Kids, Dogs, and Speakers

I should have added that the room is 13' square, and I'm driving them from a Rega Elicit Mk 5.

Wilson, Magico, SF Olimpica all heavy and sturdy. Used within your price range. You can listen to Magico and SF at Overture. JS Audio in MD are Wilson dealers and occasionally have a certified preowned speakers. 

We are on the east coast look at alta audio the alec 9k very stout composite cabinet with a unique transmission line loaded cabinet 

Dave and Troy

Audio intellect  nj

ALTA AUDIO DEALERS 

If you happy with the sound of Spendors, attaching outriggers to the mounting points of spikes definitely would make speakers more stable. However the concept of new speakers is not without other merits 😉

@knock1 I had no idea that outrigger kits were even a thing !!

I have seen outriggers/isolating platforms depicted on various accessories sites. DIY would be easy to create. But, again, see my second point in my previous post.

@knock1 having gotten my significant other to agree to new speakers, I'm not going to pass on that opportunity

The last few shows attended, I have been disappointed with some of the more exotic tweeters designs I have heard. Now this could be the room and other factors, but I always prefer the sound of soft domes in any environment. 

I’ve owned many Spendors and Harbeths. I enjoyed all of them. I have been using the Harbeth HL5 Plus for the past year and IMHO it betters all the the others! This place is in your neck of the woods. Place them on nice stands and they won’t budge!

http://bekhifi.com/productList.php?product_line=12&product_type=19

"having gotten my significant other to agree to new speakers, I'm not going to pass on that opportunity" I do not think you would find anyone in this community disagreeing with your train of thoughts. Congratulation!

Tannoy wetsminster or something like that...

@wqgq_641  , I am always doing quick googles when people list what speaker they are listening to. (With the operative word being 'quick.') Those A4s are interesting . . . kind of like a two-way (excuse the term) "bookshelf" with a cabinet built on instead of a stand?

I have the Sf Olympica III's, they are very stable and sound wonderful in my 16'w x 30'l x 10'h room.  The outriggers keep them in place and make it difficult for anyone shorter than 4' and less than 95 lbs to inadvertantly knock them over, but not impossible.

Ohm Walsh speakers in Brooklyn. Look for refurbed models that are wider on the bottom. Very hard to knock over. Nothing that can be easily damaged exposed with grills off and grill hoods rest on top when on.

Having you consider making or buying some pedestals for them that would widen the base and help secure them?

@knock1 makes two good points. He gives you a path to choosing any speaker you want, by using a custom platform.

You could have a cabinet making or wood milling shop prepare some heavy hardwood platforms that would look absolutely glorious. Then you could buy a speaker based on sonics alone, and screw the platforms to the base of the speaker. Any retailer should be delighted to help with that project, giving you the dimensions and locations of the mounting holes (for the fabricator), and the type of screw required to fit the factory mounting holes.

When I was placing some magnepans I used solid cherry wood platforms, and they look mighty good. Good luck!

You could look at speakers like Totem Audio Forests where the cabinets can be filled with sand that significantly increases their weight making them hard to knock over and also improves their sound.

It would take a truck to knock over a pair of Duntech Sovereigns.

Newer Klipsch LaScala or KHorns. KHorns tuck into a corner away from child and dog traffic. And LaScala - if you have a dog or child that is able to budge them from their position I’d be training the kids for NFL linebacker status and dog for serious protection duty. BTW should you ever sell gear on one of the sites Do Not ever mention you have children or animals anywhere around your equipment. Kiss ‘o death for selling. Always remember - “from a no kid, no animal, no smoking home”.

My ads always saw more attention when I said we have five kids, four cats. three dogs and I smoke two packs a day. 

I used to have Olympica 3. They are stable and sound very natural and musical, I very good sound if you like this kind of sound. 

Hang your speakers from the ceiling so they are about 5 feet up from the floor. Put all of you components on shelves, about the same height. Put your kids and dogs toys on the floor, in front of your listening chair and enjoy your music. You are kidding, right? Can't believe everyone bit in to your child and dog proof speakers" question. No pun intended.

Something new every day. 

@immatthewj Yes, they are basically Spendor A2's in a full-size cabinet

@yogiboy Yes, I ordered my A4s from BEK HiFi, but they keep little in stock to listen to - the building is very small.

A second to what @kckrs said -- ain't no way 2 dogs or grandchildren are knocking Klipsch Cornwalls, LaScalla, or KHorns over.  Based on your budget, you could get NEW Cornwalls and LaScallas, and maybe a demo set of KHorns or fairly new ones.

@wqgq_641 

I had a similar problem with my ATC SCM19v2 stand mount speakers. So worried about my grandson, I dismantled my system for 18 months.

Now is in my bedroom 😳

But have bought sturdy Sound Anchors stands, and Stack Audio Auva 70 speaker isolators. These have made them nearly hurricane proof.

Suspending tower speakers from the ceiling wouldn’t be original:

Conversely, I made my speakers anchored floor-to-ceiling; although they’re only 5” wide, integrated rigid mesh protects each transducer. A rough-housing grown pair of Neapolitan mastiffs would have trouble toppling either channel. A big enough middle school linebacker would do the trick; by your household ingredients for disaster I’d be safe for some years to come 😆

A clever plot to get the WAF well oiled.

If you liked the Spendor sound Klipsch is not

gonna do it. Child and dog proofing can be achieved in many 

ways. The Dynaudio 200 stands I own were chosen for stability.

Four Widely spaced outrigger style feet with adjustable spikes.

They take 20 lbs each of sand for more stability. Also have a cable control system.

But unless you go for a standmount + subwoofer option this won't work.

I would suggest buying the latest version Fritz Carrera 7 BE's $2,800-30 day home trial- and a REL 7TX Sub. $1,000 and the stands $500. 

Use the 8 smallish wood screws that come with the stands to fix the speaker bottom thru the predrilled rubber grommeted holes in the steel plate on the stand.

That  improves the sonics and gives you an 80 lb solid unit that won't go over easily. The Spendors are like bowling pins. 

The sound will be an upgrade level better and you didn't break the bank.

Unless you upgrade the amp too!! haha

Magnepan nice for the cats and the kids.

@wqgq_641 Your speaker requirements are EXACTLY like mine. In my case a crazy dog and wife, the kid is more manageable.

Take a look at my Livingroom virtual system to see how I protect the speakers from the onslaught.

I wanted to get KEF Blade 2 META for this room but did not think they would survive. I went with my #2 choice because it is very hard to knock over, has grills, and has some of the most advanced technology in a speaker.

Living Room System | Virtual Listening Room (audiogon.com)

This speaker is incredible. So glad I went with my 2nd choice.

I got my speaker covers from these guys. I love this cover. You need to search for your speaker to find the cover for it. They can make custom covers.

Kef Blade 2 Meta Speaker Dust Covers | DigitalDeckCovers

Check out the Focal Aria 948’s. My son has a pair with three dogs running around. No issues and the base is very sturdy. Focal seems to build nice cabinets in their higher end models as well. 

Many years ago when I was a vertically challenged person living in a house full of like individuals and something got broken, my dad would just sigh and lament how foolish it was to try and have nice things in a house full of kids. Doesn't answer the OP's question, just puts it into perspective. 😏

Portable kennels are easy to deploy, and can accommodate children up to 75 pounds.

K Horns in a 13' X 13' room? Right... might as well get four of them, the sound should keep the kids and the dogs out of the room.

Outriggers will definitely help if you don’t have them already, but not a fool (child) proof solution.

Another option in a room this small is Fritz speakers. Sound very large for their size and you can actually put them on bookshelves.

Okay, sorry for the smart--- response. Just saw an opportunity and went with it.

I love my grandkids and little furry guy. My speakers are 6’-4" tall, so I never worried too much about critters (including the human kind) toppling them over. I did put my "back up" turntable into service for years -- a B&O tangental tracking model, so my wife could play music for, and with, grandchildren without ever touching the tonearm.

Looks like you’re getting some good advice here.

I have a pair of Vandersteen 5a speakers.  In addition to the excellent SQ, they are solid as a rock (175 pounds, as each as a 300W amp for the woofer).

There is a nice-looking pair for sale at a dealership in NJ (I have no affiliation):

Vandersteen 5a For Sale - US Audio Mart

@waytoomuchstuff you made me laugh, but maybe an electric fence around the HiFi and speakers would be better than crating them?  It would make an interesting talking point with visitors ;-)

kckrs - Great advice…just lie to people.  What a f**king moron you are.

Kids can have sticky sugary fingers and they loke to touch things, especially things that can be found on a HiFi System.

Dogs love sweet smells and will follow the trail left by the Kids fingers.

If you leave Drivers exposed. expect to find pushed in Dust Caps. caused either by a Kid or a Dogs Nose. 

I've been stupid lucky....(I heard that...that combination isn't all that uncommon...)  Our pets have left the equipment alone.

'Course the Maggies' are upside down and suspended, since they are just too much of a temptation for our (presently) 2 cats....who've been given plenty of alternatives...which they enjoy.

Kids haven't been an issue, since we didn't go there.

I was tempted to suggest razor wire or electrified cattle wires, but Social Services of all stripes would come to get you....not to mention the ASPCA, or the neighbors considering you on a level with the Addams family....

Perlisten in-wall speakers...

Pros:

- They sound better than some names suggested (for an in-wall speaker).

- Completely out of the way/ more room for dogs and kids to run around.

- Higher WAF

Cons:

- in-wall installation required. If you aren’t a handyman, you might need to hire the local handyman in town.

- if you are a renter, the landlord could disapprove of any in-wall modifications. .

My dog just can't make it thru the extended (album) versions of Free Bird, Layla, Hey Jude, Whole Lotta Love, etc. without grabbing a chew toy, or my stocking feet. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibilition earns an instant disqualification.  The grandkids, on the other hand, just  get bored and quiettly exit the space.  Then, I have to exit the room myself shortly thereafter to see what they're up to. It's all broadcast versions during music hour(s) with the family.

I should have thought of this before, but the Wilson WAMM Chronosonic would be very stable. While tall, they weigh 900 pounds each. Oh, they are a little more expensive. 😊

...think I'll get the cats on 'roids and teach them to be guard cats...

I should have thought of this before, but the Wilson WAMM Chronosonic would be very stable. While tall, they weigh 900 pounds each. Oh, they are a little more expensive. 😊

Sure, granpa always had 350k to spare in his old age and the physical ability to manhandle a 900 lb ogre. Once installed, the ogre would look so scary and ugly that kids and dogs wouldn’t dare to step within 50 ft of them.

Brilliant idea.

Have you heard Magnepans?  You can run into them and they will not fall over.

@deep_333 

😊… you buy them they come with installation. Much can be said for investing wisely.

@saboros 

Do you do that often? Does it hurt? 😔 

@ghdprentice  

Our big standard poodle did bump into the 1.7i and nothing happened.  And my wife did graze the LRS+ in our bedroom on her way to the bathroom in the middle of the night and except for being moved a bit, nothing happened.

But our cleaning person once knocked over a Harbeth C7.

No joking but how about the idea of large bubble wrap covers that you could slip onto the speakers when not in use. If the cat took a liking to them (scratching), the breaking bubbles would be a deterrent. The kids would have to be taught to stay away. I'm thinking about an actual metal security curtain to go across the whole system. I need to relax as much as possible when four grandchildren are afoot

Bwahahaha. 

Put the dogs outside and listen when the children aren't over.