MBL 101 E MK II install advice

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pdemasco

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I will be soon taking ownership of MBL 101 E MK II loudspeakers. They are going into our second floor condo and I'm pretty sure given the size of the crates They will need to be unboxed on the ground level and carried up (actually) 2 flights of stairs. I watched a YouTube video where they used suction cup grippers (which I've previously seen used for carrying plate glass). During the video one of the grippers fell off which was horrifying.

Any advice on safely carrying the 101s is appreciated. Right now I'm thinking of building a rigid wood "stretcher" and bolting the speakers down to it.


Any other advice for a new owner is welcome!

Regards,
Patrick
 
You can use stair climbing hand trucks to carry heavy stuff up the stairs including speakers. There are many videos on YouTube showcasing different brands and models.
You would basically take the speaker out of the box, securely strap it to the hand truck (very important), and then take them up the stairs. You might be able to rent the hand truck so check with your local U-Haul store.
 
I’m an expert in asking: who’s your dealer on this?


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nicoff said:
You can use stair climbing hand trucks to carry heavy stuff up the stairs including speakers. There are many videos on YouTube showcasing different brands and models.
You would basically take the speaker out of the box, securely strap it to the hand truck (very important), and then take them up the stairs. You might be able to rent the hand truck so check with your local U-Haul store.
Click to expand...

I assume you mean strap the subwoofer cabinet?

Thanks,
Patrick
 
pdemasco said:
I assume you mean strap the subwoofer cabinet?

Thanks,
Patrick
Click to expand...

Yes correct. Strap the subwoofer cabinet to the hand truck. The straps need to be tight. To protect the finish of the speaker, you can use a blanket or similar around the subwoofer cabinet.
This can be done by one person, but for extra safety, you may want to have one person in front and one behind while going up the stairs.
Some of the better hand trucks come with wheels that automatically prevent it from going backwards an extra safety measure.
Note: ratchet straps are ideal for this.
 
nicoff said:
Yes correct. Strap the subwoofer cabinet to the hand truck. The straps need to be tight. To protect the finish of the speaker, you can use a blanket or similar around the subwoofer cabinet.
This can be done by one person, but for extra safety, you may want to have one person in front and one behind while going up the stairs.
Some of the better hand trucks come with wheels that automatically prevent it from going backwards an extra safety measure.
Note: ratchet straps are ideal for this.
Click to expand...

I did the same procedure to get mine up to the 3rd floor room.
(Also had the help of our elevator).


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Make sure you don’t tilt the speakers beyond a few degrees. The omni’s could damage. Try to keep the speaker as upright as possible. Be very careful of the midrange and tweeter. No touch.


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You have a very expensive set of speakers. Is there a reason you don't pay extra for travel from the dealer? Something damaged, will pay for the travel expense. This is to say nothing for the proper setup and adjustment.

Just my suggestion. Good luck.
 
brad225 said:
You have a very expensive set of speakers. Is there a reason you don't pay extra for travel from the dealer? Something damaged, will pay for the travel expense. This is to say nothing for the proper setup and adjustment.

Just my suggestion. Good luck.
Click to expand...

In normal times I would consider that, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone to fly at this point. I hope some day to bring the dealer out to fine tune the system. Just not now.

Regards,
Patrick
 
The suggestion of having someone professional do this is the best idea. There is way to much (expensive)to go wrong.
Second why not take the crates up, unpack up there bring the crates back down it would be safer.
 
Big B said:
There is way to much (expensive)to go wrong.
Second why not take the crates up, unpack up there, (and) bring the crates back down: it would be safer.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.
If the crates fit up the stairs, that is. Unless the crates can be hauled through a 2nd floor window / balcony, etc?

Congrats by the way, those are excellent speakers!
 
nicoff said:
Totally agree. No way!!
Click to expand...


Just to circle back on this. After a lot of thought and talking with a piano mover I decide to build a custom carrying rig. It consists of a platform that the speaker can be bolted to and a partial cover that is easily attached with 3 pipes that also serve as handles. They were moved efficiently and safely up my 2 flights of narrow stairs 2 days ago. I set them up in a sensible (but probably not ideal) location and will start tweaking as soon as I can unplant my butt from my listening chair!!! :D
 

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