Kazoo effect on Ascents??

[Big Al]

I bought my Ascent's used about a month ago. They sounded great at first, but one of them has recently demonstrated a buzzing sound at certain frequencies or when there is a lot of musical information. I took the old shop vac out and gave them a proper cleaning....no help.

So I called Martin Logan and spoke to a real helpful person named Jim. He said it is caused when too much air is being pushed in certain areas of the panel. He said I should be able to localize it by placing several fingers together and moving them slowly around on the back of the panels until I feel a difference in air pressure. He said that I should take a piece of clear shipping tape and put on the grill at that position and that this should solve the"kazoo effect".

Have any of you people heard of or done this?? BTW, a brand new pair of panels for my Ascent's are only $559....not bad!!

 

[C.A.P]

Hair dryer will also help but you need to know how and where the area is. Its loose or stretched MYLAR. If you play the track that does it , keep repeating it and listen closely, then take the hair dryer and heat it up with it on hot at about 3 inches away. Moving at a rate of 3 inches per second. Hit the spar areas where the mylar is sandwiched and it will re tighten. Do a little at a time. I have tightened up wrinkled up Mylar this way !


If not its new panel time !

 

[User211]

The UK new Ascent panel price is £750 - or $1500. I know - I replaced mine 6 months ago...

 

[Big Al]

I warmed my system up this morning for about 20 minutes as I always do and listened to a few songs before leaving for work. Surprisingly, no kazoo effect that I could detect??? There has been other times when this problem seems to be intermittent.

Any thoughts on this!!

 

[C.A.P]

MYLAR stretch , its common. Hair dryer will fix !

 

[Big Al]

C.A.P.,

I will give it a try!! Thanks for your input!! Sure sounds easier than fixing the delamination issue I am having with one of my 3.6 maggies. That is why they are sitting on the side line!! And if I can fix the kazoo effect on that one Ascent, or buy new panels, the maggies might be going on the used market soon!! When all is well with them, they have a beautiful sound and sound stage!!

 

[DTB300]

I dont know how old your Ascents are, but if they are old, (10-20 years depending on their environment), you will be amazed at the change and improvements you will get with new panels.

BTW, I had a slight buzz in my panels, and the Hair Dryer really helped. I "think" there is something in the Tweaks Section here on performing the task.

 

[Kevmars]

How could they be 10 to 20 years old?

 

[Big Al]

I am the 2nd owner, and I know for a fact that these speakers were purchased in 2001.

 

[SteveInNC]

Another aid is to use a stethescope, or even a piece of tubing, to help isolate the specific area where the buzz is. Move the end around over the panel in the suspect area. This is a common technique that mechanics use to isolate a specific engine noise in the midst of all of the other, normal engine noises

 

[Big Al]

Hair dryer did the trick!! Thanks all!!