Child Damage Mitigation

Good advice so far. Short sharp shock is what’s required.

Let’s face it kids and audio don’t mix well - until they get used to it using it properly. My teenage daughter is excellent at taking care of CDs, DVDs and using tech. But along the way, especially with my younger old son (and visitors) there have been numerous minor tech disasters.

One of the reasons I love my Tannoys is because they feature a near solid grille, which my son thankfully hasn’t yet realised can be removed. If I didn't have them I might go for some wall secured ATC SCM40s with their metal grilles.

I am always grateful not to be the owner of speakers featuring costly metal done tweeters. I couldn’t cope with pressure of knowing it’s a matter of when not if.

Hence valve amps also a big no no at the moment.

On the other hand let’s not forget damaged hi-fi can always be fixed or replaced, but children are irreplaceable.

That’s what I keep telling myself.

Congrats!

I've got two toddlers.  If there's a way to move your audio system into a different room, I suggest you do.  There's no controlling little ones when they're just starting to move around--they are just too young to understand right/wrong/discipline.

Short of that, the idea of installing a gate in front of the entire audio system seems reasonable, but know that there will be bouts of upset as you contend with the toddler reality of wanting everything in sight that they cannot have.

Funny that title of thread is "Child Damage Mitigation" rather than "Speaker Damage Mitigation" : )

I built a light wood frame around my speakers and covered it with some cloth mesh from a fabric store.  It kept the monkeys from doing any damage while they were tiny.  When they get a little bigger you've got to watch for them messing with the volume.  I've had them crank it up to 11, panic, and run.  If possible, put electronics on a high shelf.

My  wife and I reared two rug rats during a time when we had Magnepan IIAs then Acoustat 2+2s.  We never had any problems.  I suppose we were just lucky.  However my wife's awful bulimic house cat did once regurgitate into the innards of a Lexicon DC-1 surround sound decoder.  Repairs were $450.00 plus shipping.