Linn Owners

Tips: Speaker Chassis Tighten screws

J

JPO2005

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It is well known that the screws of the loudspeaker chassis loosen with time. This is not good for the sound at all.
It's also known that after very tight they come loose, so be careful. To make this perfect you should get a torque wrench.
Good are the ones from Hazet, among others. I prefer to use one that is like a screwdriver, because you have more feeling here than with a ratchet. See also here:
https://smile.amazon.de/Drehmoment-Schraubendreher-inklusive-Bit-Halter-Einstellwerkzeug-6001-1-4/dp/B00N4Y7MQY/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=hazet+torque wrench+6001-1.4&qid=1597505628&sr=8-1

There are three possible settings on the key:
1. to Linn with 2.0 Nm
2. according to users (forum) 0.6 Nm (3k-Array)
3. my favourite so far 1.4 Nm
I have always heard with 1.4 but many have recommended 0.6, so I tried that. First the Linn recommendation of 2.0 to 1.4.
That didn't sound very good, it sounded sharper and less sound. To hear 0.6 I loosened all screws, again be careful not to unscrew them too far (not out of the thread).
Then I waited a few hours to let it all settle down again. That means for all those who have more than 0.6 loosen the screws and let the material rest for a few hours.
You can also listen to how it sounds with loose screws so you know how important it is.

I have to say 0.6 sounds really good, many thanks to those who passed on this tip! I will listen to this for a few days and then test 1.4 again.
Previously bad recordings sound just great. My God, the instruments and singers sound authentic, they are standing in the middle of the room.

First of all, we tighten the drivers of the tweeters, always crosswise. After the first tightening I would go through them all again to check that the torque wrench clicks.

For the bass we first have to remove the ring. Linn left a small notch in one place, but it's hard to find. I once bought a kit that allows you to remove the ring without damaging the paint. See also here:
https://smile.amazon.de/gp/product/B07K24V547/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The lower bass on the Akubarik can be tightened with a ratchet as a torque wrench. You should use 1.0 nm here, but I am still testing.

IMPORTANT: Many torque screwdrivers are advertised with the in/LB scale which can be a bit confusing and most of these are for higher force. Please make sure you convert it to Nm scale. You can do this here: http://extraconversion.com/energy/inch-pounds/inch-pounds-to-newton-meters.html. (Thanks frans5508)

All changes I make in this post and show below under "Reason for Edit" what was changed.

 
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frans5508

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Thanks. Coincidentally just had a chat with @zee9 about this minutes ago. I ordered this week the Sturtevant Richmont CAL 36/4 Adjustable Torque Screwdriver (810568). Seems to meet the specs, got the advice for this model from another forum. I havent received the screwdriver yet, but will try it out coming week. 

Just to elaborate a bit on the scale. Many torque screwdrivers are advertised with the in/LB scale which can be a bit confusing and most of these are for higher force. Please make sure you convert it to Nm scale. You can do this here: http://extraconversion.com/energy/inch-pounds/inch-pounds-to-newton-meters.html

 

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For the bass we first have to remove the ring. Linn left a small notch in one place, but it's hard to find. I once bought a kit that allows you to remove the ring without damaging the paint. See also here:
https://smile.amazon.de/gp/product/B07K24V547/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The lower bass on the Akubarik can be tightened with a ratchet as a torque wrench.
I also prefer the 3k array tightened to 0.8Nm.

What torque settings did you prefer for the upper and lower bass drivers?  Do you know what settings Linn recommend for these drivers?

 

PeterHawks

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@Johannes
You have been telling about the Linn recommendation of tightening screws of the Akubarik. Do you know were to find the written recommendations? I cannot find them.
I am also curious about your results from further investigation in this subject.
Thnx!

 

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I asked Linn about this before the first UK lockdown.  They didn't refer to the upper or lower bass drivers but Colin on the Linn Helpdesk replied:

"The hex bolts on the 3K array are not set to a torque setting.  I would suggest tightening the 3K arrays hand tight.  There is no need to use a lot of force, just tighten them until you get resistance."

Dealers I've spoken to have said the 3K arrays take an age to 'play in' and I suspect its because they are secured strongly at Linn so they don't loosen in transit.  I suspect the same is true of the bass drivers and why the Akubariks can sometimes sound a bit bass light from new.

Its easy enough to tweak the 3K array to get what you prefer but I'm reluctant to remove the ring around the upper bass driver and remove the stands to adjust the lower bass driver until I've some idea what torque setting Linn suggest (if any) or what others have found works well.

 

Paulssurround

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I asked Linn about this before the first UK lockdown.  They didn't refer to the upper or lower bass drivers but Colin on the Linn Helpdesk replied:

"The hex bolts on the 3K array are not set to a torque setting.  I would suggest tightening the 3K arrays hand tight.  There is no need to use a lot of force, just tighten them until you get resistance."

Dealers I've spoken to have said the 3K arrays take an age to 'play in' and I suspect its because they are secured strongly at Linn so they don't loosen in transit.  I suspect the same is true of the bass drivers and why the Akubariks can sometimes sound a bit bass light from new.

Its easy enough to tweak the 3K array to get what you prefer but I'm reluctant to remove the ring around the upper bass driver and remove the stands to adjust the lower bass driver until I've some idea what torque setting Linn suggest (if any) or what others have found works well.
I have helped a lot of people set up their brand new Linn speakers, direct from the factory.

‘It is not unusual to find that some of the bolts are loose when they arrive.

I have my Sealey torque wrench ready, to tighten them up.

 

akamatsu

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I asked Linn about this before the first UK lockdown.  They didn't refer to the upper or lower bass drivers but Colin on the Linn Helpdesk replied:

"The hex bolts on the 3K array are not set to a torque setting.  I would suggest tightening the 3K arrays hand tight.  There is no need to use a lot of force, just tighten them until you get resistance."

Dealers I've spoken to have said the 3K arrays take an age to 'play in' and I suspect its because they are secured strongly at Linn so they don't loosen in transit.  I suspect the same is true of the bass drivers and why the Akubariks can sometimes sound a bit bass light from new.

Its easy enough to tweak the 3K array to get what you prefer but I'm reluctant to remove the ring around the upper bass driver and remove the stands to adjust the lower bass driver until I've some idea what torque setting Linn suggest (if any) or what others have found works well.
When I had the mislabeled Akubariks situation, I had to, per instructions from Linn, remove and check serial numbers on the 3K arrays. The instructions from Linn were to torque the fasteners on the 3K arrays to 1,5 Nm (1.5).

I would go ahead and tighten the upper bass drivers even without a torque wrench/driver. Loose is bad, snug is much better. Also, the isobarik drivers can be accessed from below. I think a small allen wrench would do the trick. Again, just get them snug. I'll check my upper bass and isobariks later and report back it I discover anything that might help others.

I think one of the main benefits of using a torque driver is to prevent over-tightening and therefore, avoid potential damage. Just be careful.

 

Johannes

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When I had the mislabeled Akubariks situation, I had to, per instructions from Linn, remove and check serial numbers on the 3K arrays. The instructions from Linn were to torque the fasteners on the 3K arrays to 1,5 Nm (1.5).

I would go ahead and tighten the upper bass drivers even without a torque wrench/driver. Loose is bad, snug is much better. Also, the isobarik drivers can be accessed from below. I think a small allen wrench would do the trick. Again, just get them snug. I'll check my upper bass and isobariks later and report back it I discover anything that might help others.

I think one of the main benefits of using a torque driver is to prevent over-tightening and therefore, avoid potential damage. Just be careful.
Have you tried 0.6 for the 3k array?

 
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I have helped a lot of people set up their brand new Linn speakers, direct from the factory.

‘It is not unusual to find that some of the bolts are loose when they arrive.

I have my Sealey torque wrench ready, to tighten them up.
What torque settings do you use for Akubariks Paul?

I prefer the 3K array on mine at 0.8Nm but am trying to find out what might be the optimum for the upper and lower bass drivers.

Unfortunately I have a lumbar spine full of Meccano and artificial ligaments so this kind of undertaking isn't something I want to have to tackle more than maybe once!

 

Johannes

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The cover for the bass has a small recess that is not visible. If you don't have a lifting tool, you can pull the cover off. Usually it is on top and you can see it when you move the ring a little, inwards.

 
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Paulssurround

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What torque settings do you use for Akubariks Paul?

I prefer the 3K array on mine at 0.8Nm but am trying to find out what might be the optimum for the upper and lower bass drivers.

Unfortunately I have a lumbar spine full of Meccano and artificial ligaments so this kind of undertaking isn't something I want to have to tackle more than maybe once!
I have heard suggestions from a variety  of sources, to adjusting the 3K array, ranging from 0.55 Nm -2.0 Nm.

I currently have them set at 1.0 Nm, but am willing to try 0.6 and 0.8 Nm

I have tightened my Isobarik drivers to become snug, as akamatsu suggests, but have not turned my Akubariks upside down to use my torque wrench

 

rduras

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I can’t imagine people at Linn factory not using a torque wrench when assembling the speakers.
Why is then a problem to write down these numbers in the manual? 
We are talking about fine-tuned equipment here and details like this should matter. 
Or did they want to discourage people to do this by themself?
But screws get loose after some time and equipment underperform because of this so what should you do, call Linn dealer every year to check this?
(I hope some of Linn staff will read this rambling  ;) )

 

Johannes

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This probably comes first from the old days when it was said that completely solid is the best, that Linn says nothing about it or is cautious. At that time, a lot of things were ruined or material was compressed. 

On the other hand, they will also want to avoid endless discussions. As we can see here, one topic has hundreds of different opinions.
And what happens when the temperature changes, because the strength of the screws also changes.

Another point is that you can't keep a system playing at the highest level for very long.

 

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