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How do you stop house guest from damaging your speakers?

Over the years I have had many adult guest coming to my house and curious about my speakers though I never mention to them I’m an audiophile. Most of the time they will lean close to the speaker, looking at the driver, maybe occasionally touching the cabinet or knocking on the cabinet. But in other times I’ve had guest touching drivers gently as well and I usually just tell them to stop to prevent them from damaging the driver when I see them doing that.

Yesterday I had a little sit down with a few guests and one of them wanted to play my Blade 2. Out of nowhere, while the music is playing he stood up and walked to the speaker and knocked on the side driver woofer and asked “are these speakers too?” It was probably 3 or 4 consecutive hard knock on the woofer while the woofer is playing, and you guys can already imagine my facial expression. I don’t want to blame the guest as the blade’s woofer doesn’t look like regular woofer and I can’t expect guests to have knowledge of how not to damage speakers, but man, that really hurts when I saw that happen.

I inspected the driver afterward and it seems like all is good and the driver survived. I don’t remember if I heard distortion while the music is playing but to my knowledge this would easily fall into the abuse category for an audiophile.

I’m wondering, do I attach a label to say do not touch on those drivers? Do I tell guests not to physically touch the speakers? 

bwang29
pacificm
14 posts
 

My grandfather was probably the first audiophile in our family - although he was not easily recognized as one.  He had an all in one stereo in his basement.  Nothing fancy.  But when I would join him in front of it -  it felt like it was a shrine to him.  

Some people would just wander over and fiddle with it.  He finally put up a sign on it, which I still have as a hand me down from him.  It simply says, "Please do not touch.  Thank you."  Some people in the family thought he was a bit odd for doing so, but I always felt he was in the right and I now feel that way about my gear.

ddd1
261 posts
 

You need a dedicated listening room for guests like that. Must contain:

A pool table

A pair of Bose 901s hung by chains from the ceiling and run with a 6’ high rack full of cassette decks, equalizers, tuners, amplifiers with lots of pretty lights.  Buy them for next-to-nothing at yard sales, Goodwill, etc.

A beer fridge full of Coors Light

Big bags of Cheezies

A big TV, hung way up high (out of the way of the beer, slobber and orange fingers)

A kiddie area with lots of toys and cell phones to play with

 

...put them all in there and lock the door and let them out when it’s time for them to go! They might not even want to leave!

 

panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
559 posts
 

In college my only source was a turntable, so I'd just pull the headshell when the party was over. Later I got a second headshell and a low end Audio Technica, but removed all my MFSL and other references. Today, I have a VPI with a JMW Memorial unipivot arm. It's a pretty intimidating device and most guests are happy to stream or listen to a CD. Grille cloths stay on.

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

Some people want to touch everything, like two year olds who never grew up.

Wonder why they don't want to touch red-hot exposed tubes?   Post sign saying anyone who touches the speakers must touch the tubes.

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 

Get Electrostatic speakers and tell them they operate on 6000 volts and if they touch them they could wind up on the moon. 

Put up a sign that says this;

                                                         Achtung!

      Das machine ist nicht fur gerfingerpoken und mittengraben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gerwerken by Dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepin hands in das pockets, relaxien und watch das blinkinlights.

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