toddler/kid proof speaker stands

[vizion]

What 20-inch high speaker stands are just about topple proof ? The speaker dimensions are 24" tall x 11" wide x 9.25" deep. Speakers are wider than they are deeper. We have a toddler. Is there a way the speaker/stand can be secured so it won't topple and without screwing the stands to the speakers ? Will the regular 2-post Skylans be enough ?

 

[Ron E]

IMO, unfortunately, speakers on stands with young children in the house are an accident waiting to happen.

 

[SY]

A fence is the only solution. But there are lots of foldable plastic toddler fences available. They can be taken down for serious listening, unfolded and put up when you're not using your system.

What I want to know is how the parent of a toddler can find time to do hifi.

 

[wakibaki]

I don't think you're going to get anybody in a hurry to make a recommendation here.

I mean, imagine how they'd feel if a tragedy occurred and the speakers got damaged.

w

 

[MJL21193]

Nail 'em to the floor!

 

[chrisb]

Nail 'em to the floor!

I hope you don't mean the kids, John - just think of the bed-pan duty


toddler proof? - no such thing

This is definitely the case where a floorstander (with ballasted base compartment) has huge advantages over a pair of loose boxes on top of any type of stand.

 

[Hezz]

There is always the steel pole in a cement filled old tire trick.

 

[d to the g]

What I want to know is how the parent of a toddler can find time to do hifi.

For me hifi has become my "alone" time between his bedtime and mine. That is after I've done all the chores I couldn't do because I was chasing after him. It usually comes to the chance to play one album, or at least one side.

 

[chrisb]

There is always the steel pole in a cement filled old tire trick.

A stable stand is easy enough, but unless the speaker can be screwed to the top plate, which the original poster wants to avoid, it can still get knocked off very easily.

 

[Moondog55]

This may sound silly but wouldn't a simple heavy duty G-clamp ( suitably padded of course ) be enough to hold most speaker boxes tight ?? Put it underneath the stand base, pad the sides of the box with card and foam and tighten away!!

 

[vizion]

i'll google the g-clamps, moondoggie. Awooo !!!

 

[Moondog55]

I'd second the fence idea though; firescreens work well and you could fasten a couple of padded bricks on the bottom to add some stability to the fence.
I think most hardware stores should have decent G-clamps

 

[Sonusthree]

I had a similar issue once. I bolted the speaker stands to regular concrete paving slabs. This made them very stable.
The slabs rested on half-cut rubber balls.

 

[Hezz]

A stable stand is easy enough, but unless the speaker can be screwed to the top plate, which the original poster wants to avoid, it can still get knocked off very easily.

No problem there, You could just embed a short steel speaker stand in the cement and drill some holes into the upper stand plate and screw the speakers to the plate from below.

But I have a better idea. Silicone glue the speakers to the stand. It will hold them tight but you would with enough force be able to remove them and then peel off the silicone with little damage to the speaker cabinet.

 

[vizion]

Spread out the silicone glue ? Or just dab the glue in 4 of the corners ?

 

[Burnedfingers]

What I want to know is how the parent of a toddler can find time to do hifi.

That's an easy answer... you fabricate a harness to put on the kid and then attach a cable to the harness and the clothes line.

Instant babysitter

Just kidding

 

[SY]

Duct tape can be efficacious.

In any case, here was my real solution:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1198646#post1198646

 

[Hezz]

Spread out the silicone glue ? Or just dab the glue in 4 of the corners ?

I would try the dab method first. If you have about a silver dollar sized dollup at each corner it may be strong enough and easier to remove. If it doesn't prove strong enough spread it out with a cheap putty knife over a larger surface area. The putty knife(a steel one) can also be use to remove the speaker by prying it between the silicone and the metal speaker stand.

If you leave the silicone a little bit thicker it may be easier to remove the speaker since it will compress more when you pry a putty knife in the crack. Make sure the underside of the speaker if free from oils and dust. You may even have to rough it up a little to get good adhesion.

Make sure to use the 100 percent silicone stuff as it is very sticky. But the nice thing about it is that it won't bond so much as it can't be removed.

 

[JLC7]

In my opinion, the best kind of speaker stand is another speaker. Not only is a floorstanding speaker more stable than a stand, it gives you an excuse to buy another pair of speakers. Completely justifiable to the significant other. After all, you have the safety of your speak... *cough* kids at stake.

 

[Moondog55]

You must have a different type of silicon in the USofA, the one time I tried something like that the veneer was riped right off the speaker box, the concrete base is a great idea, as would be a big slab of granite or marble