Clean/shine B&W Speakers

[junior77blue]

Any product recommendations for cleaning/polishing B&W nautilus series speakers?

[audioqueso]

I would be a little scared to add any chemicals to it. B&W's manual says to just use a soft clothes with no cleaning agents, but I wonder if someone has tried something.

[sugarmedia]

I think you need to look at what would be used if you were to polish a Grand Piano. The same attention to care and product will be recommended and will most likely be the same that you can apply to the speaker. A Google search will pull up many suggestions.

[Jeff]

My dealer told me you could use a good quality car wax on the Marlan head
of the 802. I havn't tried it yet.

[sugarmedia]

...And then after the car wax, what will you have? Lots and lots of Swirls and then you'll have to buff it out and you'll end up screwing with it far more than ever was necessary. Really, it's not outdoors and it's not going to rust, it doesn't need a car wax.

I think your best bet is to use a light damp cloth or an electrostatic duster...and leave it alone.

As a side note: I have a $4,000 Apple PowerBook. I clean my screen with "Ultra Suede" and have never had one scratch from using it (these past two years) and it allows me to apply pressure in dirty areas.

[junior77blue]

$4000 apple powerbook???? Didn't know they made such a beast...

Any type of furniture wax? My speakers were bought used and I'd like to give them a nice thorough cleaning.

What happens if you already have some swirl marks? Anything to help remove them?

[sugarmedia]

Common household products such as "lemon oil" or inexpensive "furniture polish" should be avoided. Despite the labels' claims that they "protect" the finish, etc., they offer no protection from scratching and can actually soften the finish if over-used. Worse, they often contain silicones and oils that contaminate the finish, complicating future refinishing or repairs. Silicone is especially dangerous because of its tendency to spread within the casing sometimes causing extensive internal damage. Avoid aerosol products altogether since the over-spray can contaminate cones, tweets or other parts

If you must use car wax choose a Carnuba based wax such as "Mothers" Brand, it comes in a red can.

Yes, it's definitely an expensive PowerBook..I had all the upgrades added on it. I work in advertising so it's a justifiable expense...

Good luck.

[sikoniko]

my fiance used windex on my asw-850 and now there is a nice swirl on the top... you can only see it in certain light so it doesnt really bother me. its not like i am going to replace it or try and sell it anyways.

[PewterTA]

My friend uses a car polish on his Marlan heads on his N802s....

www.zainostore.com Guarantee you won't get swirl marks if you apply and are careful. Plus it lasts longer than any wax ever could. It will give your marlan head the deepest shine you could ever want. This is used by tons and tons of car show people...

Plus, unlike any of the other products, there are ZERO, NO harsh abrassives...so it won't do a single think to your speaker, but make it soooo reflective you can see the pores on your face in the speaker... :rofl:

I highly recommend it as it's the only thing that touches my Trans Am. It's been on the car for almost 3 years since I applied it and if the car ever sees rain, it beads like the first day I put it on...better than any wax I've found.

Might want to check it out!

[craigdcan]

Wow, waxing the B&W's eh...haha. Well I highly doubt that anything other than a wipe with a damp cloth would be required to keep them looking "showroom". As long as you wipe them a couple times a week, they will look just as good as the day you bought them.

One thing I always try to do is go with the grain on the wood...might just be my OCD kicking in, but I never go against the grain (unless of course someone is talking about waxing their speaks - ha)

-Craig

[sugarmedia]

PewterTA-

Is this the same wax that's advertised showing the guy pouring lighter fluid on his car and then igniting it? Maybe we can suggest this for our B&W speakers to prove just how resilient this amazing wax is.

You guys are ridiculous comparing cars to speakers, and even considering wax for speakers. Follow the manual and you won't go wrong or in the words of my boss, "It's yours to fu#k up."

Cheers!

[junior77blue]

Wax for wood furniture is common practice. Maybe car wax might not be appropiate. But wax is wax and is good in helping keep the wood to last. There's humidity/sunlight concerns to be dealt with.

so, for maybe people that turn over speakers in 2 years that doesn't apply. But people that plan on keeping them for the long haul...it might make sense.

[sugarmedia]

Might I recommend the following recipe from Martha Stewart...She uses this on her Bently dashboard...so it must be good.


"Most of us no longer use hard-to-apply furniture wax, but rely on oil-based polish to keep furniture protected and shiny. *
*
Our "salad dressing" version avoids the danger of silicone oil, found in most commercial polishes and sprays. *Silicone oil can penetrate tiny cracks in furniture finish and enter the wood, causing problems in the event refinishing is needed. *Lemon juice dissolves dirt and smudges, while olive oil shines and protects the wood:
*
Furniture Polish Recipe
*
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
*
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
*
Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. *Spread evenly over furniture surface. *Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry. *Voila!

[KEF]

...And then after the car wax, what will you have? Lots and lots of Swirls and then you'll have to buff it out and you'll end up screwing with it far more than ever was necessary. Really, it's not outdoors and it's not going to rust, it doesn't need a car wax.

Well, not exactly. If you used a quality wax and good microfiber to apply and remove, you have little chance of swirls.

Clean it first, use good kit, and they will never get swirled.

Cheers,
Keith

[KEF]

My friend uses a car polish on his Marlan heads on his N802s....

www.zainostore.com Guarantee you won't get swirl marks if you apply and are careful. Plus it lasts longer than any wax ever could. It will give your marlan head the deepest shine you could ever want. This is used by tons and tons of car show people...

Plus, unlike any of the other products, there are ZERO, NO harsh abrassives...so it won't do a single think to your speaker, but make it soooo reflective you can see the pores on your face in the speaker... :rofl:

Yes, Zaino is nice - and the Carnauba vs. Synthetic debate will rage on forever. But, IMO, Zaino doesn’t do darks (black in particular) the justice it deserves. The deep wet look is tough to get - but I do so using two types of Carnauba, and nothing but micro fiber touches my car.... so swirls are not a problem.

So slap on some P21S or Souverän boys and girls - you won't regret it!

Cheers,
Keith

[Verinnal]

Oh man, did this just turn into the autopia forums? I want someone to chime in and say that a pc and meg's dacp would be perfect for getting out swirls. I'm not busting anyone's chops here that suggests that applying some type of wax is a bad idea, I just find it extremely amusing that this could actually work and the pic of the bimmer was the icing on the cake.

[sugarmedia]

Verinnal-

Kef may be on to something here... I went out and bought the wax he spoke of and found that it did infact produce amazing results, and with Zero swirls marks.

I'm including a picture of my car and its wax job. Maybe some of us should rethink our positions and post pictures of our cars wax jobs and the product we used.

Good luck to everyone and thanks for starting this informative thread.

[RobP]

How about contacting B&W for instructions on how to clean and care for your speakers finish? They would really know what is best. After all they did produce them. :wink:

[KEF]

Oh man, did this just turn into the autopia forums? I want someone to chime in and say that a pc and meg's dacp would be perfect for getting out swirls. I'm not busting anyone's chops here that suggests that applying some type of wax is a bad idea, I just find it extremely amusing that this could actually work and the pic of the bimmer was the icing on the cake.

My point is that simply reading this thread that there was a quite a bit is mis-information regarding the potential care of the Marlan heads of the 802.

If someone here is going to attempt to polish / finish their 802s, they need to know how to do it as not to screw it up –

You can wax them to keep them looking pristine. You do not want to swirl them up however caring for them. Carnauba does not cause swirls – not removing dust and particulate from your surface does, as does using poor quality applicators and or buffing towels. Use only quality Micro Fiber, and not the stuff from Wal-Mart.

If someone here is going to attempt to wax / polish their 802 heads, they need to know how to do it as not to screw it up - Zaino produces a very hard synthetic finish, and IMO is better used on your White, Silver, Gray colored cars or surfaces, but would work fine. IMO, black is best served by a quality carnauba – as for longevity between the two, it is really irrelevant as this is an indoor application and not subject to the elements.

Additionally, as for the guy asking how to remove swirl marks – no, breaking out your PC random orbital and dacp would not be the way to go. But some P21S Paintwork Cleanser on a MF cloth, applied by hand would do the trick – following this with a quality wax would keep the heads looking sharp and protected.

As for the car – if you don’t care for it in this thread, don’t look at it, but is is a discussion on waxing / polishing. My point is black is extremely difficult to care for and not screw up; I know very well how to do it, but than again, you know what they say about opinions.


Cheers,
Keith

[Verinnal]

I think I may have been misinterpreted or may have come across the wrong way... I meant what I said in a humorous way. I wasn't trying to say it wouldn't work or it would be a bad idea. I'm new here and I'm not looking to rub people the wrong way and I hope it wasn't taken as me picking on a crafty way to do something. I just found irony in how something like zaino could pop up in a speaker forum

Edit: Also, I guess another reason I found it so ironic was that I'm a lurker on autopia and do my own detailing. I get a kick out of it when hobbies overlap in unexpected ways.

[Fraise]

...And then after the car wax, what will you have? Lots and lots of Swirls and then you'll have to buff it out and you'll end up screwing with it far more than ever was necessary. Really, it's not outdoors and it's not going to rust, it doesn't need a car wax.

you will not have swirls if you use the product properly.