Replacing Theater i Panel

[Dominick22]

I just received a new Theater i panel today and will be replacing it shortly. Some may remember that I was having a slilght sizzling problem with the actual esl. This after only 1 year, but ML in its commitment to great customer service sent me a new one-no questions asked.

Anyway, I will be taking pics of the process and reporting on the level of difficulty. Maybe I will get to see some guts!

More to come,

Dominick in New Jersey

 

[wink]

Going by my experience with replacing one of the panels on my reQuest, the replacement process should be fairly simple. I had a dent in one of my panels from shipping( Kansas to Ohio, then from Ohio to Rapid City South Dakota). I called M-L expecting a fight to replace the panel, but after speaking to the rep there I couldn't get upset. They apologized about a dozen times then overnighted a new panel to me. I've been faithful to M-L ever since:cheers:

Good luck with your project. Awaiting pics.....

Dan

 

[lugano]

Good idea, to fully document the panel replacing with photos. Maybe Tom should create a dedicated area for this - and/or link it to the various ML models, because sooner or later such replacements will occur.

Of course, repaneling of older models - like my CLS II's - will occur sooner.

My new panels will arrive before the end of January and I plan to take lots of pics and create a nice, visually documented step-by-step how-to. But where should such a procedure be posted ? Maybe rename the "tweaks" forum to "tweaks and repaneling" and put it there ? Or - maybe better - create a "Maintenance" forum, and populate it right away with some treads moved from the "tweaks", which are really belonging to the maintenance concept ? Tom, what's your take ?

 

[karma]

Good idea, to fully document the panel replacing with photos. Maybe Tom should create a dedicated area for this - and/or link it to the various ML models, because sooner or later such replacements will occur.

Of course, repaneling of older models - like my CLS II's - will occur sooner.

My new panels will arrive before the end of January and I plan to take lots of pics and create a nice, visually documented step-by-step how-to. But where should such a procedure be posted ? Maybe rename the "tweaks" forum to "tweaks and repaneling" and put it there ? Or - maybe better - create a "Maintenance" forum, and populate it right away with some treads moved from the "tweaks", which are really belonging to the maintenance concept ? Tom, what's your take ?

HI lugano,
Having just replaced the panels on my CLSIIA's, my memory is fresh. Just thinking about doing the replacement caused shivers. But after hearing from forum members and double checking with Jim, I proceeded and found it is very simple. Really.

Actually, there is very little to document. There are no tricks to doing it. It's just kind of hard to visualize the task. What's really needed is just getting up one's courage. I added one step to the ones Jim Power described to me. I used a slender, short piece of wood jammed between the panel and the frame at the free end. This keeps the panel from slipping back into the mounting slot while you are working on the other end. If you have two people, even this is not necessary.

Sparky

 

[J Lustig]

Like many others here, I got experience the ML level of customer service first hand and was very pleased. After Fedex stuck a fork lift arm through my Theater, Jim at ML sent me all the parts to completely rebuild it. You really shouldn't experience any issues with the swap as it is pretty uncomplicated. I do wonder if this means I could upgrade my Theater panel to a Theater I panel :think:

 

[Reverb2009]

I do wonder if this means I could upgrade my Theater panel to a Theater I panel :think:

It's on my to do list.

 

[Reverb2009]

I just received a new Theater i panel today and will be replacing it shortly. Some may remember that I was having a slilght sizzling problem with the actual esl. This after only 1 year, but ML in its commitment to great customer service sent me a new one-no questions asked.

Anyway, I will be taking pics of the process and reporting on the level of difficulty. Maybe I will get to see some guts!

More to come,

Dominick in New Jersey

One thing to note is there are three screws holding the tweeter pod in place. Two on the bottom of the tweeter pod and one hidden behind on the top. Once you find all three the tweeter pod will slide strait out.

 

[Pcar928fan]

I just received a new Theater i panel today and will be replacing it shortly. Some may remember that I was having a slilght sizzling problem with the actual esl.

I am sure they had you vacuum the panel w/ a high powered vacuum cleaner before they agreed to send a new panel to you, but I have had all my ESL panels sizzle from time to time and every time a good cleaning will fix the problem. You don't even hear that sizzle unless you are pretty close to them. Your problem was probably much more extreme!

 

[Dominick22]

Out of curiosity...

Is there any difference in the panel itself between the Theater and the Theater i???

I ask this because all of the docs that came with my new "theater i" panel only designate it as a regular theater panel. I am wondering if I need to verify that it is indeed a theater i panel or if there is no difference between the two???

Anyone know?

Dominick

 

[Reverb2009]

Out of curiosity...

Is there any difference in the panel itself between the Theater and the Theater i???

I ask this because all of the docs that came with my new "theater i" panel only designate it as a regular theater panel. I am wondering if I need to verify that it is indeed a theater i panel or if there is no difference between the two???

Anyone know?

Dominick

The theater i panel has Martin Logan’s microperf technology. Smaller holes that give a larger playable area then the larger stator holes of previous generation panels.

 

[TomDac]

Document this and it'll be put in the TWEAKS section with the other panel replacement documentation.

Tom.

 

[lugano]

Document this and it'll be put in the TWEAKS section with the other panel replacement documentation.

Tom.

OK Tom, u'r the boss

 

[Pcar928fan]

The theater i panel has Martin Logan’s microperf technology. Smaller holes that give a larger playable area then the larger stator holes of previous generation panels.

yea, all the "i" speakers have more smaller holes, so you can see through them more easily. I like that mine all match up...same hole size and count per sq. in. If I got an "i" anything I would have to change them all, but to my knowledge they never did a Prodigy i.

 

[ScottG]

yea, all the "i" speakers have more smaller holes, so you can see through them more easily. I like that mine all match up...same hole size and count per sq. in. If I got an "i" anything I would have to change them all, but to my knowledge they never did a Prodigy i.

'I' get it now :cheers:

 

[Reverb2009]

yea, all the "i" speakers have more smaller holes, so you can see through them more easily. I like that mine all match up...same hole size and count per sq. in. If I got an "i" anything I would have to change them all, but to my knowledge they never did a Prodigy i.

The “i” generation had several upgrades over pervious generation panels.

1. MicroPerf: smaller holes creating more playable space in a same surface area.

2. 2nd gen. Film that used a new plasma bonding process to create a sound that users noted as being slightly less brighter the pervious generation panels (not to say the 1st Gen. panels are bright).

3. All “i” panels now use “ClearSpars” for a more transparent looking and dynamic ESL panel.



EDIT:

Also only the Theater i, Cinema i, Clarity, Script i, and Aeon i, got MiroPerf. The larger panels Ascent i, Odyssey, and Prodigy never got Microperf. A dealer in Phoenix, AZ, told me the Odyssey and Prodigy were changed over to 2nd Gen. Film but was never publicly announced.