Aerius i sound flat, happened to both speakers at the same time

[djmika]

Hey Guys,

I'm hoping someone has some ideas on this...

I have a pair of ML Aerius i's which are probably 12 years old. I have had them for close to three years. They sound great, or did until tonight. I turned the system on and something sounded "off." Both speakers sound dead. The panels are making sound but not with the intensity they should be. I tried swapping everything up stream and have narrowed the problem to the speakers.

Both red power LED's are on.

It has been raining here but I live in California (bay area) but there isn't a tremendouns amount of moisture in the air here usually. I live in a small condo and I keep the temp fairly consistant.

The thing that surprises me about this is that they both sounded fine earlier in the week. For both of them to experience the same problem at the same time seems like more than a coincidence.

I realize it could be time to replace the panels but I'm hoping someone has had a similar problem and knows what's going on.

I vacuum the panels occasionally but have never washed them in the shower.

Thanks in advance for the help on this.

 

[akm3]

Did the speaker panels lose AC power from the wall?

/edit: Whoops you said the red LED's are on.

Can you confirm that the panels ARE playing and it isn't just the woofer?

 

[djmika]

Yes,

I can confirm that the panels are making some noise. At first I was wondering if it was just me... But its not.

The panels sound like they're down about 3 db. Vocals are congested and there is no soundstage or imaging. Treble is there; still fairly extended but muted.

The woofer is definitely more pronounced.

There is still a noticable difference between when the panels are plugged into AC and when they're not. Just not as much of a differance as there should be.

Hope this description is helpful.

 

[mrlowry]

Have you tried vacuuming the panels? When my system starts to sound a bit dull on the top end, dynamics become a bit lacking, a bit slow, and the bass a bit tubby I know it's time. The head of Martin Logan's service department recommends that the electrostatic panels of ALL of their models be vacuumed roughly twice a year. Being a bit of an obsessive compulsive audio geek it usually get done monthly. WOW, a quick vacuuming of these speakers does work wonders! The bass is again articulate, with great pitch definition. Drums have regained their dynamic snap. The high frequencies have also come out to play as well. The detail in tambourines is remarkable.

The vacuum that I use for this purpose (Yes I use a specific vacuum, sue me) is very similar to one that Target is offering on line (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...0-watt_Turbo_Hand_Vacuum&ref=tgt_adv_XSN10001) It is extremely affordable at less than $30, and light enough to hold in on hand while the other hand is doing the vacuuming. For electrostatic speaker owners this very well might be the best $30 tweak out there.

 

[slowGEEZR]

DJMIKA,

it sounds like your power supplies might need replacing, although it seems a little strange for both to go at the same time. You say it has been raining, have there been any lightning strikes? I'm not sure if the "i" model has fuses in the power supplies, but you might check. First thing I'd do is call Martin Logan, they can probably diagnose your problem over the phone and advise the best course of action. When I had a power supply blow on one of my Aerius speakers, they sent me a new one right away. Since they forgot to tell me how much it cost, I got it for free. It is very easy to take off the rear panel. Good luck, Steve.

 

[amey01]

Hate to say it, but it really does sound like your panels are going. Both at the same time is strange, but that said, perhaps it has been happening slowly and you haven't noticed.

First off, give them a really really good vacuum. That is, leave them unplugged for 24 hours, then vacuum each speaker by cupping your hands over a bare nozzle and letting the pressure build up against the panel. Spend about five minutes on each side of each panel. ie. 20 minutes! A fine brush (that is not dropping any dust or gunk) might help as you vacuum also.

Plug them in again and let them charge for about five minutes before listening seriously.

If this fails, it might be time for a shower or panel replacement. It could be the power supplies, but I think this is less likely. Have they ever been exposed to smoke in thier life? - if so, then I'd be about 99% sure it's the panels.

 

[mrlowry]

That is, leave them unplugged for 24 hours

Oh, ya I forgot to mention that they should be unplugged for quite some time. Thanks for catching the oversight.