So my twins have reached 7 months and are now at the start of the exploration stage. My daughter has already figured out how to crawl over to my sound system and press all the fun little buttons! Besides getting a closed entertainment cabinet/rack, does anybody have any good methods of keeping the kiddos off the equipment and the wires? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

I was fortunate enough to already have a closed rack, and our daughter (2 1/2 years old next month) has just been strong enough to open the door for a few months now. Fortunately she doesn't often open it. I was also able to keep her clear of the wiring with a couple good-sized barricades (LFM-1 on the right, large glass jar of change on the left). Is the rack tall enough that you can move the components with controls up out of their reach? It's a short-term solution (they do grow fast), but might get you to the point where they can learn to leave it alone.

The first time Kate opened the cabinet and grabbed the 990's volume knob, I wondered about a firmware change that would disable the front panel but never asked Outlaw about it...

All you have to do is be more clever than them...

When my son was 2 I noticed that I would come home and my beloved CARVER system would be powered on.
Solution: put everything inside a fully-enclosed entertainment cabinet. So there!

2 days later... system found turned on again.
Solution: built "barrier" made out of lattice.

10 minutes later... system found on.
Solution: ran to hardware store, bought drill, lock set, drill bit, etc. and installed lock on entertainment system.

2 days later... system found on, had to ask my son where he left daddy's keys...

That led to the extreme solution of removing the fuse from my amp and unplugging everything between "sessions". (Daddy was not very patient back then)
2 weeks later, had to send amp to CARVER repair to get the fuse box fixed. During the waiting period, my son lost interest and found other toys.

Anyway, roll clock forward 10 years. I now wish my son would want to play with my system instead of playing video games all day. In retrospect, I guess I missed my chance...

While it may be very hard to teach children under 2 how to respect personal belongings, from my experience it does get better as they get older. My 7 year old has an appreciation for A/V equipment. Initially it was fun to watch some cartoon type movies but as she got older, she really appreciated movie watching at home. Do I concern myself with her damaging any equipment - not in the least. She is gaining a limited understanding but right now her interest in watching movies is a larger screen and good sound. I suggested a system in her bedroom, but right now, she is satisfied with a TV and DVD player.

To add to goodsound's comments, I'll make this observation: our daughter has learned not only that the remote control makes the system change but that pressing buttons on it at random can mess it up. If she wants to watch something other than what is on or if the remote is in the way of something she's doing, she will very carefully bring me the MX-700 (holding it underneath like a plate with the buttons up and safe from accidental mashing) and hold it out for me to take. This did not used to be the case, as button mashing was too much fun in its own right - which is why the toy basket on the hearth includes two or three old remote controls with the batteries removed.

Duct tape. Wrap it around them and leave it there until they turn 14.

I dunno, Bob - twins... I've known a few twins (including my dad and my wife), and I'm not sure even duct tape is up to that challenge. It certainly wouldn't have stopped dad and Uncle Jim.

Thank you all for the suggestions and the laughs.

Gonk: My rack isn't really tall enough to move stuff up. My huge TV, all 19" of it, rests on top of the stand. I am really looking hard into a closed type of cabinet but have yet to find anything I like that costs less than my $300 budget. It's tough to find something with doors that is wide enough for all of my equipment in that budget range. I really love the Studio-Tech racks but they start about $200 above my range. If I could find a cheaper version of that type of design I would be really happy.

The barrier idea is an interesting thought. I could probably rearrange some furniture to better block some of the wiring. Has anybody used any of the wire molding products out there? Any recommendations?

Bob: I guess I could borrow some gaff tape from work. Less sticky residue that way...

The Gaffers tape worked best for me!!!

All kidding aside, the BEST way to get your young ones to leave the buttons alone is to take the time and TEACH them to not touch. It's really not that hard, and will result in making alot of other 'Don't Touch' lessons much easier in the future.
I have a daycare in my home, and have up to 8 kids in the main room everyday. I also have all my audio gear accessible to everyone. It is not an issue until a new kid comes along, and then I just teach them the same lesson. Use words like 'no touch', move them away from the immediate area and give them something else to focus on. Supplying 'extra' remotes, without batteries, is also an excellent tool to teach young ones to leave 'Daddy's remote' alone.
If you simply BLOCK them from access, they will continue to look for ways to get into your stuff. If you take the time to teach them the lesson of 'not playing with other peoples toys', it is a lesson that will stay with them forever.
Kids are really smart. They don't need to be tricked, they need to be taught.
My 2 cents,

Lonster