Confessing to not cleaning my ELS panels

[Dougster]

I confess and hereby encourage anyone who hasn't cleaned their MLs in an age to get that vacuum out!
What a difference ... thought it was my hearing!

Enjoy the music!

Currently ECM Garbarek "Belonging" on vinyl.....

Bruce

 

[GW1800]

I confess and hereby encourage anyone who hasn't cleaned their MLs in an age to get that vacuum out!
What a difference ... thought it was my hearing!

Enjoy the music!

Currently ECM Garbarek "Belonging" on vinyl.....

Bruce

As a rule I do it about every 6 months to both my Summit X's and CLX's. I unplug them for about 24 hours and then vacuum both side with a soft brush attainment.

 

[JonFo]

I vacum religiously every 30 to 45 days. Keeps the mylar light and clean.

It's one of the reasons my Sequels have lasted >24 years on original panels.

 

[stereoman]

Here's some advice I recently received from ML technical support:

The only routine maintenance we recommend is to occasionally vacuum your speaker as described here:

In order to clean the stator panels correctly, please unplug the speakers from the AC mains and let them sit for at least 4-6 hours to discharge completely. Once you have done this, you can use a good strong vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to vacuum the front side of the stator panel. The back side does not hold a charge, so you do not need to concentrate on the back side of the stator panel. But you can do a quick clean on it if you wish. I don’t necessarily recommend using the brush attachment since I feel that this just pushes the dust around or could possibly add more if the brush attachment has been previously used. Start at the top of the stator and work your way across and down until you have vacuumed the whole stator.
Be sure to concentrate on any spots that you hear popping or clicking noises. This will not harm the stator panel in any way and is actually what we recommend in order to clean your stator panels for longevity.

 

[Dougster]

Yes I know the routine... I was just kind of laughing at my sloth. Always had cleaned before any sound deterioration occurred .... until this time. I live in a clean country area! Whilst I clearly don't recommend it when you leave it too long you do get a free upgrade! Like your dedication to regular routine JonFo. Probably I am the only occasional lazeebee on this grand forum!!??

 

[stuwee]

Probably I am the only occasional lazeebee on this grand forum!!??

Not! I forget in the lovely, warm weather we have now in the desert, I keep the front door open, this subjects the left speaker to airborne nasties, it's the first to let me know...time to clean!

John, my very early Sequels still haunt me...

 

[Renderdog]

Once you have done this, you can use a good strong vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to vacuum the front side of the stator panel... I don’t necessarily recommend using the brush attachment since I feel that this just pushes the dust around or could possibly add more if the brush attachment has been previously used.

Good info, I'd planned to use the brush attachment on my new speakers when the time came. I wonder if the narrow crevice attachment on my central vac would be too strong?

 

[Dougster]

The small brush type attachment is perfect and you can use high suction without problem. The small pointy type might scratch the finish so I don't use it. Of course you need to ensure the brush is clean first. You can clean it by hand and vacuum the bristles with the pointy one! Please excuse the technical jargon!

 

[Duke]

I recently cleaned my mylar. The speakers were disconnected for a week or so. I used a 20 pound CO2 tank and set the output to about 70 pounds. I used a small bore detail type of tip. It was very small. I carefully blew the dust off the panels while the immediate area was surrounded by several HEPA filters.
I wear a dust mask when I do this work and I cordoned off the area with sheets of visqueen taped up from floor to ceiling. I have the HVAC turned off to keep the dust out of the ductwork.
The prep work takes a bit of work and it may not be necessary, but the mask is recommended. The HEPA filters do a great job removing the dust from the area. I prefer this to having the brush attachment of a vacuum touching the surface.

 

[stuwee]

While on the subject, am I the only one with OCD to vacuum the back panels as well?? It just seems like the right thing to do.

 

[JonFo]

I find using a soft-bristle brush (natural hairs) and a really strong vacuum (a Dyson) is the way to go. I have one of these dedicated solely to the job of vacuuming the panels: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8MDPSO/

It does not mar the stator, and if the bristles poke through and touch the Mylar, they will not scratch it (like synthetic straight cut bristles might).

Once done vacuuming the panel, I disconnect the brush and vacuum the bristles with the raw hose opening.

Oh, and no, Stuwee, you are not alone, I also vacuum the rear of the panel as well.

 

[Dougster]

Yes! Has to be both sides!

 

[guido]

OK. I haven't vacuumed my SL3s in 16 years. But I WILL! I WILL! (tomorrow). I promise.

 

[Dougster]

How did it go Guido? 'Removing a veil' experience?!!!

 

[Duke]

Thanks for the tip, Jonathan. I will buy one of these and try it out. Seems much easier to get the job done. I was considering the Kenmore brush attachment, but that is too stiff and coarse for my comfort.

 

[guido]

How did it go Guido? 'Removing a veil' experience?!!!

Pretty well, thank you. A slight veil lifted, yes. ;-)

 

[georgehifi]

Every time the house get vacuumed so does the speakers as I do it.
Tip they must be totally discharged (unplugged) for a day or so before doing it.
As Jo Fo I also use a Dyson with the small fine haired 5" wide attachment, really sucks hard and get's everything out, you can see the mylar getting bent towards it.

Worst thing is tiny spiders or moths that want to lay thing in there, and dust. It all forms a path for the >3.5kv bias voltage to leak to whatever is closest (frame stators ect) and then your panel won't charge fully and you get a shift in central imaging towards the one that's not leaking because that one has lost some bias voltage.

Cheers George

 

[Dougster]

Every time the house get vacuumed so does the speakers as I do it.


Cheers George

And there was me resting on my laurels.... Better get the Miele "Cat and Dog" out!!

 

[Victor]

Doug,
Thank you for the encouragement and the reminder
I cleaned mine today!
It had been at least 1 year but in my defence I keep them wrapped up in genuine ML covers (much thicker than the thin white paper ones that usually came with the product).
They keep their shape and can be applied or removed in seconds.
(Advice to the unwary : Don't use plastic bags as covers especially new ones. They hold a charge and can easily blow the internal electronics via the stators.)

As an aid to keeping them clean I generally quickly vacuum the listening room with a Dyson prior to using the MLs. (My wife thinks I'm crazy) Also vacuum before using the turntable. ;^)
Noise issues apart, I'm pretty sure that you can hear a difference in efficiency if they're in dire need of cleaning. (Another thing that appears to boost efficiency is ensuring tightness of the mounting bolts on the panels.)

Regarding the ultimate evolution of noise related to unclean panels. A friend once amusingly described it as "eating a giant bag of potato chips in front of Niagara Falls"
9 years on, mine have never had that problem so the covers are obviously working!

 

[Timobi]

I'm a new ESL 13a owner. Only owned about 2 months. But have a dusty house. So a swifter duster is not the way to go correct?

https://www.amazon.com/Procter-Gamb...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RS2Y72XQDTE361B389M5

I was thinking just a gentle down motion to clean but wanted to ask here first. I'm sure the answer is a big fat NO.