New ML owner, might have a problem?

[EnzoPolotso]

Well I suppose there's definitely a problem, though not quite a big one.
I bought a used pair of Aerius' this morning, and when I went to listen to them, I didn't notice this.
Basically what's happening is one of the panels is a little bit lower in volume and is much more reserved in the high frequencies. Even with just test tones from the reciever (Pioneer Elite), it's obvious that one of the speakers is much brighter, the other almost sounds like it's veiled.
It hasn't bothered me too much because it's not like the panel is incapable of producing those frequencies, using the auto EQ on the Pioneer boosts that panel enough that it gets back what it lost but it still kind of bugs me.
Is this common? Could it just need a good cleaning?
If it's just the panel that needs to be replaced that's doable, but since EQing brings it back to normal, could it be the electronics?
Thanks for any help guys, the speakers DO sound great.

(I've tried swapping channels on the reciever, different cables, and different sources, so it is consistent on just that speaker)

 

[Dan Prorok]

First off, yes, you should clean the panels. Leave the speakers unplugged overnight and then give the panels a vacuum with the strongest vacuum you can get your hands on.

For speakers this age, it is entirely likely the panels may be covered in filth and the weight of that extra filth can drastically reduce the ability of the panels to reproduce frequencies. When you look in the holes in the panels, do you see little dark spots in the center?

It is more likely to be the panels than the electronics, but to be entirely sure, you could pop the rails off and swap the panels between the two speakers. It's not that hard to do...the rails slide off with a few taps with a rubber mallet and after that, the panels come right off.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[eknuds01]

Yeah, give 'em a good cleaning with the vacuum. You can also take the panels out and actually wash them. It entails removing the side rails and unhooking a few wires I believe, but you can take the panels out and place them in the shower. Then set them on the ground, upright, with a fan blowing on them for an hour or two, then flip them around and let the fan hit them again for same amount of time.

Do a search for cleaning the panels or contact some of the veteran members for more info.

Erik

 

[EnzoPolotso]

When you look in the holes in the panels, do you see little dark spots in the center?

I absolutely do.
Before I left for work tonight I did unplug the speakers, so by the time I get home they should be ok to vacuum. I'll try swapping the panels if that doesn't help, and then into the shower they would go.

Thanks!

 

[EnzoPolotso]

Well, just vacuuming didn't help, so sometime this week I'll get around to swapping the panels (to make sure just the panel is the issue) and then giving them a wash.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Enzo, it doesn't sound like dirty panels to me. My Aerius' are 13 or 14 years old and I've never vacuumed them. It might be the power supply to the speaker. Try this. Unplug the good sounding speaker from the wall and see if it now sounds like the other one. If so, then the bad speaker has a power problem.

 

[Rich]

I think the first thing I would do is contact the guy you bought the speakers from and ask him what kind of scam he is trying to pull. Selling you speakers with an obvious fault is downright fraudulent and I would demand he make it right.

If that doesn't work, I would contact Jim Power at Martin Logan tech support and get his take on the problem and potential solution. He is going to know more than any of us on this forum and will be able to help diagnose your problem and offer up solutions. Good Luck with it.

 

[TomDac]

it all depends on the climate and environment as to how long the panels will last... dry climate with no smokers/pets and the panels will last lalot onger than humid climate and smokers/pets... Humidity makes airborne particles stick to the panels more.

If you see the dark spots on the diaphrams, they're really dirty. I would consider washing the panels only as a last resort and I would call ML first before trying that.

My guess is that if you wash the one panel and it works, your other panel won't sound the same as the freshly washed one, so be prepared to wash them both or just buy some new panels. I think brand new Aerius panels are 500 bucks or thereabouts.

Maybe you can get the seller to chip in some $$$ for some new panels.... It's worth a shot...

Anyway, good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Tom.

 

[EnzoPolotso]

I checked out the speakers pretty thoroughly when I bought them and didn't notice anything, but I'm going to contact him. He did mention the panels were changed at one point under warranty.
The problem panel sounds a little different today. A little bit brighter, but the overall volume is still slightly lower than the other. Weird. I'll contact ML, and give them a good wash.

 

[EnzoPolotso]

I was going to swap the panels today but ran into some trouble.
On one speaker, everything came off clean, panel was out, no problem. On the other, I could not get either corner off no matter what I did. The other speakers came off easy as (I assume) they should, but the others just wouldn't budge a bit. Is there any other way of getting them off besides knocking on the bottom? They weren't moving even with pretty hard hits.
The other one came back together perfectly and it's business as usual for now, but I won't be able to give them both an equal cleaning otherwise.