In Shower With M_Logans

Seek immediate counseling........Its going to be all right.

So exactly why doesn't ML ship with membranes already showered and dried?

I'm with Krelldog... and you've got to stop smoking -- it's not good for the ML membranes or their potential resale value. It may stunt your kid's growth too and lead to other serious and possibly life-threatening conditions, but that's probably only a minor consideration as far as you're concerned.

BTW, is "loughing" a cross between laughing and coughing?

I'm assuming they were used panels? The showering thing was actually recommended to me by ML under some odd circumstances, although they were careful to say "no soap" (soap kills charge on panels). Because of that charge on the panels, they collect dust. But, showering with them seems extreme--the manual suggests unplugging them for 24 hrs and then vacuuming them...

Will cause trouble in the long run, lime etc.Best to wash with distilled or RO water.

I purchased the speakers (Aerius i) as used. According to serial number they were manufactured in 1997.
As I mentioned earlier rinsing changed sound dramatically. I wonder now how close the washing procedure brought them to "like new condition". I am affraid I will be asking my self this question over and over again...till I just purchase the new membranes from a MLogan dealer.
It is a first time I aquired this level of stereo for home. Before I had 300 dollars JBL speakers from Best Buy and old SS Yamaha amplifier. Now I have DK Design with Siemens upgraded tubes and Aeriuses connected with 500 dollars speaker cable...and I am thinking that my old system sounded way more jusy and more colorful! Yes, the soundstage is great with this new setup...it seems now that sounds originates from everywhere (instead of two sources). The bass is great - very deep and fast. But mid range and highs are just dull. I have Butler tube amp with Dynaudio speakers installed in my car. They sound way more interesting. That's all makes me believe that the membranes do not function properly. Washing just brought them from death to coma. Not back to life.
It looks like in order to mantain a clarity of sound Logan speaker membranes should be replaced on timely basis. How often? How much they are? I would appreciate any info on where and how to order them. Thanks!

I've received few emails from people asking me to describe the steps I followed while removing membrane.
Instead of replying to everyone I thought it would make more sense to post my response here.

Appliable to Aerius i:

1. Disconnect all your 500 dollars cables from the speakers.
2. Put the speaker down on the carpeted floor (always front panel up). Make sure you don't damage gold cable connectors on the back panel.
3. On the bottom panel of the speaker (the panel which is parallel to the floor when speaker is standing) release two small (about 1.5 inches long half inch wide) metal plates by unscrewing 4 Phillips screws.
4. Now you have to put speaker back to standing position.
5. Assuming the speaker is in standing position you start gently tap (I did it with my hand) from above both front decorative wooden trim panels. The idea is to make them slide down along the front panel. If you make them slide about an inch they will be released from front panel.
Be carefully here. Since black metal grid is held by these decorative trims. You may want to put the speaker down now.
6. As soon as the trims released and removed you will be exposed to the heart of this speaker - the membrane grid itself. Nothing holds it there. You don't have to unscrew anything. Last thing you need before you can get it with you in a shower :) is to disconnect four wires (two blue, one red and black). The wire connector underneath the grid. Just lift the grid slightly and you will see it. It is right above the woofer. You will use small flat screwdriver. I marked one of the blue wires just to make sure I don't mess them later when I connect the wires back.
7. Membrane is integrated into the metal grid. So you will wash the whole grid - not membrane itself. The metal grid consists of two parts: upper one is longer and has the membrane integrated into it. The lower grid doesn't hold the membrane and used only to cover the woofer. That lower part of the grid can be separated now by simple pulling it away from higher grid.
8. I washed (aka rinsed) it under low-to-med stream of shower. No soup. Warm water. 15 minutes session.
Dried it with floor fan for about 6 hours.
9. Then reverse the steps to put them together.

you win...this is the strangest thread I have ever read

Lots more discussion about showering with Logan panels on the ML Club website: www.martinloganowners.com

LOTS of users have had great success doing this.

Tom.

What kind of music are you listening to? It sounds like ML speakers are not for you. You like the Dynaudios in your car... why not get some Dynaudios? Try and fine some used Contours.... and you'll be in business

I can see being excited about new speaekrs, but really... Anyway I would not recommend it, the issue is that ML uses foam to space the diaphram away from the grids, if the foam gets wet it can take forever to dry (imagine a wet sponge wedged between a piece of metal and piece of plastic, with only the edge exposed). I had a pair of CLS II's in my system in the early 90's, while having the couch cleaned, the guy squirted (just a little) water probably with cleaning solution in it into the front of one of the speakers, it ran down to the bottom, soaking the foam and causing the speaker to arc from the diaphram to the front grid. I tried dying it for along time (hours) with a fan and when plugged back in it would still sizzle and not play right since the HV was getting bled down. Luckily I was able to fix it by putting some clear silicone rubber in the area through one of the holes in the grid and sort of carefully forcing it down between the diaphram and the grid.

Anyway, word to the wise...

are these ML speakers antistatic or electrostatic? Because if they are antistatic, this could be a reason why they are in coma.