Potential new cleaning tip.

[Webinattor]

I vacuum my panels often. They are about 7 years old. (Aerious I)

I personally do not feel I have the technical ability to wash my panels as indicated on this site. I would LOVE to do that, but I can't really drive a nail straight so I figure I would just mess up my speakers. Somehow.

Today, I am trying something different...long to do...a bit arduous, but safe (at least for me.)

You may laugh, but I am using a special kind of Q-tip that has a sharp pointy end on one side. Purchased a box of 100 for like $4.00 I am cleaning EACH and EVERY little hole in the front panel, rubbing for a second with the Q-TIP.

What is cool is, I can see the little round circles of dirt inside the panel go away with this technique. The Qtips are dirty, so I know I am removing something from the panel vacuuming isn't getting.

Sure this is a long drawn out process. But it is another way. I will post sound results after I'm done.

 

[Popipipo]

I'm not laugin'..(well,maybe a little ), because I've often wondered if a Q-tip would do the trick...
Because it seems like a tedious job, i've refrained from actually trying it..
It seemed to me that it would only be a matter of time before someone with loads of patience ( that would not be me) would stand up and be up for the task...

Are you timing your effort ?

 

[Webinattor]

I'm not laugin'..(well,maybe a little ), because I've often wondered if a Q-tip would do the trick...
Because it seems like a tedious job, i've refrained from actually trying it..
It seemed to me that it would only be a matter of time before someone with loads of patience ( that would not be me) would stand up and be up for the task...

Are you timing your effort ?

I did one side in about one hour. The point Qtips made me think of doing this. I want to do another 1/2 hours worth on the left side...then do the right speaker. Then vacuum one more time. I'm noticing there is more "grunge" in the center of the panels than there is on the curved sides.

 

[cmescia]

i wondered the same thing, but was curious if that might increase the wear of the panel and shorten its lifespan. i do not have a bad case of upgraditis, so I hope to keep mine until they are 10+yrs old (they are now 7-aerius i's).

For now i will keep vaccuuming, but i still see the spots. i did not know about the vacuuming tip until they were several years old.

Chris

 

[Popipipo]

I recently bought a new vacuumcleaner... A bagless Philips "Marathon" (something like the Dyson but in my opinion better)

2000W of powersucking beauty...

I does an amazing job vacuuming my Aerius I´s...

The black spots do not entirely disappear, but it´s very close..
I have to shine a bright light behind the panels to notice them....

 

[SugarMedia]

Whe you finished next year, please share how many holes are in one panel.

 

[Joey_V]

So do you clean the panel itself or the holes of the screen? I'm just a little confused...

Isnt the panel very thin and delicate?

 

[SugarMedia]

So do you clean the panel itself or the holes of the screen? I'm just a little confused...

Isnt the panel very thin and delicate?

He's cleaning the holes with the Q-tip by touching the membrane. And it's not so delicate. Evidently (I won't be the first to try it) ML states you can puncture the membrane many times and it won't effect the sound, only the aesthetics.

Anyone have holes in their membrane?

 

[musicman]

I vacuum my panels often. They are about 7 years old. (Aerious I)


Sure this is a long drawn out process. But it is another way. I will post sound results after I'm done.

Really good idea, waiting for the result, hope it will be positive after all this work.

Musicman

 

[frostyM]

You better check your membrane with a flash light, you most likely have quite a few bubble like spots. Q-tips are not very good for your panels, the membrane is just to delicate.

 

[Robin]

Q Tip Cleaning...

Webinattor,

I was just wondering if it takes you an hour per side? (Two hours for front & Back?) Or does it take an hour for front and back? (A half hour per side?)
Photo's of your painstaking technique might prove to be beneficial...

 

[roberto]

paint brush and a vacuum cleaner is easier...

Hola...well what I do is first turn one the vacumm cleaner, and hold it closer to where, with a the help of a 3" paint brush , I sweep from top to bottom and left to right, with hard strokes at both panels with it and collect the dust with the vacuum cleaner. I have done this since ´87 with my first CLSs and the cleaning is great. Hope this can help...happy listening,
Pura vida,
Roberto.

 

[Audionirvana]

Ironically ML has been shipping a lot of there newer Speakers with a cloth that goes over them. When I am not listening to them, I just put the cloth over them. Only have to clean them once a year if even that. Son has allergies, so I put a whole house cleaner on my furnance and that does a great job on dust...

 

[jhorowitz128]

You better check your membrane with a flash light, you most likely have quite a few bubble like spots. Q-tips are not very good for your panels, the membrane is just to delicate.

I agree here. Tried the Q-tip method with my old Aerius i panels (did only a few), and the "bubbles" are quite noticeable. Bought new panels a couple of years ago anyway, but would still like to know how to eliminate the dark spots.

 

[Webinattor]

Last night I was able to finish one speaker before my wife wanted to watch a movie, so I had to stop. So we watched the movie with only one panel finished.

If you look at my avatar, you'll notice I use "can lights" behind my speakers, so it is extremely easy to see where the "dark spots" are on the panels. All I'm doing is using the cosemtic tips (photo) They come to a point at the end and are hard spun cotton or something. (No fuzz) I did not do the panel rears, as it was clear I was able to remove the dark spots from the front only.

When we watched the movie, I guess I could compare the tweeked left speaker to the untouched right speaker. I immedately got my transient response back on the left one. More air. More open. To balance the two speakers, I would have had to change my balance control more to the right, because the right speaker was now harder to hear. So, I think this worked pretty well for me. Hands get tired, so you take a break. Your mileage may differ of course, but for a few hours on a Saturday...I got results I liked. I ended up using about 25 tips for the left speaker. You'll see the dirt on the tip quickly. I did use a bit of moisture from my tonque on a few of the tough ones. Did not see any bubbles on my panel anywhere.

Also, I'm not applying much if any pressure on the panel. Just enough to touch the dirty part, do a quick swirl and move to the next opening.

It would really be helpful if the folks at ML would engineer some sort of "cleaning tool." Something on a bar with 5 or 6 "thingies" sticking off the bar that directly fit into the panel holes for subtle nudging...You know?