checking speaker for damage?

[powerdog]

I have a pair of CBM-170SE for my back surrounds in a 5.1 system, one of which was not used for several years because I suspected that a mouse got into it through the sound port in back. Now, when I play test signal (white noise) it sounds very different from the other.

The "good" one sounds very similar to the Sierra-1 pair in front, but that possibly-damaged 170 only reproduces the higher pitched noise.

If it was a mouse, I'm thinking maybe he cut a wire leading to the woofer and left the tweeter alone.

Two questions: is there a way for me to look inside and see if my theory is correct? If not, roughly how much would it cost for AA to check and fix the wiring?

Thanks!

[phlw]

I know this is question is a few months old, but thought I would chime in. I have some CMB-170's (not SE) that I bought off Craigslist, so are out of warranty. I have built a few speakers myself, so was comfortable removing the woofer to have a peak inside and perhaps help answer your question. Speaker drivers do require careful handling, but generally can withstand some jostling around (think of it as a piece of fine china, you can eat from a plate on Thanksgiving, but certainly don't want to drop it). I placed the speaker on a carpeted floor, unscrewed the four screws, rolled the speaker over slowly on the floor, and the woofer fell out into my cupped hand. It is quite easy; just be careful with the screwdriver. The wires from the crossover network to the woofer are only are long enough to pull the woofer out about 3-4 inches, so be aware of that.

I have owned Sierra-1's and now own Sierra Towers (NRT), but have never looked inside due to being under warranty. All I can say about the CMB-170's is WOW!!!... nothing but high-quality components used inside! Woofer looks like it is cast frame and not the commonly-used cheap stamped sheet-metal. The crossover network is constructed using smartly selected quality components (not ridiculously priced esoteric components, but also not the cheap 0.50 cents ones I have seen in other speakers). The woofer phase plug is an ACTUAL Phase Plug, and not a glued-on fake one to make the speakers look more high-tech. In my opinion, the engineering art in this speaker design is based upon best sound performance for the price, and not at all on "flashy cosmetic features that will sell more speakers" but do nothing to improve the sound. Great job Ascend...