with an L1 compression fracture!

Oldneil.  I believe these are a rather costly pair of speakers.  I would expect whichever dealer you have bought  them from to, at the very least, come and help set them up for you!!  If it's just a question of waiting a few days for the dealer, then do so rather than risk injury.

Otherwise, if I were the manufacturer, I'd want to know the situation and would try my hardest to find a solution for you.

Hi, I live in a remote place, my dealer is 800km away! 

I put a spike on an Opera Seconda through the leg of a brand new pair of jeans, lucky it missed my leg. I could carry the speaker on my own but only just. It take two to have any control when they get that heavy even with a sound back.

Like any other speaker, you should expect to have to experiment with positioning. Even if you manage to get them working by yourself (already a big if with a bad back) you would run out of steam from moving these things around I'd imagine.

I'd give it a few days until you can have help.

They're 50kg per speaker. Got to be a two man job to be sure of no mishaps to yourself or speakers i reckon but i must admit i'd be itching to get them set up aswell.

I had a pair of Titan 808s on dem for a couple of weeks with a very good part-ex offer on my B&W802s.  The reason I didn't go with the Titans was the weight.  A single speaker (like the 802) you can 'walk' around the room, so you have a degree of control. With the two-part 808, one of which simply sits on the other, 'walking' is not an option, you have to be able to lift the top speaker off of the bottom one.   Like you, OldNiel, I am no longer the athlete-cum-weightlifter I once was, and whereas my dealer had set them up for the demo, I didn't feel I was in control... I wasn't able to move them at all... so they went back.

So I guess my advice to you is this... by all means have a go at installing the 707's yourself, but first, before you open the boxes they arrive in, check your health insurance is up to date and put your phone in your pocket where you can reach it to dial for an ambulance whilst lying on the floor (just in case the inevitable happens).

Hope this helps (although I suspect, since my experienc was 808s and yours are 707s, it may not   )

Roger 

I would go for it and set them up, as I did. They can be shuffled around once upright.

I guess it depends how bad your back is.

oldneil posted:

Hi, I live in a remote place, my dealer is 800km away! 

How were you able to listen to them with a dealer so far away?

I have to be careful not to abuse my historically dodgy back too; so like Roger, was unable to move my Titan 88's. I could lift off the top enclosure but I couldn't get the bottom enclosure up off the floor!

Though Andy of 'Signals' installed my 707's, if they were boxed indoors in the required room, I probably could have managed them on my own. The trick of course it to open the box flaps, turn it over and lift the box off the speaker. Remove protective packaging from either end, fit the spikes, grab the top end and get 'em vertical.

I decided to experiment with positioning after a week of so, and was able to 'walk them' on the spikes fairly easily.

Good luck Neil.

John.

J.N.; you should have called in the RA-qualified SPO (speaker placement optimisation) team.

I think I may shuffle them to its place and mount the spikes later. So I can play some music at least.

50 kg and you have problem with your back? You should wait!

Of course, having that equipment and not beeing able to use it, will be painfull!

One of the decisions that I made 5 years ago,  was that I would only buy equipment that I can carry myself, no more Class A amplifiers of 50kg or speakers that I cannot move, I was able to sell almost all my heavy stuff ( only an Proceed amp 5 remains ).

That was the way I´ve discovery Naim.

BR

RM

One Christmas in Dublin I borrowed a brand new pair of Isobariks from work. At the time I lived 3 floors up in a Georgian house in Monkstown.

The staircase rose between landings around an increasingly vertiginous drop. The Isobariks were double-boxed and not un-heavy.

There was an interesting moment as, during an exhausted 2nd ascent, box and speaker pinned me against the poorly maintained handrail of the top floor bannister.

They didn't work in my room - which made it all worthwhile.

2 man job - simple.

I would wait. Had L5 S1 laminectomy. Nothing and I mean nothing is worth your back. Wait for help. 

I also wouldn't do it alone and my back is mostly ok.

If you can't wait for your friend to come back from holiday, hire one or two people for a couple of hours to do the heavy work for you. I doubt it would cost much.

best

David

i think the ovator instructions advised 2 people do those and the are bigger!

J.N. posted:

The trick of course it to open the box flaps, turn it over and lift the box off the speaker. Remove protective packaging from either end, fit the spikes, grab the top end and get 'em vertical.

I decided to experiment with positioning after a week of so, and was able to 'walk them' on the spikes fairly easily.

Good luck Neil.

John.

I couldn't put it any better then the above well described procedure.

But as they say....'if in doubt, do nought'.

The sheer though of walking thousands of pounds of speakers on their spikes - not good! Only a few more days of patience and you'll be there - unless you're insured for accidental damage of course

I will move them without spikes, mounting spikes when my friend is back. I think this is possible. Music room in first floor and no stairs...

At least I will give it a try, if I understand this is a dangerous sport I will stop and keep listening to my Tivoli DAB another week. 

I have been living without speakers for three weeks now! 

I will give 707 a chance in my room. I have not bought them yet. I can return them if I don't like them. Next on my list is Focal Sopra 2.

oldneil posted:

I will give 707 a chance in my room. I have not bought them yet. I can return them if I don't like them. Next on my list is Focal Sopra 2.

 

...which weigh 5kgs more than the 707.

MDS, I know, but then I am sure to get help.