Specifications

14
TROUBLESHOOTING
The speakers are rugged and reliable, and problems are extremely rare. This section is included to just make
it easy to correct problems if they arise.
ELECTROSTATIC AMPLIFIER FUSE-BLOWING — may be of two types. The first is where the
amplifier blows fuses on loud music. The other is when it blows fuses the moment you turn it on. This will
not occur in amplifiers that have a turn-on delay circuit, and is rare in modern amplifiers.
Blowing fuses at turn-on is due to the fact that most amplifiers require a couple of seconds to stabilize their
power supplied when turned on. When connected to an ESL, they may blow fuses only during this unstable
period. To be sure, you first must check to be sure that it is just a simple turn-on instability problem and not
a short-circuit or other amplifier problem.
To test, disconnect one of the speaker wires from each channel. Then turn on the amplifier — it should not
blow fuses with the speakers disconnected. If it does, the amplifier is defective.
If it works properly, leave the amplifier on while you reconnect the speaker wires (being careful not to short
the amplifier terminals with the loose wires). It should NOT blow fuses, and it should play music properly.
If so, probably you can solve the problem by increasing the size of the fuses up t o the manufacturer's
maximum allowed value.
If despite larger fuses the problem persists, then you will have to connect the amplifier to the speakers through
a delay relay (a delay of between 2 and 5 seconds is adequate). External, electronic delay relays are available
from electronic parts houses, and your dealer probably can help install it. The amplifier manufacturer may
be helpful as well.
When playing music loudly through an ESL, even high quality amplifiers may blow fuses. If this occurs,
consult the owner's manual, your dealer, or the manufacturer to find the largest fuse that is safe to use with
your amplifier. R eplacing the stock one with a l arger one (within the safe range specified by the
manufacturer) will often solve this problem. If it doesn't, you will need a more powerful amplifier.
AMPLIFIER OVER-HEATING — should never occur. ESLs are “wattless” speakers. This means they
don't dissipate your amplifier's power as heat like magnetic speakers do. Therefore, the amplifier should run
cool — only a bit warmer than if it were just idling. If either channel of the amplifier runs hot, something is
wrong. That “something” usually is supersonic oscillation caused by high-capacitance speaker cables or a
defective component elsewhere in your system. DC offset in the output stages of the amplifier can also be a
problem. This is not a speaker problem — it means there is a problem with the cables or in the electronics.
Try changing cables. If that doesn't work, you will need to service the amplifier or other offending
component.