Servicing and Repairs
Microphones
Speakers
Many dynamic microphones suffer as they age. The AKG D12, for example, has a well-known problem of losing bass response. It's not the only one.
If you have a microphone with low output or a lack of bass, get in touch via the contact form.
Fortunately, these problems can often be fixed without needing replacement parts. These repairs require care, a steady hand, and experience.
Below is a before/after comparison of an EV N/D408B. The test speaker rolls off sharply at 70Hz, but you can still see a huge difference in the bass region.
Testamonials
"I had a D12 for years which was lacking bass response and I'd been told was beyond repair. I contacted Chris via email and he agreed to take a look at both the D12 and an EV N/D408B which had a similar issue. He was upfront about the potential costs, and very communicative through all stages of the process, including offering options of installing new foam and fixing a loose solder joint which he spotted. A short time and not very much money later I had both mics back, sounding how they're supposed to! I wouldn't hesitate to send more mics in the future."
"Hey Chris
Just thought I’d let you know I finally managed to a/b this D12 against another one and this one won!
Good work fella
Thanks again"
Speakers can also degrade over time. The electrolytic capacitors in crossover circuits will gradually lose their value, resulting in shifts in the crossover frequencies, and subsequent misalignment between the drivers.
Often, replacing the capacitors with new ones will get the speakers sounding as-new. Of course, swapping out the electrolytics for film capacitors can also lead to further improvements in the sound.
Each component is tested for value and stereo matching before installation - in order to ensure a perfect stereo image, the speakers must behave identically, and the crossover critical in that.
Another common source of problems is that the foam used on bass and midrange drivers will often crumble after a couple of decades, rendering a perfectly good driver useless. Fortunately, replacing them with like-new is a fairly straightforward task.
So, if you have any older-model speakers that are sounding tired and could use some TLC to restore them to their original glory, get in touch and we can arrange for the work to be done, whether it's in situ or here at the workshop.
Click here for the blog post on restoring some Kef 104.2 speakers.
