How do I protect my speakers from my kids!!??
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New member Username: SignatPost Number: 6 Registered: Jun-07 | Our twins are about to turn 1, and my other twins (my DM6s) are about to turn 32! I'm petrified that my days of audio bliss may soon be over, relegating me to an iPod and some cans. If they're anything like me, they'll be wanting to poke and prod my heavy speakers in no time. I obviously can't wall mount them (40kg ea) let alone place them high and out of reach. Anyone got any tips, or should I store them in the garage for a decade and see what happens? We're renting a small apartment and the speakers are currently in the bedroom which is bad enough. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11454 Registered: Dec-04 | Signat, bite the bullet and make some grills out of wire mesh. Add bolt on outriggers if you can live with the trip hazard. And enjoy your little ones even if it costs the speakers and more. Its a good trade. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8693 Registered: Feb-05 | B.S. you don't have to trade. I loved my kids and made a room off limits to them. When they were old enough to understand I put the gear out into the main room with a strict taboo on messin' with it...I also minimized temptation by always leaving the grills on. They never once messed with the gear. |
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Bronze Member Username: PeterheadPost Number: 31 Registered: Apr-08 | Suggest you purchase a good book on parenting techniques. |
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Bronze Member Username: Barry_njGSP Exit 165, New Jersey Post Number: 12 Registered: Jan-09 | Until they were old enough to understand, I put this Safty Gate across the end of the room my system was in. It wasn't the prettiest, but it was removed easily enough if we wanted it gone, and it kept the kids away from my toys |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 1730 Registered: May-06 | Signat, How do you plan to keep your kids from sticking knifes or fingers into electrical outlets, touching fire or hot ovens, burners, pots, not touching medicine bottles, or approaching stray dogs? About the time you have them potty trained none of these should be concerns. Enjoy the parenting ride, it goes by quickly. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11455 Registered: Dec-04 | Ride it out Signat, you will teach them well. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8698 Registered: Feb-05 | Well said Mike and good idea Barry..I was considering that for the grandkids. |
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Bronze Member Username: Barry_njGSP Exit 165, New Jersey Post Number: 13 Registered: Jan-09 | Not my place but, this is how we used it. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8699 Registered: Feb-05 | I was thinking more like putting the fence around the gear...looks like a kiddie roundup...yikes! |
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Bronze Member Username: Barry_njGSP Exit 165, New Jersey Post Number: 14 Registered: Jan-09 | LOL... I think you must have looked at more than just the picture I linked to  We just zig-zaged the fence across the end of the room where the gear was. Never corralled the kids in the pen  |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 8700 Registered: Feb-05 | Whew!!!...lol! |
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New member Username: SignatPost Number: 7 Registered: Jun-07 | Ha, already got one of those playpens and it's good stuff. John Boy, that's a bit harsh mate (or are you being funny?). The best parent in the world isn't going to stop a kid from exploring and investigating. Mike, electricity outlets I use the plastic purpose-built covers. We don't have a fireplace. I have a child-proof locking system on the oven door and all my cabinets. I keep my medicines high and out of reach, also locked. That's why I'm asking if anyone has any ideas about the speakers, consistent with how I've tried be prepared in other facets. When I was about two I put a corn fork in the power outlet and got shot across the other side of the room. I know it's in their genes However I'm liking the idea of the grills. Currently they use a hard wire grill for all but the circular cone areas (where it's just speaker cloth). So if I just extend a grill behind the cloth to protect the entire driver, then somehow lock the grill to the speaker, then I could be in business! |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 224 Registered: Apr-08 | Signat, I dont see any problems with wall mounting the kids.... And Michael, the kids will be easily taught about fire and hot stoves etc.... it is called a BURN. They will only do it once.... Now how do you keep them from knocking over your speakers or jamming a thumb through a woofer, ONCE. I think wall mounting the kids is the way. Just get a sturdy hook. |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 225 Registered: Apr-08 | And Signat... you are right in more ways than you know. Your days of ANY kind of bliss are over. Just think.... when they are finally done being annoying little kids, they will be getting girls pregnant, getting DUIs, getting you dropped from your Insurance company, spending $100,000 on college only for them to drop out after 3 years. etc.... Get a nice pair of headphones my friend. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3552 Registered: Sep-04 | It's easy... Make the sign of the cross and pray! |
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Bronze Member Username: I_am_kirkPost Number: 66 Registered: May-08 | For a period of one week, place the speakers in the kids' room at night. Wait until they are asleep, then make some horrible monster noise. Then turn on a light and they will see the speakers. Kids fear the speakers forever, and problem solved. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11567 Registered: Dec-04 | In some twisted cruel kind of way, that makes sense Kirk. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11568 Registered: Dec-04 | Might not get you father of the year awards... |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11569 Registered: Dec-04 | Or the unending appreciation of the mother of the children... both are overrated. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2094 Registered: Feb-07 | That's awesome Kirk! LOL. Why didn't I think of that? I learned the hard way that kids cannot resist the temptation of a Totem silk tweeter. After my daughter pushed in the tweet I moved my Sttafs to a room that's off limits to her. Other than that, Mike is right - it's just a matter of teaching and reinforcement. My daughter is now 21 months and is finally starting to understand that daddy is serious when he says "NO" when she approaches the audio rack. |
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Silver Member Username: NmytreePost Number: 225 Registered: Aug-04 | If I may make a suggestion. Decorative Screens. Five or six panel decorative screens. You can unscrew and then reverse the swing hinge plates and then basically just place them around the loudspeakers, when the kids are in the room. When they are not in the room (or you want to use those safety gates to deny them access to the area where the speakers are), you just easily pull them from around the speakers and listen to music. When they're that young, you're not going to have much success in keeping them away from the speakers. But when they hit three or four years old, they listen and remember. At least that's the way it went with my eldest (who's five, now). My two and a half year old is very good at not going near or touching the speakers, now. Make sure you block off any access to speaker wire, power cords and the backs of the speakers and components. Get down on the floor, look them in the eyes and talk to them in a calm, but serious manner. Explain to them that they need to stay away from the speakers and eletrical/audio chords/wires. Tell them it's very important and that you don't wnat them to get hurt and get any boo-boos. "No touch speakers" (point to speakers and shake finger in a no-no manner). Then repeat often. By the time they get to two or three years old, my kids wouldn't go near them. But they enjoy listening and boogying to music. Last night, I put on some Mozart when it was time to get them ready for bed. While we were getting our youngest (2 and a 1/2 year old) ready for bed), my eldest (the five year old); layed down on the couch ...was listening to Mozart with this so relaxed and content grin on his face and drifting off to sleep. It was quite a sight. |
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Silver Member Username: NmytreePost Number: 227 Registered: Aug-04 | And just as I was here yapping about how great my kids are in not messing or even going near my speakers and gear; my two year old did a horrible thing  I left the family room wher ethey were watching a Thomas The Train DVD, for not even a full minute. They were both on the couch watching intently. I cam back into the family room and was picking up some jackets and a pair of sox, when I notice something. My two year old was standing only a foot or two from the speaker with this ...." oh oh, I'm in deep sh*t now " .....look on his face. I looked at him....looked at my speaker.... The tweeter dome on my right side Jamo C807 was almost completely pushed in. Oh man, I was ticked off. I asked if he did that and he just kept looking at me with this scared look. Eventually he admitted he did it and said he was sorry. He got a good talking to and spent 30 minutes in his room, by himself, as punishement. No toys, no TV....no nothing. I got out my vacume cleaner, attached the long, hard plastic hose to it and proceeded to attempt to fix it. I turned on the vacumke cleaner. I gently placed the end of the vacume cleaner close to the tweeter. Never actually touching the dome of the tweeter. I moved it gently as if going over the area of the dome. It worked. It pulled the dome out almost perfectly. I then used a natural fiber blush brush to clean off any dust and to gently...carefully smooth out any of the creases. Worked beautifully!!! I tested it out with some high frequency violen music and than ran a test tone. The tweeter shows no ill-effects whatsoever. Sounds perfect. Ultimately, I blame myself. I usually attach the grills before they get home. But today I was distracted and failed to put the grills on. So there you go. Teaches me to go yapping and bragging about how my kids behave themselves around my gear. Let that be a lesson to me. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2100 Registered: Feb-07 | I feel your pain, man. Glad to hear you were able to get the tweeter back out with no damage. My Sttaf was no worse for the wear after my daughter pushed the tweeter in. |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameRichmond Hill Toronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 616 Registered: Jun-08 | I keep the covers on most of the time because of the kids. My 4.5 yr old now knows not to touch them and my 8 month old can't reach anywhere near the tweeters on my 48 inch towers but grills on are the safe way to go. It also makes it even more enjoyable when you get those moments to listen to them off. NMyTree - glad to hear you came out o.k. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2107 Registered: Feb-07 | I just noticed the metal dome tweeters on one of my Atoms is pushed in. The little tweeter-pusher-in strikes again. Lucky for her she's so cute. |
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