A whole new meaning to "live" music


I opened up a Watt 5 unit today to test the driver.

Inside I found a cherry pit and a bunch of uncooked rice (short grain). Seems like a mouse has made my speaker their pantry, having gained entry to it via the port.

Luckily, no mouse poop or bad smells.

Anyone else have similar experiences?
vhuang
I'd hate to imagine but I'm told I have a writer's imagination.

All the best,
Nonoise
It looks like you have discovered the "secret" to why the Wilson speaker line sounds so good. It was not a mouse. I just put some Uncle Ben's and a cherry pit inside my speakers, and they are now sounding WAY better than ever before....Thanks for the tip!
Now we can start the debate on long grain verus short grain versus instant rice. Which one gives the best sound?
I restored an Eden bass cab after it had been left unattended in a store room...mice had eaten the wire insulation and removed all of the fibre padding. An easy fix but man...gross.
The resonance factor of the cherry pit, as opposed to peach or plum pits, contributes tremendously.
Great story- Vhuang-

we know that "gremlins" affect computers and the like.
In your case it is "critters" that affect loudspeakers.

Happy Listening!
Are you shure there were no signs of a mouse?? Maybe after the first cannon shot of the last time you played the 1812 Overture, the little guy exploded and that's all that was left of him...
I remember someone else talking about finding a bird or a birds nest in their speaker. Talk about a music loving animal, and gives new meaning to tweeters
Working in hifi for 17 years has allowed me to see a lot of odd things show up inside speakers.

2-3 lbs of dry dog food kibble in a pair of Polk Towers.
At least a dozen different matchbox and hot wheels toy cars.
Many many 3-6 inch action figures.
Enough Leggos and Duplo blocks to open a toy store.
Crayons, felt tip markers.
Monopoly money.
Jewelry ( some authentic some costume).
Countless spiders and creepy crawlies.
A fishing lure.

All no doubt placed in the port by a child. I can just imagine a 3 year old putting 3 or 3 pieces of dog food in at a time every morning while mom and dad get the dog fed and go about their morning routines.
I have gremlins. In short order, my projector died (power source), VP30 went south. Cary Cinema 6 died and took the Watt 5 that I was using as a center channel with it with a loud "POP".

New projector on the way and speaker refurb. underway.

But my Wadia 860 and Classe Amp have been chugging along with no issues.
My first pair of homebrew speakers, built in 1979 when I lived in rural Louisiana, were huge transmission line systems using B-stock KEF drivers. They were so large that I had to do the final assembly upstairs in my room because they wouldn't have made it around the bend in the staircase. I named the left-hand speaker "Ferdinand" after Ferdinand Porsche, and the right-hand speaker "Irving" after Irving M. Fried.

Anyway when the time came to move on to something else, I opened them up to salvage the wool and hardware. And that's when I found a stash of about two handfuls of dry corn kernels inside Ferdinand. Apparently Ferdinand had a little friend. And like Vhaung's experience, no mouse poop. A conscientious little friend.

Ironically one of Ferdinand Porsche's most ambitious projects was called the "Maus". You can Google it.

Ferdinand and Irving exited the room through the window, as neither could make it around the staircase, and the aforementioned final assembly was not easily reversible.

Years later when I built speakers for relatives who lived in the same house, I installed heavy-duty screens on the inside flare of the ports to keep the mice out.

Duke
builder of overpriced mouse houses