Fellow Axiomites!

I ordered 2 pairs of Algonquin speakers, along with the full metal brackets, and received them today. I installed 1 pair today using the full metal brackets and had a couple of concerns that I was hoping you guys could address.

I've installed 1 pair of the speakers horizontally (both tweeter and woofer at same level), angled down so that they are aimed towards the listening area (patio) and not out towards the rear yard. I installed the speakers with the tweeters on the outside, the woofers on the inside about 14 feet apart from each other and approx. 10-12 feet above my patio. I am concerned about water (rain, snow) entering the ports on the rear of the speaker. Since they are angled downwards the port is facing upwards and seems ideally positioned to capture rain and snow. 2 of the speakers (the ones not installed) are installed only a few inches below the eave so they are most likely protected. The other 2 speakers (the ones currently installed) are more exposed as they are not directly covered by an eave (the eave under which they are installed is at least 10 feet above the speakers). Should I be concerned?

I am aware that the port is angled upwards inside the enclosure but considering the downwards angle of my installation I'm still concerned. Additionally, the speakers are mirrored (to accommodate the current tweeter/woofer arrangement) so one of the speakers is positioned so that the port will actually be angled downwards inside the enclosure.

I was also intrigued that the bracket connects to the back of the speaker by a single bolt? I tightened it as much as I could but it seemed that it wasn't able to completely tighten - I was able to continue turning the bolt, albeit with tension. It seems securely fastened but, again, should I be concerned?

The speakers seem to be fairly secure but I'm concerned about wind, rain, snow - particularly a strong wind?

Finally, one of the installed speakers had something rattling inside - it sounded like a piece of plastic. I think it might be a part of the enclosure that may have separated from the case when I was tightening the bolt to fasten the bracket to the speaker. I did not remove the woofer to extract the piece of plastic as I figured once the speaker was installed it shouldn't present a problem. However, is it possible it might resonate in the cabinet when I play music over the speaker? I haven't listened to them yet.

They do look awesome and I look forward to listening to them this weekend. Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer these questions/concerns.

Sincerely,

Bryan

Bryan,

We've been told by Axiom that you can drown the Algonquins in a swimming pool and all you have to do is remove a driver and let the water drain out. So it appears that water isn't a concern for longevity. Now having said that, they probably would sound terrible if they are filled with water. I am sure you don't want to go up there and be emptying them all the time. In retrospect, it would have been a heck of an idea to have some strategically placed drain holes in the enclosure and perhaps a port that could be rotated to orient the internal tube.

I can't answer your question about the bolts or stability as I have never seen them up close. I personally wouldn't want a loose piece of plastic in my speaker though.

Looking forward to meeting you at the get-together.

Bryan I've had a couple of non Axiom cheapo speakers mounted outside using the FMBs for over a year and haven't had any issues with either the brackets or the speakers being loose.

My biggest concern would be keeping it from filling up with earwigs. They reach plague like proportions here some summers when the conditions are right. They get into EVERYTHING dark or recessed.

I suspect I could solve my fears by covering the port with speaker cloth. Maybe really bright LED lighting would discourage them to and add that pimped out, bling feeling at the same time.

The ports are already covered on the inside end with some screening. While I suspect a hornet could build a nest in the port itself, I don't think it would be very inviting for earwigs as the surface of the port doesn't have much grip.

I would not worry to much about pests since the port has a screen.

On regards to the vibration, it could be three things that happen to my Algonquins. First, remove the woofer and find the loose washer that would of held the bolt from the inside. This will cause some vibration noise inside.

Second, check the port screen. I found that in one of my speakers the port screen was loose and created a ratteling noise. Tried to glue gun it, but did not work.

Finally, also check the wires inside to make sure they are not vibrating and causing some noise. I used the cotton mesh inside as a buffer for the wires. Hope this helps.

j