floorstanding speaker stability

[alastairpearce]

Hi,

Ive got a psir of B&W 683 floorstanding speakers, and we're about to have our first baby, a little boy.

Obviously its a year or more until he'll be able to toddle about, but I'm already thinking about how to make my setup as child friendly as possible.

The speakers are stable enough as they are, but they're slightly top heavy and I'm worried a small boy could pull them over.

Has anyone got any bright ideas? Could the speakers be fixed to the wall with a metal angle or bracket?

 

[nopiano]

Congratulations on your expected arrival! Are your speakers on the spiked plinths provided? These should provide decent stability, but as you say they aren't immune from being pushed over. That might be a few more years away, so maybe get some nice speakers for the wall by then?!

I never had the (mis)fortune of toddlers around my hifi, but perhaps it's a 'no go' area that needs learning, like the fishpond and the oven door? I see that ATCs have a metal grille that could be wired up - no, let's not go there!!

 

[Vladimir]

Fixating them on top of heavy plinths with wider base than the speaker will make them very hard to topple. Kitchen counter tops work great. Also you may get some acoustic benefits from this.

EDIT: nopiano beat me to it. Good advice. *ok*

 

[Blacksabbath25]

you need to keep the speaker covers on as little ones will play with your drivers and press the nise shiny bits in .

i keep mine on as my 7 year old might do this to mine *shok* anyway you could get some cheap speakers and mount them up on the wall as thats what i did and then store your big floor standing speakers somewhere safe .

and put your hifi up high so little hands do not touch or your find your vol up high when you go to use it and wake the baby .

 

[seemorebtts]

You should have a plinth with them.word of warning when they grow up that tweeter will be on their hit list.my son had mine when he was two.and everyone i know with bowers has had theirs pushed in.they can see it though the covers because of the colour.its not to expensive to replace but be warned.i have soundcare isolation feet on my speakers which makes it a little better and make better sound quality too

 

[Vladimir]

Not only children present a threat to speaker drivers. Adults who have no idea how speakers work or anything about hifi have done the same to me. Generally they think (especially) the aluminium dome tweeter is a solid metal ball and they can touch it and even spin it like ball bearings. Of course I have to shout in panic and try to explain it is a thin very very frail piece of aluminium foil.

I had at least two tweeters that I can remember ruined by adults. One was silk dome so that was salvagable with just sucking it out back in shape. Same for dust caps. They think it's solid and like to push it for some reason (curiosity, trying to clean dust etc). I had many of those ruined, again by adults.

Prevention is the best cure IMO. I grew up with hifi in my house and never did any damage to speakers like that. I was explained how speakers and separates work (generally), how much they cost and that I can use them if I am responsible enough.

Best way to prevent aluminium dome tweeter being pushed is to explain or demonstrate to a child that its just a fragile thin foil. Use a junk car tweeter as a demo. Demistify it and their curiousity will be satisfied.

 

[alastairpearce]

Great advice, thanks!

Unfortunately i threw the plinths away when i bought the speakers, as I preferred the sound without at the time! Regretting that decision now!

Forgot to mention, I have the 683 S2s, so mercifully the tweeters have the metal grille over them.

 

[CnoEvil]

Unfortunately i threw the plinths away when i bought the speakers, as I preferred the sound without at the time! Regretting that decision now!

You could Blu-Tak the speakers directly onto Granite Worktop Savers (Removing any spikes or feet).

 

[Vladimir]

Unfortunately i threw the plinths away when i bought the speakers, as I preferred the sound without at the time! Regretting that decision now!

You could Blu-Tak the speakers directly onto Granite Worktop Savers (Removing any spikes or feet).

+1

 

[chris_bates1974]

Education is key as mentioned above. Neither of my two (now 10 and 8) have ever damaged anything hifi related. they were told from the very beginning that they were not to touch the hifi, or indeed the dvd player or tv screen.

They now have their own hifis in their rooms, and have not damaged those either.

I do have a friend who moved speakers closer together (temporarily of course) and put up with the change in sound in order to then use a fire guard! That worked too...

 

[Deleted member 160668]

In my opinion you can't leave them on the floor. With the best will in the world kids will knock them over, poke them, knock a drink onto them etc etc. it's inevitable. It's only a matter of time before they are toast!!

My suggestion would be to either sell or store them and get some decent wall mountable ones in the meantime.