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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
jrwaudio
331 posts
 

Hey l touch my own drivers in my speakers I lightly touch them occasionally to make sure everything is working Sure enough one night I just wasn't hearing the magic and  l thought I was having an off night for listening to my stereo rig  I walked by my tower speaker that has built in powered woofers and it wasn't working! Anyway friends and family that come over and have no idea and are amazing at all the audio gear that is in my credenza  I have my tube amp with its KT 88's exposed in all their glory on the top of my credenza They all look totally confused when looking at my tube amp and ask what is that!!?? I must say though no one have touched or messed with any of my stereo rig so far

carlsbad's avatar
carlsbad
1,551 posts
 

Nobody that visits my place would consider touching my equipment.  If someone did come over that I didn't trust, I'd gve them a prejob briefing that nothing should be touched.  

vonhelmholtz
898 posts
 

We recently moved out of state, and I don’t have friends, but my kids have friends. Teenagers don’t like to sit down and listen to music. They are always on the move and my listening room is down a long isolated hallway where nobody goes.

jnovak's avatar
jnovak
401 posts
 

Actually, the knuckle rap test has been done by more than a few speaker reviewers over the years. I ONCE suggested to an audiophile friend to do the rap test on a set of Pioneer speakers I had at the time. He commented that I had down graded to Pioneer. I pointed out that the particular speaker was trickle down technology from the top of the line TAD speaker. I do agree that people should keep their hands to themselves. When I was a kid in the 60's, we dare not go into someone's house and touch a thing! Even at the ripe old age of 21 I never touched my Grandparents TV or went into the refrigerator. I asked permission! People are clueless today.

larryi
3,715 posts
 

I just don't have house guests, this works great not just for protecting the system.

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