Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners how to protect the speakers from pet or toddler?

I had to track it down after reading

"I've been reading posts for a while, but decided I better register so I can start posting because I had a JVC 56wp74 delivered last week.

Our 2 year old boy liked to go up and whack the screen of our old Sanyo tube tv, so I thought I'd better make a wall to keep him away from the screen on the JVC. Not a real good pic, but "the wall" keeps him far enough away from the screen so he can't get at the screen.

We just moved into our new house, and I've been VERY busy and haven't had alot of time to play with the new TV yet, but so far it's GREAT!"

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=8a846e302f178538cf5d0481cdd32b1f&postid=2759184&fullpage=1

i think i saw that on david letterman's top 10 ways to keep your kid away from expensive home theatre items.

LOL!

Let me give you a serious shot at an answer (having enjoyed all of these suggestions, especially the molten lava ... the wall won't work of course, since it will block the M60 woofers).

One big question is -- is this 2-yr-old the last spawn who will be attacking your speakers, or do you expect 1 or more down the pike? If the latter, send back your M60s and get M22s and wall-mount them. I write from my own experience, having once knocked over (and once seen my 1.5 yr-old nearly blow via volume knob) an old Energy tower speaker. Peace of mind is worth it to place your nice speakers on the wall, and hey, with M22s, you'll have something worth keeping 10-20 years, even if you end up getting M60s in 1-2 years on top of the 22s. (And you'll always be able to sell the M22s to recoup some of the costs.)

Now, if this 2-yr-old is the last, I think you should keep the M60s (which I own, along with a 1 yr old and 4 yr old)engage in some old-fashioned PARENTING. Teach the little sucker to leave the speakers alone. 2 is mighty close to being able to master such a lesson -- 2.5 for sure. So buy a copy of "Dare to Discipline," and get with it. Your kids will thank you for it. Children like boundaries -- within boundaries, they can be free. "Leave the speaker alone" is a defensible boundary. If you fear for the speaker, try a short-term protection, but you should be able to get it to a free zone within a couple of weeks of solid home training.

My (wholly unsolicited) .02.

Birdman

Seems pretty obvious to me...






Get rid of the kids.

And sell the wife.

I have to agree with Austinbman on this one.
With some parental due diligence until the child is old enough to be taught respect (age 2-3 and up), the speaker set should be fine.
I have a good friend of mine who has two young daughters and he collects vintage audio equipment like crazy. He has a beloved pair of Boston Acoustic speakers that he would not even consider loaning to anyone and yet his daughters are both allowed to turn on the stereo when he is there and they both know not to touch anything otherwise.
His BA speakers (or his equipment) have not seen any damage through 2 kids now.
I plan on using his same method with our upcoming child as it appears to be quite effective, and incidentally, similar to what ABman has suggested.

The fence idea is certainly a novel idea though and could be useful for a short period of time. That being said, the fence would have to be sonically compatible with the speakers.
Otherwise, one would have to start up a company to specifically make 'child proof' speakers, if any such thing is truly possible.

What about those eletric dog fences they have. Set up a perimeter around the equipment, and the little ones could wear the collars like belts.

???

In reply to:

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That being said, the fence would have to be sonically compatible with the speakers.

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How long DOES it take for fencing to exhibit the laid back treble and expanded soundstage of a properly burned-in barrier?

Bren R.

This thread has been great- burn-in for a fence!!!
As the Dad of two teenagers, one of whom put a penny into
the cd slot of my cd player when she was three, my advise is that "this too shall pass." Love them while they are young, kids are the best. Now as teenagers, they dont destroy the speakers, they just hog the stereo. I have learnt alot about "punk", but they have been forced to learn about Miles, Coltrane and Shostakovich.

Chuck

I hear you can "break-in" a fence simply by leaning on it.
Of course, too much leaning and it just breaks because that is what happens to things that, "break-in", they "break down".
Whew.
I need a break from all this speak of breaking things.
I'll be break later...uh, back later.
Darn brain.