EPOS ES14 Speaker - An Easy Fix Or Throw Away?

[parcelmonkey]

One speaker stopped working after transport to a friend's house and unbolting the unit we discovered this!

For a competent person (not me) can this be re-soldered to the drive unit easy enough or is it FUBAR'd.

Until this situation arose, unit was fine with no known issues and played without sound issues.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions as to someone who can fix it...

Ade / parcelmonkey

 

[tuga]

That's an easy one. Just follow the directions of one of the videos on YouTube.

Check the cable for oxidation to see if it needs replacing, otherwise just cut the exposed bit and an extra 5mm, but make sure that the remaining cable is still long enough for an easy soldering.

P.S.: You'll need a soldering iron and possibly a solder pump to get rid of the existing blobs of solder. Re-solder both conductors, and if you find it easy repeat the operation on the other speaker.

 

[parcelmonkey]

That's an easy one. Just follow the directions of one of the videos on YouTube.

I don't suppose you can post that link for me please, as I've had a look around and can't see a specific vid to our issue?

We're looking at re-soldering the link wire back on to the cone of the speaker, which looks difficult, anything else wouldn't have been a problem due to the easy access.

 

[Tony_J]

I was going to ask, but you have answered my question - if it was just soldering back to the solder tag it would be easy enough, but soldering the other end where it is attached to the cone is much more tricky. First off, you need to know what the voice coil wire is made of - silver or copper are ok and no probs soldering that, but if it is an aluminium voice coil, you need the proper solder and a large slice of good luck. Been there with ally coils on Lowther drivers. Possible, but not easy and the fix tends not to last. 

 

[parcelmonkey]

I was going to ask, but you have answered my question - if it was just soldering back to the solder tag it would be easy enough, but soldering the other end where it is attached to the cone is much more tricky. First off, you need to know what the voice coil wire is made of - silver or copper are ok and no probs soldering that, but if it is an aluminium voice coil, you need the proper solder and a large slice of good luck. Been there with ally coils on Lowther drivers. Possible, but not easy and the fix tends not to last. 

Exactly! The link wire at the top of the picture I added has come loose and is requiring the soldering back to cone. I think it's beyond our remit but I wonder if anyone can recommend someone who can?

 

[tuga]

I don't suppose you can post that link for me please, as I've had a look around and can't see a specific vid to our issue?

We're looking at re-soldering the link wire back on to the cone of the speaker, which looks difficult, anything else wouldn't have been a problem due to the easy access.

Sorry, the picture wasn't clear on my phone. In that case it can be a pain I'm afraid...

If you like those speakers try finding an old "for parts" set on eBay, or maybe just the woofer if you're lucky.

 

[parcelmonkey]

I was going to ask, but you have answered my question - if it was just soldering back to the solder tag it would be easy enough, but soldering the other end where it is attached to the cone is much more tricky. First off, you need to know what the voice coil wire is made of - silver or copper are ok and no probs soldering that, but if it is an aluminium voice coil, you need the proper solder and a large slice of good luck. Been there with ally coils on Lowther drivers. Possible, but not easy and the fix tends not to last. 

Exactly! The link wire at the top of the picture I added has come loose and is requiring the soldering back to cone. I think it's beyond our remit but I wonder if anyone can recommend someone who can?

 

[parcelmonkey]

Sorry, the picture wasn't clear on my phone. In that case it can be a pain I'm afraid...

If you like those speakers try finding an old "for parts" set on eBay, or maybe just the woofer if you're lucky.

There is one currently available on auction but the surround is a little messed up but not knackered. We'll hope something comes up as otherwise he loves the sound of these before the issue and it's so galling everything was fine until then...

 

[Tony_J]

The biggest problem is getting to the voice coil wires - only really possible if you remove the cone from the suspension, but then you need new foams/rubbers. Better off finding a replacement driver IMHO.

 

[parcelmonkey]

The biggest problem is getting to the voice coil wires - only really possible if you remove the cone from the suspension, but then you need new foams/rubbers. Better off finding a replacement driver IMHO.

A little bit of googling has thrown up Wembley Loudspeakers so I have emailed them, however once costs start racking up it might become prohibitive. I have no idea whether these guys are stupid expensive or decently priced. I have also found an online shop based in Netherlands called GoodHiFi which sells a rubber surround for the ES14 so maybe?

Thanks for the help so far... :^

 

[Beobloke]

It’s a fiddly job, but eminently doable.

 

[parcelmonkey]

It’s a fiddly job, but eminently doable.

Great, but by whom? It definitely isn't something I'd be confident undertaking, my hands shake at the best of times...

 

[chebby]

Find a minty pair of Mordaunt Short MS20i Pearl Edition speakers. Designed from scratch by Robin Marshall, when MS owned Epos for a while. British made (Havant in Hampshire) and stonking good. I used mine with a Nait 5i-2 and they were superb.

Probably way less expensive and bl**dy good too...

(My old ones) 

 

[parcelmonkey]

Find a minty pair of Mordaunt Short MS20i Pearl Edition speakers. Designed from scratch by Robin Marshall, when MS owned Epos for a while. British made (Havant in Hampshire) and stonking good. I used mine with a Nait 5i-2 and they were superb.

Probably way less expensive and bl**dy good too...

(My old ones) 

A good shout; thanks!

I recall having a pair of the MS25i many years ago iirc, they were fun and I had a blast. Cheap as well and a few pairs around so have messaged my friend.

:^

 

[chebby]

A good shout; thanks!

I recall having a pair of the MS25i many years ago iirc, they were fun and I had a blast. Cheap as well and a few pairs around so have messaged my friend.

:^

It has to be the MS20i Pearl Editions as they were a ‘top to toe’ redesign by Robin Marshall with completely different drivers to the stock MS offerings. Can’t just pick up any old MS ‘i’ suffixed speaker.

 

[eddie-baby]

Find a minty pair of Mordaunt Short MS20i Pearl Edition speakers. Designed from scratch by Robin Marshall, when MS owned Epos for a while. British made (Havant in Hampshire) and stonking good. I used mine with a Nait 5i-2 and they were superb.

Probably way less expensive and bl**dy good too...

(My old ones) 

They are fine speakers, they actually sound just like epos. I didn't realise he designed those as well, which other models did Robin Marshall design? Does anyone know?

The 10i's were a very nice small speaker as well, as were most of the MS speakers at the time.

Its funny as I was talking to Mike Creek a few years ago at the Bristol show, he was demonstrating some speakers which went away from the metal tweeters and was using soft domes. I asked him why he ditched the metal tweeters and he gave me some spiel on how inefficient they were and that the qualities of a soft dome were just better overall. Funny as I went in the Creek room this year at the Bristol Show and he had a new speaker to demonstrate, it had a metal tweeter I didn't even ask this time

 

[chebby]

They are fine speakers, they actually sound just like epos. I didn't realise he designed those as well, which other models did Robin Marshall design? Does anyone know?

Mordaunt Short (or rather TGI - Tannoy Goodmans Industries who owned them at the time) bought out Epos in 1998 and Robin Marshall designed the ‘Pearl Edition’ range for their 30th anniversary during his short tenure.

Just one year later in 1999 Epos were sold again to Mike Creek (of Creek amplifiers).

 

[eddie-baby]

Just one year later in 1999 Epos were sold again to Mike Creek (of Creek amplifiers).

I knew that bit. The start of the decline of epos IMHO, although the early models weren't bad, but they were practically slight variations on the es range. Much improved cabinets, which funnily didnt translate into much-improved sound, some were good though.

 

[Bodgit]

Feeling the love for the ES14s, hope mine don't go and break