hi i had the same concerns with totem forests. both are very unstable standing and can be pushed by crowling toddler or baby at ease. previously i had vandy 1c on sound anchor stands that were substantially more stable.
i would encourage heavier speakers with larger footprint in case if it's time for upgrade :-)
otherwise i did the following:
1. took foot x foot x 2" mdf
2. removed the screws from the ball stands leaving stands in place
3. took three nails large enough to reach from screw holes to the floor having speakers standing on it's balls:-) The nails should be small enough though to play between the chassis and floor so you'll be able to use marker to mark your drilling points.
4. drill three holes that you've marked on each mdf board
5. Use large enough screw instead of supplied stock one to go through the MDF pannel, ball and the stand and securing the speaker cabinette standing on the balls to the mdf pannel. you may start with pinching a nail first under desired corner before you start drilling.
6. I used 4 screws instead of speaker spikes to create 4-point secure stand. you can actually adjust their position depending on the surface to level them perfectly.
7. Load your speaker with send or anything heavy(lead shot if secured from dust) and your speakers are now hard to push and standing it's originally supplied 3 balls just like they're meant to stay on the floor. |
It might be time to consider replacing your floorstanders with some wall mounts and subwoofer(s). The Gallo Strada 2s and Reference AVs are *very* fine-sounding speakers that can be mounted up and away from the wee one. Mate them to a Velodyne Digital Drive subwoofer(s) with DSP and you will have a VERY good-sounding system indeed.
You could certainly live with these for 5-6 years until the child is old enough and stable enough on her feet to not pose a problem...
-RW- |
Hotwire. A tried and true parenting phrase 'only once'. |
What about using one of those modular play pens/cages? I created a circular pen around my speakers when my daughters were younger. |
That is a good idea, Tbooo! And not very expensive, either. Good thinkin', laddie!
-RW- |
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If you have grills for your speakers, leave them on. It makes the speakers much less interesting, on top of protecting the drivers. As far as protecting the kid goes, the pen idea is nice, but you also have to consider that she might be able to get around it somehow. Kids are resourceful.
I'd either get speakers up on shelves or make the ones you have more stable, ie, add a larger base. |
Well, the solution is not one you will like. Sell off all the audio equipment and music media, banking the funds for her college fund. You do not need to be spending money on gear or music until she graduates from college. Then you can re-enter the world of audio, knowing you gave up your best listening years for her college bank account. Of course, you need to get her to sign a contract that she will not return after college, as kids seem to do these days. |
I remember when I brought some speakers over to my sisters house her five year old son walked right up to one of them and pushed the tweeter dome in (as I watched in shock).
needless to say I agree with Tonyangel
good luck! |
Tbooe is right. Also, a couple of sandbags on the stands for a piece of mind. My older kid had an obsession with pushing in the dust caps. I didn't want to have to raise a kid with no fingers... |
I definitely need to get some grills. I used to have rainmakers like philjolet I came home to find my niece had pushed in both dust caps. Marakanetz are you saying that you basically screwed the totems from the underside of the mdf? I was thinking of doing something similar with a 2" piece of granite. I was planning on removing the claws and using Blu tak to attach the speakers to the granite but I am not sure if the Blu tak will hold up to my daughter pushing on them |
I also had configurable child plastic fence in front of my system that prevented my daughter from going anywhere near the components. Works well. |
I've been through four kids and now half a dozen grand kids. The "fence" works to an extent, but as they grow it becomes less effective.
If you have full size speakers with threaded inserts for the spikes, you have threaded inserts that will work pretty well to hold a broader base to the bottom of the speaker. It's just a matter of choosing a base material and popping the holes.
I'm now saying that this will withstand anything that you could throw at it, but it will help to prevent those blink of an eye "oops" situations.
I remember having to deal with this with my last child. I had Studio 40s on stands and those weighed 40lbs each. They were also pretty easy to knock over.
Personally, I just gave up on the whole situation. My wife wanted an entertainment center to keep things up and out of the way as well. I just resorted to using really small speakers on shelves in the entertainment center. I'm running Silverline Minuets now. |
My suggestion is to get two 16 by 16patio blocks
drill holes in the blocks that match the tripod dimensions using a masonry bit that is slightly larger than the spikes
get longer screws that are the same thread as the spikes
and from the bottom of the patio block screw (secure) the speakers to the block. The blocks are typically 1.75 thick and are pretty heavy. For about $10.00 what you end up with is a very stable base that looks like the stone base on the Sonus Faber speakers. |
