Baby gate all the way across the front of the speakers . I made mine out of PVC and called it baby city. Although that was more of a baby jail.
But seriously they arent very fast until after 1.
But seriously they arent very fast until after 1.
Child Damage Mitigation
Last week the wife and I brought a new baby home - our first - and it's been fun introducing her to the music we love. It dawned on me this morning that this child will be crawling before I know it and my lovely pair of Magnepan 3.7's might be sitting ducks. They're less agile than the cat, closer to the ground than the house plants, and more fragile than the couch. As I've calculated I've got approximately 6 months to find a way to prevent any child-induced damage so your input is greatly appreciated. What can I learn from the grand wisdom of AG about how to keep the kid away from the speakers?
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This is foolproof (and fun for all). Motion activated Magnepan protection system video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw DeKay |
“But seriously they arent very fast until after 1.” This one made me smile 😀 It’s mostly true, until the one day you leave them, go upstairs, and return to find them 3/4 of way up the stairs teetering on disaster! Good memories! Reluctantly, I’m gonna have to agree with the storing advice and going to stand mounts with heavy, sand filled stands for about 7-10 years or however long it takes you to get all your eventual little ones to about age 7 (10 if they are rambunctious, rebellious, and don’t listen well). 😂 |
Good advice so far. Short sharp shock is what’s required. Let’s face it kids and audio don’t mix well - until they get used to it using it properly. My teenage daughter is excellent at taking care of CDs, DVDs and using tech. But along the way, especially with my younger old son (and visitors) there have been numerous minor tech disasters. One of the reasons I love my Tannoys is because they feature a near solid grille, which my son thankfully hasn’t yet realised can be removed. If I didn't have them I might go for some wall secured ATC SCM40s with their metal grilles. I am always grateful not to be the owner of speakers featuring costly metal done tweeters. I couldn’t cope with pressure of knowing it’s a matter of when not if. Hence valve amps also a big no no at the moment. On the other hand let’s not forget damaged hi-fi can always be fixed or replaced, but children are irreplaceable. That’s what I keep telling myself. |
Congrats! I've got two toddlers. If there's a way to move your audio system into a different room, I suggest you do. There's no controlling little ones when they're just starting to move around--they are just too young to understand right/wrong/discipline. Short of that, the idea of installing a gate in front of the entire audio system seems reasonable, but know that there will be bouts of upset as you contend with the toddler reality of wanting everything in sight that they cannot have. |
I built a light wood frame around my speakers and covered it with some cloth mesh from a fabric store. It kept the monkeys from doing any damage while they were tiny. When they get a little bigger you've got to watch for them messing with the volume. I've had them crank it up to 11, panic, and run. If possible, put electronics on a high shelf. |
My wife and I reared two rug rats during a time when we had Magnepan IIAs then Acoustat 2+2s. We never had any problems. I suppose we were just lucky. However my wife's awful bulimic house cat did once regurgitate into the innards of a Lexicon DC-1 surround sound decoder. Repairs were $450.00 plus shipping. |
jon_5912 "I've had them crank it up to 11, panic, and run." Me too, unforgettable experience. Amp survived, speakers survived, but I almost didn't. I love my Creek Destiny 1 amp but next time I'm getting something with a heavier volume dial and maybe overload protection. All 100 watts through my speakers at once is not something I want to experience again! |
I fenced off all of my equipment with something like this. It kept my daughter away but anything that prevents them from getting to something makes them want to touch it more. My daughter is 20 mos and if there is anything in a room that I don't want her to touch, she will walk straight too it, pick it up, lick it and or put it in her mouth. https://www.costway.com/baby-playpen-kids-8-panel-safety-play-center-yard.html?fee=51&fep=12233&gclid=CjwKCAjwhOD0BRAQEiwAK7JHmFPXVgUh82HMi-XglVhLVTWJhhsP8HQuO5pIUWBZy5Xau_kTv2e5dxoCS5kQAvD_BwE |
This is the moment you can justify the change of equipment. Right now you may be concerned about your speakers, but that is a cheap concern. You can buy another pair. As someone mentioned earlier, after a year or so your daughter will be much faster and still not well-controlled. It will last for a few years. The problem is not her damaging your speakers, but speakers damaging her. Get something she is unlikely to tip over. Bottom-heavy, large base if possible. For that reason, It may be wise to avoid anything with stands. Of course, as another one said earlier, some gentle teaching from the beginning will help but there is no way she will not run into your speakers over time. Make them safe for her. You have two speakers, but only one daughter. Think of how to protect her. Screw the speakers. |
When I was growing up there were places you did not go. Physically could not go there. Then a little older there were things you did not touch. Consequences were immediate and severe. Growing up this way a child learns. Nowadays we have this cockamamie theory the adult learns from the child. Its reached such heights of preposterousness a guy cannot even protect his speakers from a baby, and people are seriously advising changing a system just so the kid can avoid for as long as possible learning there are things you do not mess with. I fear for our future. Really I do. |
I would buy some dog/child gates/fences on Amazon. They have a nice selection. I don't know how your room is laid out, but Amazon sells some nice folding fences that allow you to place them where needed and are easily moved when not wanted. I use them for my dogs, and my system is safe from their little paws. Bob |
Another option may be a helmet for the kid. By the way, your days of "sitting in the sweet spot enjoying my audiophile-grade recordings" have been numbered. Hopefully, you have a long commute to make up for that. While you are at that, get it while you can. You may or may not be sorry, but she will appreciate it one day. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Walt-Disney-The-Best-Of-Disney-Vinyl-Compilation-Album-1985-REH-573-VG/2239... |
When my wife decided she wanted a cat, I bought a couple plastic lenses designed to be used on a 4 ft. fluorescent light fixture. They are translucent and pretty thin, maybe 1/32 inch, strong but very flexible. When I'm not listening, I bend them around the front of my speakers and secure them with a bungee cord a half foot up from the floor. They are easily removed for listening and fully protect the grills from the cat when the system is off. Aesthetically pleasing? Well, no. Effective? 100%. Otherwise, try the "velcro babysitter"...a square of velcro a couple square feet. One side mounted about half way up the wall of your choice, the other sheet with a hole cut into it large enough to go over the baby's head and secured around the baby's torso. When you're not in the room, you just velcro the tot to the wall. |
Kids, gotta love em! Congratulations! In regard to speakers... What I did was get heavy stands (filled with sand) with small monitor speakers & attached to them with an ample amount of blue tack. That worked well. In regard to children... My oldest child was the problem. He is 32 now & well behaved, but he wasn't growing up. Naturally curious & always looking for fun. At one point, he took ALL of my albums out of their cases & played with them on the living room floor. That was expensive but was solved by sorting out the bad ones & putting the rest of them up out of his reach. He was my listening buddy (& still loves music to this day). I bought a new power amp when he was about 6 & "we" hooked it up. Listened to it for about 10 seconds & it became unstable to the point of smoke not only coming from the amp itself but from the speaker drivers as well. After I scrambled to unplug everything, he looked at me & said in a calm voice "we won't be listening for a while". It was funny really. FWIW audio isn't the only thing you need to be concerned about... This same child took a box of "oxy pads" to my brand new cars finish to clean it. Now about cats and girls... My daughter (a year younger than him) loved cats so we got her one. That beautiful little animal got behind my rig & literally chewed all the interconnect wires off at the rca connectors. In regard to audio, she wasn't much of a problem herself until she got older. My straight A daughter had a party at the house (go figure) & one of her friends tipped over one of my speakers on to my turntable. Damaged both. It was naturally my fault though because the speaker was to close to the walkway. Have fun! |
Man, The most precious thing in the world you have is your daughter everything else is nothing, can come n go. Your daughter is your future, your caretaker when you are old. preserve her not other asset. Whenever in the room hold her and listen to music Other time lock the room (if possible/ if not leaving room). children are very smarter & responsible than we expect them and you can teach her not to touch it, why she touch speaker when she has plenty to play with Or chew. |
Too late for a vasectomy. Have you researched child surrender laws in your area? You might still have time. i imagine it will be longer than 6 months before you even consider leaving a mobile child unattended. Play pens and child gates should work fine until they're old enough to understand that some places are OB. The kitchen is probably a more dangerous environment. As in climb the cupboards for cookies (or vitamins), get hands on the butcher knife to hack a piece of cheese, or put toy dishes on the real stove. if you’re set on keeping the Maggies (and the kid) you might look into aftermarket stands that are more stable and possibly weighted. |
Lots of fun responses, but children actually learn the word “no”. It’s pretty simple really. Applied with proper tone and with diligence, it’s amazing what kids can learn... I’ve got three grand children, 7, 4, and 1... the “N” word works every time. Little ones are like puppies. They need constant visual attention. Just the way it is. |
Invert your thinking. Literally. Consider ceiling mounting your maggies. Same location as now, just hang them from the ceiling. I my last house, the perfect location for the speakers would have also destroyed a beautiful view and much of the utility of the room. Solution was to hang them from the ceiling. Admittedly the soundstage was elevated, but otherwise they sounded fabulous. Just be sure to hit for ceiling joists with your mounts, and run the speaker wires through the ceiling, and down the inside of the walls to your amp. |
Congrats on the little one. My four year old is number six and more rambunctious than her four older brothers ever were. Over the years I've found that what works best with children is giving them lots and lots of attention and not sweating the small stuff. For example any messing about with power outlets, the stove or my speakers was a resounding "NO!" Whereas the electronics, the refrigerator or certain furniture, while off-limits didn't get the DEFCON-1 treatment. By keeping it simple, the kids always know where they stand. Mark |
@glubson, Nope, as Mark said it just takes teaching kids their limits. It’s not perfect, but it’s good most of the time. Raising our daughter we never removed things just so she couldn’t get her hands on them, we taught her what she could touch, or not. Just like the grandkids. It’s not a matter of being heavy handed, it’s simply a matter of teaching the kids (god forbid) boundaries. |
Watching a toddler is like nailing Jello to a tree. My daughter liked to "adjust" the settings on my subwoofer in my home theater system. I just made sure I wrote down what they were so I could put them back. Still have the same system now. She will be graduating from college soon. She is doing very well. My 25 year old ht system works just fine too. |
Correct the child ,if they do something wrong ,it’s not rocket science . in mybaby boomer generation. you are not taught any of this liberal BS about if it may hurt your feelings ,yes or no ,youjust have to be persistent if thst means raising your voice , or a talon the hand so be it get the message across. i trained my kids,as well as cats and dogs none of them go behind the stereo ,all will sit on the couch and listen and enjoy the music .being consistent is the key , |
Because of the times (this too shall pass, but not w/out a lot of damage) and the fact my driveway is 800' long I bought 50 large steel tire spikes. Those are welded double xs that leave a very sharp point upright no matter how you toss them. In your case bird spikes on a strip would also work. Just surround your equipment with either of these and after crawling through your security perimeter once, I don't think they will go there again. Please be sure your local ER is in your insurance system.Best wishes to allMark |
Congrats! Audio is fun. Baby's and toddlers are even more fun... that is unless you're spending your time blocking and tackling so they don't destroy your gear. As soon as my first child started to pull herself up from crawling to standing, my Maggies became her go to spot, especially because they magically make sound and play "wheels on the bus." Child barriers never worked, they just bumped up on the equipment. Shocking the baby and squirting her with water never worked either. My advice and this is what I did, get some sturdy speakers in there that will do the job for a few years. My go to was a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs that I had in storage. When your last baby turns 5 bring back the Maggies. In fact, maybe get even bigger Maggies, with more amplification, and a better source too, after all you had to sacrifice so much for 5 years. Enjoy! |
