I'm a complete home install-noob. I know how to paint, but I've never handled a drill, run cable or done any busting of holes or ANYTHING like that.

I'd like to learn.

My first project: Wall mount my QS-8s.

How do i do this?

I live in a Condo, and there's a ceiling "entrance" in my roomie's bedroom's closet, which I know pros use to run wire behind walls.

What equipment do I need, and where do I start?

This webpage shows you one way to do it without having to use the attic. It doesn't hide the wire completely, but at least you won't see it running up your walls to the speakers.

You basically cut two holes in the wall: one rectangular hole at the point where you want to mount the speaker, and another small round one (for the speaker wire) directly below it near the baseboard.

Completely hiding the speaker wire in the wall is a bit more involved.

First off - Peter... ICK! Is that link showing a guy running 22ga. wire via .250 spade connectors?!? SHAME!

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Saint:

Ahh, I just finished (well, thought I did - adding some cable runs this month I think) my rewiring of the new house (8 telephone, 5 cable, 3 ethernet, 2 in-ceiling speaker). Getting runs where you need them is just planning and patience.

If you're going to drop from the attic into an interior (uninsulated) wall, it's a simple matter of finding where the top plate of the wall is - either measuring from a known reference or zapping a tiny hole up through the ceiling beside where you want and measuring in from there - I use a piece of wire coathanger cut to a spade point on a 3/8" drill for this "depthfinder" job), drilling down through the top plate (1.5 - 3" usually) into a stud cavity, cutting a hole at the level you want to mount the speaker jack, mounting a low voltage mounting bracket through the drywall and dropping a weighted fishline down, grabbing it and pulling it through... attach your wire at the top and use it to pull through.

If the wall is insulated, you'll have to use a fishtape or rod... I've got some stiff aluminum stuff I use that I snagged from my father at some point... try to run it down the inside of the insulation down to the speaker jack cutout and use IT to pull the wire through.

If you've got that new spray on expanding insulation that they keep showing on This Old House... hope the contractor installed conduit or you're just ******.

Bren R.

Any real upside to buying the more expensive axiom speaker mounts?

saint,
i asked brent at axiom this same question. the full metal bracket is simply for mounting the QS speakers on the ceiling. if you are going to wall mount, the bracket that comes with the speaker should be fine.

So how do I mount them properly?

Do I screw in one bracket and then measure and screw in the next one? How do I mark the spots in the walls?

The bracket for the QS8s is shaped like a "T". Once you screw it to the wall, there are two small tabs on it that the QS will slide on to. The speakers have 2 slots on the back that line up with the tabs. Once the bracket is on the wall, the speakers can be removed / reinstalled VERY easily.