Matthew,

The most difficult part of installing the Beolab 3500 on the wall mount, is the Masterlink cable and mains cable must only have a small amount of cable coming out of the wall and so you really need a second person to hold the Beolab while you are plugging the cables in. This is particularly difficult where you have a plastered around the two cables giving no cable movement.

So, in answering your questions:-

1. If the Ramset wall-mate can hold 10 Kg then you should be fine.
2. Clearly, if you can screw into a stud then that would be best as the manual states.
3. Getting your fingers in to plug the cables in can be difficult, so you need a reasonable length of cable, but if you cannot push the cable back into the wall after you have plugged in the cables, it leaves you with a problem. So, the answer to this question really comes down whether you can push excess cable back into the wall or not.
4. Through the wall behind the bracket as shown in the picture below
5. Not really, except the job is best done with a second person holding the unit while the cables are being plugged in

Hi!

I've changed location for my BL3500 and also had problems with the buttons and I've sent it several times to service. So I'm familiar with the mounting.

It's no problem doing it on your own. Just be steady and be prepared that its can tip over easy as it's so long and heavy. Watch out so you don't scratch it on the surrounding objects.

Iv'e just got about 10 cm spare cables. It's workable to attach the cables, but the famous extra Danish finger tip would be handy.

Mine is not mounted in a stud, and it's still on the wall after five years.

It's extra work to have the no cable solution, but it's well worth it. The look of the BL3500 on the wall and no cables is stunning. 

Keith and Daniel,

Thanks so much for your replies. And great photo, Keith - that really helps explain what was in my mind.

I would prefer to attach to a wall stud, but was trying to figure out how to run the cables out centrally, either around each side of the stud, or through some form of cut-out in the stud. Rather than do this, what I might do is get the builder to run a horizontal noggin between two studs just for the BL3500 - the plaster is off the wall, so we can do this.

That way I can get the top two screws into the noggin - possibly the bottom one as well - and still get the cables out as per Keith's pic.

Thanks again for your help guys - much appreciated.

Cheers,

Matthew

Hi Matthew,

I have 2 BL3500's both which were mounted differently. One has been mounted screwed into a stud while the other was mounted using dynabolts. I must say the dynabolt method was easier as I didn't have to try and get the wires around the stud but you have a luxury of having no plaster so that makes it a lot easier.

My advice is before you actually put the bracket up is to put it into the mounting slot on the BL3500 so you can get an understanding of where the wires need to go in relation to the bracket. Makes it a lot easier before you start drilling holes and running wires. Also (this might seem obvious) make sure the power cord will reach your desired power point.

Good luck

Peter

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the tips - much appreciated. When I got the BL3500 home last weekend I did exactly what you suggested.... I had some spare ML cable, so plugged that and the power cable in, fiddled with the plastic cover and held the wall mount bracket in position just to see how it would all come together. It's a tight fit, but with yours and the others advice above, I'm confident I should be able to get it sorted.

If you have time, I wouldn't mind a bit more info on the dynabolts you used. I've used them in bricks before - do you have a plasterboard or brick wall? Do you know of anyone using the wall-mates for mounting something as heavy as a BL3500 into plasterboard? Thanks again,

Cheers,

Matthew

Hey matt,

I took a punt and used dynabolt 10kg in all three fixing points on my bl3500 mounting in hollow plasterboard wall.

Yes I was very verious as the space doesnt have a stud in it but hey so far so good.

Hi Matt,

I used Ramset plasterboard hollow wall anchors (4 in a pack). They are for material 8-16mm and hold up to 10kg each. Got them from Bunnings. I've also used them to mount a pair of BL5000's and they worked like a treat. As long as you are not going to be swinging off your BL3500 they should be fine.

I assume you have normal plasterboard - if your house is old and you have laven plaster then you might need to reconsider these wall anchors.

Whereabouts in Melbourne are you?

Thanks again everyone for all your replies - I really appreciate the advice.

@Peter - I've used those Ramset wall anchors before in other applications, and they're a pretty good product, though not for anything as heavy as a BL3500. As you say, they're rated to 10kg each, so with three that should easily take care of it.

The house itself is in Williamstown, and it's an old Californian bungalow. It did have the original lathe and plaster, but we've gutted the place as it all needed replacing. So it will be plasterboard when it's completed.

I'm now just deciding whether I should go with the wall anchors and attach to the plaster, or build in a noggin and screw directly into that once the plasterboard is up. The wall mates are obviously a simpler solution (and there's more room for cabling too), but screwing into the noggin directly should be a more robust approach.

Without precise dimensions it's difficult to add to this discussion but I suspect the advice to get a minimum of one screw into a vertical stud (and use proprietary fixings for the other two) is given for good reason.

If there is, say 20mm between the top and bottom wall bracket holes, and the centre of gravity of the 10kg speaker is 150mm out from the wall, then the pull-out force on the top pair of screws will be 75kg and there will be a corresponding crushing force on the bottom of the bracket.  Even with good proprietary fixings, plasterboard on its own will be liable to deform to leave the speaker sagging, and if someone tries to pull on a speaker to change its up/down facing angle then there will be a good chance of ripping it from the wall. 

If you still have to do the final plastering then open up the wall and either fix a noggin as you describe, or glue-in a short section of vertical stud.

Graham

EDIT Don't forget that you will weaken the plasterboard by having to put the cable outlet right next to those fixings. Another reason to go for the stud solution!