Public service announcement...

steveinaz
steveinaz Posts: 19,538
edited February 2008 in Speakers
Just a reminder about something that gets covered every now & then. Take some time to check your driver mounting bolts for tightness. I hadn't checked mine in about 2 1/2 yrs and ALL of them needed some tightening; some required 1 1/2turns of the allen wrench! This can make a big difference in the sound. Don't over do it, just enough torque so they are snug.

Pull them grilles and check them. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
Post edited by steveinaz on
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Comments

  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,236
    edited February 2008
    You got any scientific data to back that up? Did you perform a double-blind test under controlled conditions to verify that it made a difference and it's not just the placebo effect? Huh? Huh? Well did ya'? :p

    While you are at it, check your speaker binding posts [if applicable] to make sure that they are tight.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited February 2008
    Unless you own Magnepan's :)
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited February 2008
    Did you use an audiophile approved allen wrench?
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2008
    I use a hammer drill for all my loudspeaker work.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited February 2008
    Never hurts to clean all connections on your gear/speakers with a bit of DeOxit or equivalent every once in awhile. I find over time the connections get a little corroded from air born toxins, dust, UV, air moisture content, etc. I just cleaned the fuse holder (and fuse ends) on my 5B's and you wouldn't believe how discolored the Qtip was with gunk. Also just cleaned all my banana plugs and the same thing, Qtip was discolored, only not quite as badly.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • The Judge
    The Judge Posts: 60
    edited February 2008
    I'll thinks I'll check mine from top to bottom, I just have to find my tuning wire.
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  • furball
    furball Posts: 234
    edited February 2008
    So you just need to take off the grilles, and tighten those screws around the woofers? Is that right? How tight are you supposed to go? Make it really tight? Are they supposed to be that tight?
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,796
    edited February 2008
    Just turn until it really requires you to put some strength into it - hand tight...

    To tight, may put to much into it and strip it... then you are in a whole nother world of issues
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited February 2008
    furball wrote: »
    So you just need to take off the grilles, and tighten those screws around the woofers? Is that right? How tight are you supposed to go? Make it really tight? Are they supposed to be that tight?
    steveinaz wrote:
    Don't over do it, just enough torque so they are snug.

    It's right there in black and white in the very first post, I put in bold for ya!
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • bbeacham
    bbeacham Posts: 141
    edited February 2008
    treitz3 wrote: »
    While you are at it, check your speaker binding posts [if applicable] to make sure that they are tight.

    This part is useful. I have noticed that when I hand-tightened the speaker binding posts that they do loosen up over time. When I added my new amp at the beginning of December I used a nut driver on each speaker to retighten them and they are still tight 2 months later.

    Also, I just checked my speakers (LSi15) and they are held in with philips screws. I wish they were allen screws since an allen wrench fits tighter into the screw than does a phillip screwdriver.
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited February 2008
    Funny thread I try it. :)

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited February 2008
    This is good advice. I remember doing this a while back before I began to mod my speakers. I noticed that, not only were the screws loose, but the MDF that cabinets are commonly made from, starts to break down. Putting some wood glue in the holes with a syringe before **** the screw back in can help stop the breakdown of the MDF, that is, if you are dealing with MDF.
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