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Cat friendly or actually unfriendly speaker

So my wife adopts a cat and now my speaker choices are more limited. Using at present a Plinius 8200mkII (175 watts)and have been using Joseph AUDIO RM7 mK11. Am looking for floorstanding speakers with speakers and grills well out of reach of a cat or another monitor that is special, a "step up" from the Josephs. Room is about 17 x 13 with hardwood floors and not a tremendous amount of absorbent furniture (which I know will impact on anything I get), speakers will be along the long wall, Also speakers need to be relatively easy to move for listenig or not more than 12-18 incles off the back wall (which is actually floor to ceiling bookcase). Thinking of Spendor sp1/2, harbeth compact 7 (which would be slightly more than my upper $ limit used), Totem Forest. Will be looking for these speakers used. Your help would be greatly appreciated, and no my wife will not consent to have the cat de-clawed.
rspark
richlane
167 posts
 
I would recommend speakers with the drivers and grills high up on the cabinet, so that the Cat can't reach them with their claws while stretching on their hind legs.

A slippery, automotive type finish is also better than a stained wood finish that the can dig their claws into.

That's why I had suggested the Merlins.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
There are a fair number of floorstanding speakers where the drivers are placed at the top of the column and the grille covers only that part. The Merlin is an example, so are some ProAcs and Wharfedale Diamonds.

A second alternative is to get speakers with punched metal grilles. AV123 currently makes some models that way and the later ADS floorstanding columns had punched metal grilles as well, including the L1090 and L1290, and the generation that followed including the M12 and M15. These were very clean and linear speakers in sealed cabinets, so there's no port either.

I got a pair of L1090's right after our first baby was born and I had no worries about her poking her fingers into the drivers or stuffing toys into the ports (cuz there aren't any).

There are several ADS speakers, including a pair of M15s in like-new condition (I've seen 'em and they are definitely 9.5 condition) available here.
rhljazz
1,255 posts
 
How about Duevel Planets or Venus speakers? They have no fabric grille and nothing flat on top for the cat to lay on. They are good sounding speakers as well.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
one more thing..and you and your wife are probably on the case already....if he keeps his claws, keep 'em trimmed, and get him 'the mother of all scratching posts'. you, the spendors, and the cat will be fine.
drew_eckhardt
394 posts
 
If you're not using burlap sacks for grill covers the cat will probably ignore the speakers.

A scratching surface in his preferred orientation (horizontal or vertical) in the same room will be preferred because it feels better.

And if none of that works, there's always spray from a water bottle.

I've had a cat with various speakers for 9 years and no problems.
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