I have JBL venue monitors weighing 7 lbs. Could I use mounts that say the max capacity is 8lbs ? Does any one have an experience with a similar setup ??

The weight rating is very close; if you know and trust the company who is making the wall mount I would think it is going to hold fine.

Here is a link to a different wall mount rated at 15lbs.

http://www.sanus.com/world/en/products/ProductDetails/line/visionmount/pcat/homeTheaterSpeakerMounts/modelCode/WMS2/layout/layout/

Has anyone ever tried these out. They are available in partsexpress and amazon..

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=240-710&scqty=1

Most reputable hardware is designed to support 3x the rated weight before failure. Now, that doesn't mean that it will hold a 24lb speaker where you want it, but it will mean it probably won't come crashing down on your eggshell.

Before deciding to fabricate simple mounts myself for some ADS L200s and L400s I looked at the limited selection of mounts available locally. Several models claimed claimed weight capacity => the actual weight of my speakers. However, some of the swivel systems would not support the weight. That is, they could not be tightened sufficiently to hold the speakers in position. Either rapidly or slowly they allowed the speakers to sag to the full down position.

I have no idea of what the design loads and saftey margins for these things are I suspect in the race to deploy the lowest cost Chinese products that we should suspect that there are no standards and maybe no actual tests. I can just imagine some guy saying that the new plastic clamps are 15% cheaper, but look as if they will hold 5 kg. And then some marketing guy saying let's call it 10 and double the market, after all these things are always over spec'd.

That leads me to wonder if a 7lb rated mount holding a 5 lb speaker would fail when minor ground shaking converts the speaker to a live load.

My suggestion would be to buy a system that is rated at at least twice the weight of you speakers. And to think about steel as opposed to plastic. That should ensure both good operation and saftey.

Just as important - is how the mount will be mounted / affixed to the wall. Screwing into the stud would be the best case scenario or a piece of wood that spans two studs.

Most reputable hardware is designed to support 3x the rated weight before failure.

Most of the better TV mount Manufactures will pay to obtain a "UL" listing. It will help customers recognize the mount will hold 4x its weight rating for a specified period of time.

I have looked for this on speaker wall mounts and could never find anything.

The Panavise stuff is very well made, so don't be afraid of that company's mounts offered on that PartsExpress link. However, what you should first do is see what the speaker backing is made of, and whether screwing into it will work or will it hold.

Most of the better TV mount Manufactures will pay to obtain a "UL" listing. It will help customers recognize the mount will hold 4x its weight rating for a specified period of time.

I have looked for this on speaker wall mounts and could never find anything.

I was just reassuring the man that his concerns were not huge. I think OmniMount had some literature for dealers that discusses this, but it's been awhile.