Wrinkles in Diaphragm normal?

khenegar · Jun 25, 2016

Wrinkles

stuwee said:
Just on the lower corners of my Summits, more like a wave than a wrinkle, no sound issues that I can hear in that critical area. I don't recall seeing any on my 1989 1st run Sequels tho...I agree, QC may be slipping as of late.

Yes I can recall I had no wrinkles in my SL3'S for the lifetime I had them! And they were bought new! I think we should ask Martin Logan why this is happening. Can u imagine buying a pair of Neoliths and have wrinkles in them!!!

amey01 · Jun 25, 2016

khenegar said:
Can u imagine buying a pair of Neoliths and have wrinkles in them!!!

Good point - or a pair of Statement E2s as well - a very plausible and feasible candidate for "best speaker human beings are able to produce" having a manufacturing fault like that ...... As if.

ElectroNoob · Jun 27, 2016

ok I emailed them and politely asked for them to send me new panels due to the manufacturing defects. We'll see what they say.

sdolen · Jun 27, 2016

ElectroNoob said:
ok I emailed them and politely asked for them to send me new panels due to the manufacturing defects. We'll see what they say.

I picked up a backup pair of panels from a ML owner who did just that, he requested new panels from ML since the speakers were new and they did replace them.

ElectroNoob · Jun 27, 2016

OK so they said they will give me new replacement panels but I need to send back my current panels for them to check if there are were defects.

jnorris · Sep 14, 2016

Within a week of owning the Electromotion ESL I noticed a small wrinkle in one of the panels. I emailed ML and asked if this would affect the sound. He said it really doesn't, but he wants my speakers to be perfect and he sent me a replacement panel - no charge under warranty, of course. I was impressed by their conscientiousness and the quick response and shipping. The problem is, replacement of the panel is not trivial and I don't want to tear apart my new speakers yet!

ElectroNoob · Sep 14, 2016

jnorris said:
Within a week of owning the Electromotion ESL I noticed a small wrinkle in one of the panels. I emailed ML and asked if this would affect the sound. He said it really doesn't, but he wants my speakers to be perfect and he sent me a replacement panel - no charge under warranty, of course. I was impressed by their conscientiousness and the quick response and shipping. The problem is, replacement of the panel is not trivial and I don't want to tear apart my new speakers yet!

Actually removing the panels on the ESL is pretty easy. You should be able to replace 1 in about 15 mins.

jnorris · Sep 14, 2016

ElectroNoob said:
Actually removing the panels on the ESL is pretty easy. You should be able to replace 1 in about 15 mins.

I'm sure you're right, the instructions are lengthy but not overwhelming. The fact is I don't want to go near a $1250 speaker with a screwdriver.

amey01 · Sep 14, 2016

ElectroNoob said:
Actually removing the panels on the ESL is pretty easy. You should be able to replace 1 in about 15 mins.

The panels are effectively a consumable part, and as such replacement is nigh on trivial.

ElectroNoob · Sep 15, 2016

jnorris said:
Within a week of owning the Electromotion ESL I noticed a small wrinkle in one of the panels. I emailed ML and asked if this would affect the sound. He said it really doesn't, but he wants my speakers to be perfect and he sent me a replacement panel - no charge under warranty, of course. I was impressed by their conscientiousness and the quick response and shipping. The problem is, replacement of the panel is not trivial and I don't want to tear apart my new speakers yet!

Did they ask for a deposit? I had to give them a $300 deposit before they would ship me the replacement panels. Otherwise I had to send my bad panels first and have no speakers for a couple of weeks.

jnorris · Sep 15, 2016

ElectroNoob said:
Did they ask for a deposit? I had to give them a $300 deposit before they would ship me the replacement panels. Otherwise I had to send my bad panels first and have no speakers for a couple of weeks.

No, they did not ask for a deposit. He was very eager to ensure that this new ML owner was pleased with his purchase and the company, and I am! I sent him a copy of the receipt, the serial number of the afflicted unit and my address and I had the replacement panel in a week. How old are your speakers?

ElectroNoob · Sep 15, 2016

I bought the speakers used and I damaged one panel while moving. The replacement panels I bought are about a year old.

jnorris · Sep 15, 2016

ElectroNoob said:
I bought the speakers used and I damaged one panel while moving. The replacement panels I bought are about a year old.

Well that explains the deposit. As a second owner, they don't know you from Adam, plus the damage was self-inflicted. The deposit was just their way of saying "We're not putting any skin in the game unless you do, as well". Can't blame them I guess. Sucks that you have no speakers until they get the panels to you. I foresee many trips to FedEx.com with the tracking number to see where your panels are now.

ElectroNoob · Sep 15, 2016

I paid $1,400 for the replacement panels which costs more than a new speaker. Profit margin wise they probably made more money off of my purchase than your's. The wrinkles I found were on the new panels.

jnorris · Sep 15, 2016

Oh, so you damaged the panel, paid $1400 for the pair of replacements a year ago, and the replacements have the wrinkles. Did they develop wrinkles or you just didn't notice them initially? Do you think the wrinkles are more of an aesthetic issue than a performance issue? I know either way, it's hard not to focus on the wrinkles when you're listening. I certainly don't hear any ill effects from the wrinkle in my panel, which is why I've been reluctant to attack them with a screwdriver. I guess there's no more warranty on the panels at this point

ElectroNoob · Sep 15, 2016

yeah I noticed them late. I was listening to them and the light reflected off the panels at just the right angled and i saw the wrinkles. I'm not sure if there's an audible distortion but the reason I gave them was, if you bought a car and you noticed one of the doors was off color, you would want them to fix it even though the car still works fine right?

roberto · Sep 16, 2016

Hola. Wrinkles in the stat panels do not harm the sound. Its only a cosmetic problem. You have 5 year warranty with your new panels, just send to whom you bought the panels, a note about it, and this person will order for you new ones for free. Only what you have to pay, I think, is the shipping. Ask to Martin Logan Service Dept about it. You are entitle to do it, of course.

Send to them pics where the wrinkles are located. This will help a lot too.

Happy listening!
Roberto.

ElectroNoob · Sep 25, 2016

I got my new replacement panels and they look worse than the ones I have. There's paint chips and scuff marks along both panels. There are still wrinkles but not as noticeable as my current panels.

roberto · Sep 25, 2016

Hola ElectroNoob. The pics are not showing really the problem. Try to find a reflection spot where you can take the pic.

On the other hand, keep asking help to Martin Logan Service Dept. They do have a quality control dept, and obviously its not doing the job that they should. You are paying for a class A product. Not a mambo jambo. Write to them again, and ask them for help.
With the aid of a hair dryer, you could try to make the diaphragm even with no wrinkles. I had done that with great success. But watch the heat, because too much could melt the diaphragm.

khenegar · Sep 25, 2016

Stat wrinkles

roberto said:
Hola ElectroNoob. The pics are not showing really the problem. Try to find a reflection spot where you can take the pic.

On the other hand, keep asking help to Martin Logan Service Dept. They do have a quality control dept, and obviously its not doing the job that they should. You are paying for a class A product. Not a mambo jambo. Write to them again, and ask them for help.
With the aid of a hair dryer, you could try to make the diaphragm even with no wrinkles. I had done that with great success. But watch the heat, because to much could melt the diaphragm.

Reberto: Can u explain ur method on how to use the heat to remove the wrinkles! Thanks

Wrinkles in Diaphragm normal?

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