Guest suddenly takes it upon herself to move my speakers


Has this ever happened to anyone here?

You have your speakers positioned just as you like them, and then a guest takes it upon themselves to suddenly move your speakers?

Obviously I’m not going to get any sympathy from anyone in the non Audio world, so I thought I’d post my frustrating experience here.

I also imagine that many of your speakers can’t simply be slid out of position due to spikes or carpeting or sheer weight. Probably a good number of you, who like me have speakers on hardwood floors, have some marks in place to be able to return speakers to their exact position. (Which I didn’t)

But a recent female first time guest was sitting on the floor positioned between the speakers as we listened and for some reason decided that they should be pointed directly at her. Now some people might think “how obnoxious,” and others might think, ‘hey, a woman who wants the toe in angle optimzed for her seating position! She’s a keeper! Let her handle whatever she wants!”

And while I did like the enthusiasm, there was a supertweeter precariously balanced atop each speaker fireing rearward that could have easily toppled off and broken. (And no, there are no kids in the house).

I still haven’t found the exact sweet spot I had them in. For a long time I felt like a bit of an audio slacker since I never installed the factory spikes or rounded cones TAD provides for the CR1’s. Until a few months ago I read on another forum that many CR1 owners choose to just keep the stands on the floor, or haven’t found a benefit to using the spikes/cones on hardwood.

Obviously I’ll use the incident to try and eventually find an even more optimal positioning than they were in, but it still irks me that someone would just assume it’s okay to move a sophisticated audio setup that they truly know nothing about.

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ebm wrote: "I would tell people please enjoy your system but do not touch anything." 
Well said.

I agree its pretty off for her to just get up and change let alone touch something without asking first and it sure would of upset me as well, however like the post above if your single and she as well invite her back for a listening/speaker positioning session with a bottle of wine and see what results you get.

You should always have your speaker positioning documented over the years for reference and times like this.

formerly I used crine scene tape although the effects were haphazzard. unless I drew an outline of a body on the floor near by, but few ever paid much attention.

later choosing a more environmental approach I kept my Boa Constrictor nestled between them. this too is problematic especially if you have ported speakers and a young or slender Boa.

I thought about getting a pair of minature Doberman Pinchers, one for each speaker, but the upkeep and maintainance was to high. and one would want twins, right?

chicken wire cages clash with most decors. yeah, even mine so that was a no go.

dead falls and trap dorrs are too Gothic and mighty expensive.

gargoyles only work against known evils and the Gargoyle Union has way too many demands. gotta be a church, monastery, museum, cemetary, sheesh. apparently the suburbs ain’t good enough for them!


ultimately, ….
my home is a shoes off home. as such I now keep the area around the base of my speakers wet and tiny thin bare wires in a cob web arrangement on the speakers to which is attached 220 VAC so anyone who decides to move, shift, touch or alter them gets an immediate notice that option is not open to them.

it also keeps curious fingers from pushing the big black, white, ceramic, silver, gold or ??? button you and I call tweeters from being pushed in and thus, broken.

actually it does not prevent damage. it merely ensures instantaneous negative reinforcement. ordinarily the act is not repeated by the same culprit regardless their age.

I learned the hard way not to hand over my remote control to visitors if I’m otherwise occupied, even briefly.
somehow many people think the sign of a great stereo system is how loud it will play and having the remote in their hands is permission to find out. .

go figure.
Maybe one of her parents were audiophiles who moved speakers all the time and she assumed that is how its done. I find in general its best to ask someone their intentions rather than guess them. It might bring you closer. In any case, you would understand each other better without any accusations or uncomfortable moments.