Question Don't suppose anyone knows how to disassemble Mordaunt Short Avant 914i speakers..?

tangledfeet

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May 26, 2020
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Hi - I used to be a forum member many moons ago but can't recall what my username was, or what the email address I used at the time was, so starting afresh.

I have a pair of MS Avant 914i floorstanding speakers that I use with a Denon DM37 mini-system in my home-office; last night I heard some distortion and this morning found that a cone is detaching itself from its surround. I'm prepared to have a go at repairing it using rubber cement (luckily I'm a cyclist) which I gather is an appropriate adhesive to try.

I'd like to be remove the driver to attempt repair but for the life of me can't see how to access the enclosure and subsequently remove it; don't suppose anyone has any pointers?

My second question may well be discussing replacements... not something I'd planned on budgeting for!

Thanks in advance.
 
No expert but removing those four bolts on the front and removing the whole panel carefully might be a start.
Personally I don't think glueing will work, certainly not for long.
Is it the bass / midrange that has gone?
New tweeters can be had on eBay or indeed complete 914's
 
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tangledfeet

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No expert but removing those four bolts on the front and removing the whole panel carefully might be a start.
Personally I don't think glueing will work, certainly not for long.
Is it the bass / midrange that has gone?
New tweeters can be had on eBay or indeed complete 914's

Thanks, @Al ears - at first, and before posting, I'd incorrectly thought the four bolts were purely attachment points for the grille but a Torx bit unscrews them; next stage is to removing the aluminium front which I hope can be done by pushing it out from the bass port directly behind....

Yes, the bass/mid. No, I'm not convinced about gluing either but at least if I have a go and it doesn't work I'll feel fully justified in buying replacement speakers - I'd rather do that than buy used off eBay as I haven't spent anything on hifi in about ten years!
 
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Thanks, @Al ears - at first, and before posting, I'd incorrectly thought the four bolts were purely attachment points for the grille but a Torx bit unscrews them; next stage is to removing the aluminium front which I hope can be done by pushing it out from the bass port directly behind....

Yes, the bass/mid. No, I'm not convinced about gluing either but at least if I have a go and it doesn't work I'll feel fully justified in buying replacement speakers - I'd rather do that than buy used off eBay as I haven't spent anything on hifi in about ten years!
Best of luck in your endeavours.
I am not sure if new bass drivers are still available as speakers quite old. You could try emailing Mordaunt Short or a dealer.
 
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tangledfeet

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Best of luck in your endeavours.
I am not sure if new bass drivers are still available as speakers quite old. You could try emailing Mordaunt Short or a dealer.

Thank you.

I've emailed MS to ask about disassembly; it seems that the aluminium front panel is glued/bonded in place so removal may not be an option - will attempt rubber cement from the fron!
 

rharkes

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What a coincidence. My 914i also had some distortion comming from the lower driver. Unfortunately it was the driver itself, but I did dissasemble the 914i to find that out.
First I removed the four torx bolts like you did, and then, very carfully removed the aluminum cover with a flat screwdriver. It is glued in place, but once you get a small corner loose enough you can pull it off the woodwork. On my first try I bended the aluminum a bit, but it is very easy to bend it back in shape.
After you remove the aluminum you will see the driver is attached with 5 philips screws that you can then easily unscrew and the driver comes out of the wooden housing.

Good luck!
 

tangledfeet

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Best of luck in your endeavours.
I am not sure if new bass drivers are still available as speakers quite old. You could try emailing Mordaunt Short or a dealer.

What a coincidence. My 914i also had some distortion comming from the lower driver. Unfortunately it was the driver itself, but I did dissasemble the 914i to find that out.
First I removed the four torx bolts like you did, and then, very carfully removed the aluminum cover with a flat screwdriver. It is glued in place, but once you get a small corner loose enough you can pull it off the woodwork. On my first try I bended the aluminum a bit, but it is very easy to bend it back in shape.
After you remove the aluminum you will see the driver is attached with 5 philips screws that you can then easily unscrew and the driver comes out of the wooden housing.

Good luck!

Forgot to report back - how remiss of me!

In the end I did use some rubber cement (I’m a cyclist so used a new tube from a puncture repair kit; meant it was nice and runny) and just laid the speaker flat so the glue ran into the gap where it had opened up. Let it dry for a day and I certainly can't tell any difference between either speaker - the MS914i’s live on!

I did, after my repair, get a reply from MS who are now part of of Cambridge Audio with a PDF assembly drawing of the speakers - I've converted to JPEG so perhaps someone might find it useful.

AP237921 MS914i Avant i Loudspeaker Service Sheet.jpg
 
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