Panel vacuuming observation

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Gordon Gray

Gordon Gray

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After having read about this on numerous occasions, I recently bought a Shop Vac 3.5 HP vacuum. Pretty industrial strength with lots of power.

My Summits are 19 months old and my house is pretty dust free. No smoking allowed, even for me.

Used the 3" adaptor and put electrical tape on the edges so as to not scratch the panel. Hit both sides twice (horizontal strokes in opposite directions) and, if you haven't done this to your panels, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Best analogy is like cleaning a window that is somewhat dirty. Everything we like about the ML's becomes more more obvious and the effect is not subtle.

Highly recommended to those who haven't tried.

GG
 
Yep... really makes a difference, especially in a dusty environment. Just make sure you unplug them overnight before-hand, to allow the panels charge to dissipate. I vacuum mine every 3-4 months, and as a reminder, stick a post-it note on the back cabinet with the date last vacuumed.
 
SleepySurf, good idea on the post-it with a date.

I use a virtual post-it, a reminder in my home office Outlook application that recurs every month. I get nagged until it's done ;)

High suction vacuums are the bomb, I use a Dyson and never need to worry about whether it was enough suction. Sometimes I fear for the Mylar, but after seeing the stretching and pulling it goes through during assembly, I'm no longer worried :cool:
 
confused

sleepysurf said:
Just make sure you unplug them overnight before-hand, to allow the panels charge to dissipate.
Click to expand...
Are you absolutly sure it's necessary to do this? I ask because it's my understanding that, except for the original CLS 1, all ML's employ a signal sensing circuit that shuts off the power to the panels when no signal is present.
 
nsgarch said:
Are you absolutly sure it's necessary to do this? I ask because it's my understanding that, except for the original CLS 1, all ML's employ a signal sensing circuit that shuts off the power to the panels when no signal is present.
Click to expand...

I have never turned mine off, and have not noticed any sonic difference. if they push and pull to produce sound then why wouldn't a little suction pull be any different if a signal isn't passing through it. Okay, maybe a bad argument, but I've not noticed any neg effects.

Jeff, yes French maid's are nice! However in my case I have a pretty one from a central eastern european country.
 
nsgarch said:
Are you absolutly sure it's necessary to do this? I ask because it's my understanding that, except for the original CLS 1, all ML's employ a signal sensing circuit that shuts off the power to the panels when no signal is present.
Click to expand...


All Monoliths up to and including my series III's (but not some post '93 versions) do not have the signal sense circuit in them and must be unplugged when not in use or prior to vacuuming.

But you are correct in that most >1994 ML's will auto-shut-off.

I believe the 1993 edition of the Sequell II (the IIb I have) were the first to incorporate the signal sense.
 
SugarMedia said:
I have never turned mine off, and have not noticed any sonic difference. if they push and pull to produce sound then why wouldn't a little suction pull be any different if a signal isn't passing through it. Okay, maybe a bad argument, but I've not noticed any neg effects.

Jeff, yes French maid's are nice! However in my case I have a pretty one from a central eastern european country.
Click to expand...

SugarMedia,
Works for me! :D


Jeff:cool:
 
I think the main reason to dissipate the charge before vacuuming is to minimize the liklihood of dust clinging to the charged membrane.
 
Yup it's in my ML manual, to switch them off a few hours before vacuuming.

So you don't use a brush on the vacuum cleaner???

And is deep vacuum the best, i.e. the most powerful vacuum???
 
Huey said:
Yup it's in my ML manual, to switch them off a few hours before vacuuming.

So you don't use a brush on the vacuum cleaner???

And is deep vacuum the best, i.e. the most powerful vacuum???
Click to expand...

They need to be off (ie. not having played any music or other sound) for about 12 hours so that all of the static charge has dissipated and thus the dust won't STICK to the panels and the vacuum will actually be able to do maximal good.

I do NOT use a brush on my vacuum when cleaning the speakers.

I DO like a hot chick in a french maid outfit. Don't have access to either right now, but the wife promises to loose some weight and then I'll spring for the outfit! LOL! :D
 
I still got to try this, but I dont want to because everything sounds just fine as they are. My mom always said, don't rock the boat... and my ER attending repeatedly told me, don't go looking for trouble when there isn't one.

We will see.... ;) .
 
I'm with you. I just cleaned my odysseys about 3 weeks ago and really could not believe the difference. Much, much more detail. I unplugged them and vacuumed the next day.
 
Joey, go for it

Joey_V said:
I still got to try this, but I dont want to because everything sounds just fine as they are. My mom always said, don't rock the boat... and my ER attending repeatedly told me, don't go looking for trouble when there isn't one.

We will see.... ;) .
Click to expand...

Hi Joey,

I agree with your initial take on this. Everything sounded fine on my system prior to vacuuming the panels. However, after a thorough cleaning, whole new ball game. You are not going to hurt the mylar and your Summits will sing like they never have before.

G
 
I vacuum my Summits once a month. I suggested to my wife that we could hire a lovely French maid who could vacuum my speakers as part of her duties. But she retorted that such duties could also be carried out by a blue eyed, blonde haired, pool boy... :think:

I decided I would continue cleaning the Summits myself... :rolleyes:
 
edwinr said:
I vacuum my Summits once a month. I suggested to my wife that we could hire a lovely French maid who could vacuum my speakers as part of her duties. But she retorted that such duties could also be carried out by a blue eyed, blonde haired, pool boy... :think:

I decided I would continue cleaning the Summits myself... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Nobody touches my 'logans but me - hot French maid or otherwise.
 
amey01 said:
Nobody touches my 'logans but me - hot French maid or otherwise.
Click to expand...

you sir, need to get out more often :p (j/k)



..but seriously any good looking blonde, brunette, redhead, bald headed girl can touch my logans anytime as long as she doesnt damage em lol.
 
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