Lowering ceiling speakers w/non-removable grills

[jay]

I guess a mouse chewed a speaker wire. I have some Radio Shack(?) speakers in a ceiling I installed quite a while ago but don't recall how I did it. I need to drop one to fish a new wire.

The grills won't come off and there are no accessable screws/bolts.

There is some lateral play on them. Before I try prying them to see if they're hinged, I thought I'd ask if this sounds familiar to anyone.

TIA

 

[pete]

can you post a picture ? ? ?

 

[bfisher]

In my last house, I had a set of radio shack in-walls, and the grills came off but it took some work. I used a small allen key, fed it into a grill hole, and slowly pulled it off (working my way around the speaker).

I don't know which ones you have, but I'd be surprised if there isn't some sort of clamping mechanism that will require you to loosen some screws first. Just prying them off will probably ruin the sheet rock.

(I'm not an expert, just a hobbyist... so everything I stated could be wrong! good luck!)

 

[jay]

Thanks guys. Here's a link to the pic. I'd mess the board by embedding it because I took it a full res so you can kinda see thru the grill.
http://www.gladwyne.com/avatars/speaker.jpg

 

[jay]

I should add that I dropped another set of different RS speakers from another room by popping off the grills and unscrewing the mounts w/no prob.

 

[bfisher]

These look very similar (except they are on their side). I think they are the same... if so, those grills should come off but they will take some work.

 

[jay]

bfisher, if you look at my pic, there is no access hole. I think I'll try to gently pry all four orners. Thanks for your thoughts.
My contractor and I applied a LOT of pressure to 3 out four of these speakers' grills with no joy.

 

[mdesmarais]

I have some infinities where the grill pulls out of the frame separately. . . haven't installed them yet, so I'm not really sure how you are supposed to get them apart once installed. In the package they have a little tab of paper stuck between the grill and the frame to give a grip.

 

[bfisher]

Correct, there was no access hole on the speakers... I needed to find a small allen wrench that would fit in the grill holes, slide it in, twist (so it was perpendicular, 1/2 against the grill, and half sticking out for me to grab (I think with visegrips if I remember right)) and pull on that. I had to work my way around the grill, lifting it a little at a time.

 

[jay]

OK - thanks. I'll try to pull it w/an allen. I was trying to pry around the outside edges.

 

[Event5]

Start in a corner where you can catch a hole and pry being carefull not to scrach the screen or the plastic bezel. Use a small screwdriver or an awl
Good luck
Dave

 

[IVB]

Actually, those are dead-bang identical to my Niles speakers. From Niles manual, "use a paper clip bent at a right angle, insert into grill, pull out."