Transporting a pair of speakers by car

Measure before you come

Take a tape measure. Measure the width, depth and height of the boot, but also the tailgate opening: that is what counts, not only the usable space inside. Compare with the dimensions of one speaker, then add room for the two stands, the covers and the cables.

The calculation is for two speakers, not one. If the height or width does not fit, fold down the rear seat and check that the speakers fit that way. If it still does not add up, change vehicle before the appointment, not at the door at pickup. Why sound equipment is never sent by parcel: see delivery or pickup in Lyon.

What you load at pickup

• two powered speakers, each with its protective cover;
• two speaker stands;
• two mains power cables;
• the connection cables ticked at booking: one pair of XLR cables, one pair of RCA to RCA cables.

Also leave room for what comes from your side: the music source, its cables, an extension lead, adhesive tape. The pair comes with no subwoofer and no phone cable; if you take the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 console and its optional Shure SM58 microphone (€5 per microphone per rental, two at most, XLR cable supplied and microphone stand free of charge), leave room for them too. What you bring must therefore fit in the same vehicle, on top of the 39 kg of speakers.

Covers, wedging and nothing heavy on top

The rental includes two protective covers. Put each speaker in its own before loading it: they limit rubbing and small knocks. Do not leave them at the bottom of the boot during the trip, they are part of what must be returned.

Upright or lying down? Upright on its base, the speaker is stable if wedged on both sides. Lying down, place it on its side rather than face down on the boot floor, and keep the grille clear. In both cases, nothing heavy on top: not the stands, not a crate, not a sports bag. The stands go beside the speakers, never leaning on a grille.

Wedge with blankets, coats, soft bags. Nothing should slide when braking. In a passenger compartment, an unrestrained 19.5 kg speaker becomes dangerous in a sudden stop: wedge it on the floor behind the front seats or secure it with a seat belt or a strap.

Carry with two people, by the handles

Each speaker has three handles: one on top and one on each side. Use them, never the grille. At 19.5 kg, one person can lift it, but not for long nor on stairs. Carry it with two people, one on each side, and move one speaker at a time rather than both.

Before arriving at the venue, scout the route: steps, lift, door widths, distance between the car park and the room. If the route is long, a trolley avoids carrying the pair’s 39 kg the whole way. On stairs, one person guides, the other moves forward without rushing, and you set the speaker down at each landing if your grip tires. Park as close as possible to the unloading point, even for a few minutes.

Heat, cold and stops on the way

Do not leave the pair in a car in full sun or during a cold night. The passenger compartment heats up very fast, and electronic equipment copes badly with temperature extremes. After a night outside or a journey in severe cold, let each speaker return to room temperature before switching it on: condensation and electronics do not mix.

One last simple point: do not leave speakers visible in a parked car. If you have to stop, cover them or move them into the boot, and keep the route as direct as possible. To prepare the whole evening, see also organising an event with sound in Lyon.

On the way back: everything returns as it left

The pair is checked together at pickup, then again at return, in person in Lyon 3. So prepare the reverse loading: two speakers in their covers, two stands, two power cables and the connection cables you ticked at booking. Empty the boot in advance so you do not hunt for a cable under bags.

At the end of the evening, switch the speakers off, unplug them and let them cool for a while before packing them away: they get warm when running. Coil the cables loosely, put each speaker back in its cover, then head back without detours. The return appointment is made like the pickup one, in advance.

See speaker rental in Lyon