Baby on the way...what to do? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Baby on the way...what to do?



BillB
08-10-2005, 03:57 AM
My wife and I are expecting our first child sometime in January and are very excited. As we begin babyproofing the house I'm wondering what I should do about my second system that's in the living room.

The components are hidden in a cabinet with glass fronts so I'm not as concerned about them as I am about the speakers. They're a pair of B&W DM601s2 on Lovan stands. I'm worried about when they'll begin pulling themselves up and start walking about a year from now...will the speakers survive? Would I be better off with a set of floorstanders :confused:

Thanks,
Bill

kexodusc
08-10-2005, 04:07 AM
Hmmm...how heavy are those speakers? They're probably pretty sturdy on those stands. I have 2 friends that have kids now, 1 uses velcro for added anti-wobble protection, and just relies on the weigh of the speaker/stand to hold upright, the other uses nothing and hasn't had any problems.

I'd stand pat for now...for the first few years the kid probably won't be left alone anyway...and hopefully later on you can trade the young'un not to go tippin' speakers.

Leave grills on. Always.

Oh, by the way...Congrats on the kid!!!

noddin0ff
08-10-2005, 06:35 AM
Congrats! We've got a two year old now. Never had much interest in speaker stands. Coffee tables and couches are much preferred for pulling up climbing. They tend to like things that are low and long so they can traverse along them. I wouldn't worry too much except to make sure the child is never unattended. If the child is safe first, then it follows that the speakers will be safe.

Les Adams
08-10-2005, 07:04 AM
May I add my congratulations also.

I recently sold a pair of Mission M75 floorstanders to a friend who has a young child. My friend made the mistake of removing the front grilles while the child was watching. Since then young lad has removed them 3 times and wants to show everybody who comes to the house what daddy's speaker drivers look like! No damage has been done to date, but children do copy, so it is probably a good idea not to let them see you do anything you don't want them to emulate.. like turning up the volume control... or how the CD player tray opens!

Somebody else's children once poked holes in both midrange drivers and pushed in the domed tweeters on my JBL L100's. They are now at the bottom of the local refuse heap as a result! (The speakers that is... not the children)

It is probably also a good idea to pad the child's head with foam rubber so that if the speaker does fall on the child the cabinets are not damaged!

One final thought, this sounds like the perfect opportunity to suggest to the wife that some floor standing speakers would be "safer"..;) . sounds like a good excuse for an "upgrade"! (While you can still afford it!).

Welcome to fatherhood! :D

dean_martin
08-10-2005, 07:19 AM
and hopefully later on you can trade the young'un


Excellent recommendation...oh, wait...you probably meant "train" the young'un, right?

Congratulations! We have a new nephew, my brother's kid, who was born last month. I wouldn't worry too much about the speakers right now. Adjusting to the new addition will take up much of your time at home.

On a slightly different topic, exposing the kid to music now will be of benefit, IMO. My son and I listened to music all the time when he was growing up and it's become a big part of his life. He's 16 now and plays drums, saxophone and guitar and he wants to learn to play bass guitar. He picked up the guitar on his own. He also has a nice singing voice. Plus, there's a big payoff for dad to! I can't describe the joy I get when I watch him perform with his high school band or listen to him play guitar or his drum set.

Oh, and start saving for the big stuff now, like college, transportation, etc.!

BillB
08-10-2005, 08:05 AM
Thanks everyone! I'm already exposing them to music, making the wife do her reading in the media room while music's playing. At this stage they can hear a muffled version of the outside world which is really cool.

I don't think stand-mounted speakers would be a problem until perhaps they're up and walking. Like many of you have mentioned, even they it shouldn't be a major issue as long as they're not unattended.

I do like the idea of a baby bicycle helmet so neither the kid or the speaker gets hurt! :D

I wonder if using some Blu-Tack would make them even more sturdy? The wife has already agreed to new floorstanders if necessary (mainly because the current speakers have a different wood finish than our furniture) but I'm not sure how much more stable a pair of small floorstanders like B&W's DM602.5s3 would be.

As for the media room in the basement...that door's getting a lock installed until they're about 18...

Keep the suggestions coming!

Bill

kexodusc
08-10-2005, 08:51 AM
Excellent recommendation...oh, wait...you probably meant "train" the young'un, right?



Must have been...
Me no post so good before cup 2 of coffee.
:D

noddin0ff
08-10-2005, 09:06 AM
I wonder if using some Blu-Tack would make them even more sturdy?
I use the rubber webbing stuff that you can line your kitchen cabinets with to protect your dishes. I couldn't bring myself to squish blue stuff all over my speakers. It keeps the speakers from sliding, but wouldn't do much to keep them from falling off if the stands were tipped.

topspeed
08-10-2005, 10:17 AM
Congrats Bill! Your speakers will be fine for at least another year. Your mental state on the other hand...

3M makes some orange putty like Blu-Tak, but not as sticky. Blu-Tak can rip the veneer off your speakers if you don't twist them when lifting from the stand so you might look into the 3M stuff. Honestly, if your stands are mass loaded and the speakers are stuck on, they are likely more stable than B&W's floor standers in the 600 and 700 lines. The cabinets are so narrow yet long that they tend to be very easy to tip over without some outriggers or plinth installed. Of course, if you want to use the baby as an excuse to upgrade, that's another thing altogether ;).

Best wishes for your impending bundle of joy and from one father to another soon-to-be father, remember this sage advice that was passed on to me:

Survive the first 6 weeks. After that, it's gravy!

nb2bass
08-12-2005, 07:43 PM
congrats on the baby to come :D

Florian
08-16-2005, 06:44 AM
Congrats on your child :-)

You could make new stands (concrete) and tighten speakers down, that way the child wont be able to move them. But then again, neither can you. I wouldnt worry too much, just be glad you dont have ribbons, they really dont like kids too much or fast air movment.

-Flo