How to contact Avalon Acoustics for support?

Eidolon1

New Member
Nov 28, 2016
2
0
0
Hello All,

I live in Germany and have a support case on my Avalon Eidolons.
I called the local distributor "Active Audio", but they mentioned they cannot help me.

When I call Avalon directly, I only get the voice that the company is not taking call right now.


Here is my issue:
One of my Avalon Eidolons is leaking a black substance thru the tube at the bottom.
The speaker still works.
Not sure if a capacitor broke.

Any hint on how to get hold of someone from Avalon who could let me is welcome.

Thank you and regards,

Eidolon1
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,432
11,314
4,410
Hello All,

I live in Germany and have a support case on my Avalon Eidolons.
I called the local distributor "Active Audio", but they mentioned they cannot help me.

When I call Avalon directly, I only get the voice that the company is not taking call right now.


Here is my issue:
One of my Avalon Eidolons is leaking a black substance thru the tube at the bottom.
The speaker still works.
Not sure if a capacitor broke.

Any hint on how to get hold of someone from Avalon who could let me is welcome.

Thank you and regards,

Eidolon1

Hello Eidolon1, welcome to WBF.

can't say what 'black substance' might be leaking from the tube. I assume it's a liquid of some sort since you use the term 'leaking'. I wonder could it be 'potting' material around the crossover melting for some reason?

sorry to hear that the German distributor is not more help. most people in the industry I deal with are always willing to try and help in some way.

as far as getting ahold of Avalon here in the USA consider 2 issues; (1) it's our Thanksgiving Holiday time and so businesses that are manufacturing and not retail may not even be there to answer the phone. and (2) many businesses (such as a small manufacturer) are more responsive to emails than phone calls these days. so I would recommend emailing them and then giving them a day or so to respond.

best wishes to get your speaker fixed quickly.
 
Last edited:

Eidolon1

New Member
Nov 28, 2016
2
0
0
Thank you Mark for the quick reply.
I will try after Thanksgiving. Good point.
I tried email before and wrote to the support of Avalon, but got an email back that the email is no longer monitored. That is why I tried to call.

Thank you. Hopefully I have more luck later.
Eidolon1
 

Adimon

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2011
136
10
925
Hi Eidelon1

This is known issue and caused by the seal between speaker and cabinet.
I'm waiting for new sealing as replacement
 

johnsonlwu

Well-Known Member
Apr 26, 2015
27
8
133
I contacted Margo at Avalon and she sent me 2 silicone retrofit rings in no time.
I also had to restuff the chambers with aquarium filter floss cos the old stuffing was tainted with goo.

I notice even the midrange chambers have the same problem but very little I can do to it.
But I did find a way to revoice my Avalon EIdolon Diamonds to a smoother sound and get rid of the ever so slight thinness of violins though...
forgive me for wandering off topic...
simply straddle a 30Ohm Mills 12W NIWW resistor across the ceramic mid drivers inputs to lower the effective impedance by a wee bit and it improves the sound by a great margin without sacrificing the 3D hologram imaging they are famous for. Just a resistor and 2 small alligator clips, simple.
 

Elberoth

Member Sponsor
Dec 15, 2012
2,007
252
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Poland
This is a common problem with some Avalons from a certain manufacturing period. They have used a wrong material to isolate (and dampen) the drive units from the enclosure. The rubbery 'thing' they used is turning into a black goo with time. Somehow it turns from solid to liquid state and starts leaking. The only thing that can be done is to replace the 'thing' with new gaskets, made from a new material.
 

siddh

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2012
22
7
243
Hi, Johnsonlwu,

Please let me know how you decided to try inserting a resistor between the midrange contacts? Did you experiment with different values? Any risk of harming the driver?

Thanks, Steve
 

johnsonlwu

Well-Known Member
Apr 26, 2015
27
8
133
I used a simple assumption of a 2nd order crossover for the mid with assumed driver impedance of 5.5 ohms with a target new impedance of 4.4 ohms or so for the target midrange load. I used a simple crossover calculator and LT spice simulation helped validate the value I chose. Let your ears be the judge. A range from 20-30 ohms will yield barely noticeable difference with 20 attenuating the most. Yea you can damage things if you short anything by mistake. Make sure the clips are right and if you decide to solder make sure you use a hot hot iron and do it fast.
 

johnsonlwu

Well-Known Member
Apr 26, 2015
27
8
133
I meant to say make sure clips are tight. (Won't move as you push the driver back into the chamber.)
 

Adimon

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2011
136
10
925
Avalon does not respond to customers questions! :-(

After leakage from woofer now leakage from the tweeter.
Pict1.JPG Pict2.JPG
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Wow, sorry about all these troubles. I never really liked Avalon, but have not heard the latest expensive models. What is this black stuff anyway
 

Adimon

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2011
136
10
925
The speaker looks like Alice Cooper

The substance looks like tar (tectyl).
You didn't like the sound of Avalon?
 

Adimon

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2011
136
10
925
I cleaned the speaker compartment behind tweeter and woofers.
But there is also some substance in the "grill" and was hoping that Avalon can provide me some.
But they don't answer my mail.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
The speaker looks like Alice Cooper

The substance looks like tar (tectyl).
You didn't like the sound of Avalon?

No I never liked Avalons. I never understood that much touted Spectral/MIT/Avalon triumvirate. Sorry, but they are not my cup of tea, and oftentimes, I thought their sound was so wrong in so many ways, and never realistic
 

Marcus

Member Sponsor
Oct 5, 2012
559
551
1,155
Have you tried to contact them through facebook? I did once and got the answer in a day or two but this general unresponsiveness of Avalon I hear about often is unacceptable.
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
950
Italia
No I never liked Avalons. I never understood that much touted Spectral/MIT/Avalon triumvirate. Sorry, but they are not my cup of tea, and oftentimes, I thought their sound was so wrong in so many ways, and never realistic

which models and systems (I mean which Spectral/MIT/Avalon chain) you heard?
 

Adimon

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2011
136
10
925
I think my perception of sound differs from Ack.
I love the sound of my Ascendants in combination with Spectral.
Very lifelike if setup is done correctly!!

Second the local distributer is contacting Avalon!
 

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