I have a pair of Tannoy Saturn S8 speakers (I think they are about 4ft tall). I have been blessed with a super active 15-month old boy and life changed How do I anchor it to the floor or the wall (read: kid proof) without destroying the speaker or affecting the audio quality.
I recently sold a pair of stand-mounts that I had to make "kid proof" and I think a similar solution may work and possibly improve the sound as well. The downside is that it means drilling holes in the bottom of the cabinet which may not be appealing to you. My solution was to install threaded inserts into the bottom of the cabinet and bolt the speaker to a sand filled speaker stand. The whole assembly weighs more than most small children. You could do the same but bolt it to a piece of granite or perhaps something that increases the footprint to make is less "tippy".
I should point out that the danger to installing threaded inserts is over-tightening them. Get them snug and stop. A small drop of adhesive in the hole first may help as well.
A properly spiked speaker should be almost impossible to tip over. That is really the test for proper set up with spikes; does it budge even a bit when you push on it in any direction or from any location? If it does, then you have more adjustment to do. Properly set up spikes should make the speaker feel as if it is bolted to the floor. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to topple over when the force is applied down low.
However, what is impossible for an adult to accomplish (tipping over a spiked speaker cabinet) should literally be child's play. In that case ...
You don't mention whether your speakers are on carpeting or a hard surface or whether your speakers have provisions for spikes. I'm going to assume carpet and spikes are possible. I would take a thin piece of oak plywood or similar material and attach it to the bottom of the speaker by way of the threaded holes for the spikes. Depending on how you configure this the spikes can still be utilized. Possibly all it takes are some additional nuts to sandwich the board on the threads of the spikes. Cut the ply large enough that your child must stand on the board to get close enough to the speaker to push on it. This way your child will be trying to lift his own weight rather than pushing on the speaker.
Otherwise you could attach a set of home made outriggers. Spread the balance points across a large enough area and the speaker will be impossible to push over until he can reach the top of the speaker. Outriggers made long enough will even make that all but impossible.
Hears my idea, though I think Jan' might think it's a bit extreme.
First of, drill into the floor with a few carefully positioned holes, they must be 1to1 in the room, this is where you will place the loudspeakers, anchored to the floor, with no tendency to move no matter what.
Secondly, remove the loudspeakers from the enclosure, and from the outside, drill a few holes into the bottom of the enclosure, once done, find a fitting that will fit the holes.
It needs to be a threaded and have a nut and blot on it, fit these into the flooring, with (liquid nails) let it set, for 24 hours, and then place the loudspeakers, over the holes, and then take the nut, place it over the thread, and start to tighten it up, for noth loudspeakers.
I think you will find it then, the loudspeakers will be totally screwed safely and securely to the floor, and the only way there'll ever topple over is if car came crashing though your front window and hit the loudspeaker.
First, thanks for the replies and suggestions. I have newly refinished hardwood floors. So I am not sure if I like drilling into the new floors This also means I can't use the spikes. I guess my concern is that I will leave some holes if I decide to move these speakers to a different location at a later date.
I like Jan's idea. So it sounds like I should be able to use the threaded holes that currently exist (holes where the spikes go) and use those holes to attach them to a ply?
I can't imagine why not. The threads are probably metric and depending on where you live you might have to search out the correct size bolt. Take one of your spikes to the store to make size comparisons. Pick a pan head bolt and you will have a rounded surface touching the floor. If you have a really good hardware store, you might ask them for some help and find a rubber cover or foot to go over the head of the bolt. You can make the ply base as fancy as you and your talents provide and countersink the bolts if that seems a better idea.
i've thought about dog-proofing my standmounts, and the idea i had(but have not yet done) is to screw an eyebolt into the top of the speaker and attach it to an eyebolt in the ceiling with some heavy-duty fishing line.
if you dont like the idea of scarring the speaker you could superglue something on to the top of the speaker rather than screwing it in. glue could be sanded off if you were ever to sell the speakers.
Seriously, there's nothing out there that I know of that can make speakers kid-proof. The best solution is building awareness into said live wire. Kids 'get' that dad's system is important to him.
If you take drastic action, such as bolting it to the floor, ensure you can still undo what you've done because sure as eggs is eggs, the young one will find a way to damage your pride and joy at some stage. If a drive unit is damaged or the crossover is damaged (by the kid applying volume to find out what it does ), the speaker needs to be taken to the dealer for a refit.
Sorry for the bad news; I hope you get somewhere with your quest.
Jan,s idea, but use countersunk holes and countersink screws for an underflush finish. You could use leftover or rebought flooring material, similarly finished to complete the look. Then put thin rubber pads under the extended planking for a non-slip treatment.
How do I anchor it to the floor or the wall (read: kid proof) without destroying the speaker or affecting the audio quality.