This is a pretty good thread. Happy Listening! |
Thought I’d resurrect this worthwhile old thread. I have found this to be true on virtually every speaker I have owned. I disagree about doing it every two weeks as someone mentioned above, but once every 2 years is about right. I also don’t agree that it is strictly or even primarily about the expansion/contraction of mdf - over 40 years in the hobby and I have found that tweeters rarely get loose, and I have found that woofers get loose even on Wilson speakers which are made from materials designed not to expand or contract. It’s about the movement of the woofers, and it cannot be avoided. Be gentle and be VERY careful of the powerful magnets which can rip the tool from your hands. I would NOT recommend Loktite or any other foreign substance or modification (such as bolts instead of screws) unless you are confident that you can reverse it without consequence. Such modifications WILL alter the sound of your speakers in unpredictable ways, while merely snugging up the drivers every couple of years should be considered ordinary maintenance that will keep your speakers sounding like new.
Enjoy!!
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Otherwise just go by feel. And remember that the tightness scale is as follows: A little loose Snug Tight Very Tight Totally Loose!! |
Be careful with the material of the cabinet and size of screw. In general, oil strengthens wood and paper material, water swells and weakens wood and paper. Use a wood or mineral oil rather than automotive types which have solvents and detergents.
Brass inserts are the best way to go, but require time and skill. This is why only a few speaker manufacturers use metal inserts in the cabinet.
If torquing, use a high quality torque screwdriver. Avoid a torque wrench. Otherwise just go by feel. |
Good call Singreen
One of the other things we should remind to do ist make sure
Speakers are level using bubble level....
and
Spikes are snug this will also give the same results.
JohnnyR
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I've always found Mr Colloms' articles(and books); well worth the read. You're very welcome. |
Nonoise - no embarrassment on this one. Before my Missions, I've owned speakers from Allison, Dahlquist, Acoustic Research, Wharfdale and a bunch of others and I never knew I should care about this. It was just a bit of luck that I happened to read the Mission owner's manual this past week. But, my guess is that most owners never realize they should consider this. Just a word of caution: Mission said never to tighten the tweeters' screws and according to Stringreen above, Vandersteen doesn't want you to touch their bolts because of the mastic applied at the factory. (Thanks Stridgreen). So maybe we all should be checking with the manufacturer's before trying this. The article referenced by Rodman indicates it's a good tweak if ok with the manufacturers. Many thanks Rodman. |
Thanks Terry,
That is one that I had completely forgot about and it used to be a regular thing 'back in the day'. I just checked mine and all the hex heads needed almost a quarter turn, main driver as well as the mounting for the supertweeter.
Embarrassed, to say the least :-)
All the best,
Nonoise |
...depends on the manufacturer. Vandersteen says never to tighten the screws, because mastic is applied before the speakers are screwed in. ..so they are glued in at the factory, and futzing with the screws could break the seal. |
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Great tidbit of info to have, thank you Terry.
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Read pages 4 & 5 of this article, for an explanation: ( http://www.stereophile.com/content/pace-rhythm-dynamics-page-5 ) |
Well, a timely thread for me. I built a pair of speakers in January and have been making progress on them since (been out of town and otherwise occupied so not continuous). I've been working to get the bass right and have been struggling. I read your thread and VIOLA...OK still not perfect but more progress fixing the bass in 2 minutes than I've had in 2 months. Of course this wasn't fixing something that worked loose, but fixing my sloppy work.
Thanks Terrysimmons! |
Thanks Jgiacalo, Roxy and Mapman. I'm glad I'm not alone in this. I wonder how many audiophiles are out there who think their speakers are past their prime when all they need is a little tightening up. And great idea using a torque screw driver! |
A frequently overlooked "tweak" that can bring significant improvement. With this reminder it's time to do mine again.
Further improvement can be gained by using a torque screwdriver so that all screws are tightened to the same degree to keep images focused; whereas uneven torqueing can blur images somewhat or shift their location. |
I do it every six months or so. I think it should be considered routine maintenance, and yes, it does make a difference. |
That's a good tweak that is often overlooked. Tight seal is paramount for bass. Usually once done once or twice after a period of time, I find you are good to go, but can't hurt to check periodically.
Driver of my OHM 5 speakers attaches with wing nuts. With these the loosening over time was most apparent and easy to tighten when needed. |
