[nullqwerty]

Hey folks,


So, gone are my 20's. Now in my early 30's with a wife and a house and plans for children in the very near future, I stare at my living room's Boston Acoustics 5.1 surround set up with 4 tower speakers (I know...towers probably are not necessary for the rears...but I already had them) and can't help but wonder an old man thought of "Are these speakers a child safety risk?".


So, are they? Are toddlers known to pull them down and get hurt? Should I be considering getting rid of this setup and going with bookshelf speakers instead for safety reasons?


Thanks!

 

[cschang]

Toddlers will pull and tug on anything. Speakers, towers or bookshelfs, are not immune...anything within reach will be touched.


What you want to do is reduce their interest in items. If you make a bid deal about something, the kids become more interested. Other than turning my system on and off, and adjust the volume, I did nothing else to the system with the kids were in the room.


My kids are not 14 and 12, and I've never had any issue with them and the A/V equipment....just taught them how to use it.

 

[tk1971]

Toddlers also like to push their little fingers into tweeter domes. I've replaced all my floor standers with ceiling mounted bookshelf-sized speakers in the HT. Now if I can only get that 2 year old to stop putting stuff into the guitar...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I have had "tower" speakers all my life and, when my kids came along, they coexisted without any problems or disasters. Of course, my speakers were always a bit larger and heavier than anything Boston makes.

 

[Jay1]

Stand mounted speakers can be even more unstable. It really depends on the footprint, and weight of the speaker, for how well planted it is. I've had 50lb 30" tall speakers mounted on 12" solid stands with a wide footprint for the past few years, and I have a 2 1/2 year old. I keep the speakers on a level plain with the entertainment center, the grills on, and make sure to scold my kid if she touches them. Haven't had a single incident.


I would probably switch to wall mount surrounds though

 

[Speck's Dad]

My girls are 4 and 1 and I've had fears of them messing with my newly acquired floor speakers but no actual incidents of them messing with them. I had bookshelf speakers on stands prior and nothing ever happened. You can only child-proof so much. My girls like getting into the DVDs that I store near the tv. I also have a fear of one of them throwing some of their solid wood toys at the tv screen. That's just the way it is.

 

[Looneybomber]

I have 1 and 5 y/o boys. My oldest didn't even like to get close to my speakers because I would scold him. My youngest loves to push on speaker cones if the grilles are not in place. Either way, just teach them from the get go and speakers, guns, and kids can coexist fine.

 

[smudge981]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nullqwerty /forum/post/20885091


"Are these speakers a child safety risk?"

Not if you placed mousetraps around them like I did. Works on cats and dogs, too!

 

[psgcdn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Looneybomber /forum/post/20885249


speakers, guns, and kids can coexist fine.

 

[Looneybomber]



Quote:
Originally Posted by psgcdn /forum/post/20886994

With the proper precautions that is...probably a good discussion for another forum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ&ob=av2e

 

[Brad Horstkotte]

I used to have small bookshelves on stands for surrounds, and they had speaker wires running from the backs under an area rug to the receiver. My young child pulled on one of the wires, and the speaker fell on him. Fortunately, he was fine, but it scared the crap out of me, and I tested how fast I could drive home 40 miles on the freeway. I went without surrounds for years after that.


Hopefully you all do a better job of childproofing than I did.

 

[jonnythan]

With a tower speaker you can attach the top of it to the wall using a couple of screws and a piece of wire.

 

[Dr_jitsu]

Yes, if my four year old damages them, it will be hazardous for his behind

On a serious note, I don't leave my son unsupervised around my RF-7's, so no.

 

[bbrio]

I think the topic should be "Are children a tower speaker hazard?"

 

[nullqwerty]

Hmmmm....I had only thought of the child getting hurt. Never even considered my speakers. lol.


Jonnythan had a great suggestion of securing the speakers to the wall with a wire (like you would with bookshelves...actual bookshelves, not speaker bookshelves). That of course protects the child, but who's gonna defend the speakers from the mini-godzilla running around

Well, after considering all this, I now realize I think I need to do something. I think I'll either just secure them to the wall, or I'll replace them with wall mounts or with In-Walls. No matter what I do, looks like I'll be cursing all the horse hair plaster walls in my house

Thanks everyone!

 

[Nuance]

I don't worry about my children getting injured from my speakers (they are too sturdy and heavy for a young child to knock over), but I do worry about them damaging the speakers.

I already have scratches on both speakers, and a large gouge on one as well. These were from my children (5, 3 and 1 years old) throwing toys and other various items (accidentally) at the speakers. The two older children know better than to touch them, and the one-year-old isn't strong enough to tip them, so they are safe and/or know better than to touch them. If they became a real hazard I'd get rid of them (the speakers, not the kids).

 

[mjg100]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuance I don't worry about my children getting injured from my speakers (they are too sturdy and heavy for a young child to knock over), but I do worry about them damaging the speakers. I already have scratches on both speakers, and a large gouge on one as well. These were from my children (5, 3 and 1 years old) throwing toys and other various items (accidentally) at the speakers. The two older children know better than to touch them, and the one-year-old isn't strong enough to tip them, so they are safe and/or know better than to touch them. If they became a real hazard I'd get rid of them (the speakers, not the kids).

Put me down for the subs, when you start giving them away.

 

[nullqwerty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuance I don't worry about my children getting injured from my speakers (they are too sturdy and heavy for a young child to knock over), but I do worry about them damaging the speakers. I already have scratches on both speakers, and a large gouge on one as well. These were from my children (5, 3 and 1 years old) throwing toys and other various items (accidentally) at the speakers. The two older children know better than to touch them, and the one-year-old isn't strong enough to tip them, so they are safe and/or know better than to touch them. If they became a real hazard I'd get rid of them (the speakers, not the kids).

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjg100 Put me down for the subs, when you start giving them away.

And if you change your mind on the kids, I've got a cousin looking to adopt

 

[Rob-Houston]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbrio I think the topic should be "Are children a tower speaker hazard?"

Beat me to it!

 

[Djoel]

great thread, and something I've been thinking of lately having a 9mouth old daughter..I had two other children from a previous relationship, I would fine all sorts of things in side my vented sub at the time. What worries me the most now is my 60" plasma (different thread) which is on this flimsy Salamander Room Synchron??? That shakes when stared at it to long. My front speakers are too heavy to be knocked ,tilt over at 195 lbs, but the rears are on stands which are my biggest concern.


Djoel