Rascal
Well-known member
Hi. This has probably been dealt with before, but I offer the following personal experience with a happy ending.
It involves my Montis pair becoming (really) dull and losing high frequency response, and how Martin Logan Service went out of their way to help me and resolve the matter.
The key to properly getting rid of this dullness is cleaning.
And it turns out the key to properly cleaning a Martin Logan ESL (which should be done at regular intervals) is fully discharging the membranes before vacuuming. This information was obtained from ML Service which, in my humble opinion, is fabulous.
The units need to be totally disconnected from power and from amplifier drive for at least 24 hours. (This, by the way, is tough in my home. The family room and A/V system are popular and used every day.)
It is impossible to vacuum or blow away the dust unless the dust is completely discharged, and this won't happen unless the speakers are left un-powered for at least 24 hours. This is far longer than the 4-6 hours called for within the ML Service guidance, but believe me, is really makes a big difference.
I've done this twice now, and the results are dramatic. It turned my Montis from ordinary to breathtaking.
I use a Dyson tank type vacuum with an upholstery tool with brush. The diaphragm is rugged enough and tolerates the effects of the vacuuming. I vacuum each side very carefully. This is more than ML Service recommends, but it only takes a little more time.
I know it seems crazy for such a high end piece of gear to respond so well to so simple a procedure, but it's only if the procedure is performed in a particular way.
Of course, at some stage, this may fail to do the job. Well, ML sent me instructions on how to replace the panels as well. Far more complicated than vacuuming, to be sure, but the Service Department is there to do an important job. Because of the steps they've taken to support me, I feel very satisfied with the reliability and long term prospects for this product.
It involves my Montis pair becoming (really) dull and losing high frequency response, and how Martin Logan Service went out of their way to help me and resolve the matter.
The key to properly getting rid of this dullness is cleaning.
And it turns out the key to properly cleaning a Martin Logan ESL (which should be done at regular intervals) is fully discharging the membranes before vacuuming. This information was obtained from ML Service which, in my humble opinion, is fabulous.
The units need to be totally disconnected from power and from amplifier drive for at least 24 hours. (This, by the way, is tough in my home. The family room and A/V system are popular and used every day.)
It is impossible to vacuum or blow away the dust unless the dust is completely discharged, and this won't happen unless the speakers are left un-powered for at least 24 hours. This is far longer than the 4-6 hours called for within the ML Service guidance, but believe me, is really makes a big difference.
I've done this twice now, and the results are dramatic. It turned my Montis from ordinary to breathtaking.
I use a Dyson tank type vacuum with an upholstery tool with brush. The diaphragm is rugged enough and tolerates the effects of the vacuuming. I vacuum each side very carefully. This is more than ML Service recommends, but it only takes a little more time.
I know it seems crazy for such a high end piece of gear to respond so well to so simple a procedure, but it's only if the procedure is performed in a particular way.
Of course, at some stage, this may fail to do the job. Well, ML sent me instructions on how to replace the panels as well. Far more complicated than vacuuming, to be sure, but the Service Department is there to do an important job. Because of the steps they've taken to support me, I feel very satisfied with the reliability and long term prospects for this product.
