A little while ago

I was asked to help repair a Martin Logan ESL speakers. The client came in telling me that he had noticed that the left speaker had stopped amplifying, and that it was noticeably quieter than the right.

After some research into how these particular speakers work, I figured it was likely a loose connection on one of the panels.

These speakers were really well made, but a wee bit finicky when it came to pulling them a part. Martin Logan really sealed everything off on these speakers.

This was written as a comment for this video: https://youtu.be/xcn4iNR8q1g

To the folks that are trying to replicate what Mr. Steel is trying to make here. Especially the parents/guardians/friends who aren’t super technically inclined, or if you have impaired mobility. There are a lot of alternatives to soldering:

Twisting and taping: Just need the wires and a nonconductive tape, i.e. electrical or vinyl.

Like Mr. Steel does in the video. Twist them together, then tape around them. In general it's a super cheap and quick way to bind wires, but requires some fine motor skills and doesn't hold up to being pulled on. On the other hand, it is rather easy to remove.

Heat Shrink tubing : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFA3OFA/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_2D1hFb14A7S8

(I personally use this set, super cheap, has a bunch of different sizes)

Heat Shrink tubing is rather quick, and hold pretty well, if you twist the wires together, and then heat shrink it all the way down it holds it pretty okay. Though it's sometimes hard to come by a method (heat gun, a flame works but it’s kind of dangerous) in which to shrink them, and it's also rather permanent.

Wire Nuts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPXUEPO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_bH1hFb2SG656Y

(Also cheap, has a few different size options, though for this project, you’ll likely be using the smaller ones)

Wire nuts are super similar to the twist and tape methods, but offer little bit more in terms of robustness. They hold the wires together better that tape and shrink tubing, but they’re still not easy to remove to replace/repair anything.

Push-wire Nuts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CNKJ81M/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_tN1hFbZTVQ3H2

(a little more expensive for the amount you get, but they are high quality and hold up well)

Push-wire nuts are extremely easy to use, just strip the wire and put it into the holes. These are really nice for making a quick connection, and they hold up well to being moved around. One downside is that they aren’t meant to be re-usable, so it’s more of a permanent solution.

Spring clamps:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KT91OEW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_AR1hFbQWDAGFB

One of the easiest to use, especially if you have a hard time with fine motor things. Basically, all you gotta do is push down on the spring lever, insert the wire, and then release the spring lever. It’s fairly strong, though I wouldn’t be pulling on the connection. Also, very easy to undo to replace/repair.

Lever Nuts:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH6WW4D/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_OZ1hFbRJQJGWK

(This is my personal favorite, explained below. They are little more than some of the other methods, but it’s worth it)

Lever nuts are super easy to use, just flip up one side of the levers, insert the wires and close the lever. It makes a great connection, and holds very well, and takes a beating really well, on top of being very reusable. I suggest these from prototyping to final product. I like to change out buttons, or make changes to my designs, and these allow me to do that super quickly and securely.

I write all this out, because if you want to get into DIYing accessible solutions, I want you to be aware and in the know of what’s out there. If you buy any of the bulk options above, you can have some for use later, if you need to make repairs, or if you want to try your hand at other projects. If you’re working with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, you’re likely going to be using those 3.5mm jack cables a lot, which means that you’re going to need some options for connecting wires.

All the best,

~Christopher