Charles Angelich wrote in a message to All:

 CA> OK, so I bought a cheapo $1 phillips screwdriver thinking I
 CA> might need to bust the handle off to reach the screws. Turns out I
 CA> had 1/8th inch to spare. ;-) 

 CA> I got the thing apart and was even more angry at myself. This thing
 CA> was built to last! The bracket holding the main board for the
 CA> amplifier is like major heavy-duty metal! There are two
 CA> subboards connected via ribbon cable (no less) to the mainboard.  

 CA> I could find no visual signs of any one part overheating or
 CA> burning out. :-\

Bummer.

 CA> There are two dark green globs (squarish with rounded edges)
 CA> sticking up where the ribbon cables come out under them. I'm
 CA> guessing these are the 'chips' housing the actual amplification
 CA> circuits plus bass-boost, sourround sound, etc.?

Any numbers,  or other markings on this stuff?

 CA> The magnets on the speakers are as large as the entire diameter of
 CA> the speakers

Better bass response,  I guess?

 CA> and the entire unit seems a 'quality' construction job to me. 
 CA> Loose wires are glued (hot glue gun?) in several places.

There's some wires,  ribbon cables in particular,  that will break right
off at the board if they're flexed a bit,  and an application of silicone
or hot glue will alleviate this problem.  Zenith had a problem with their
monitors at one point when the glue got down into the holes.   
It's also used to stabilize parts that might otherwise move,  things like
bigger capacitors,  etc.

I've used this technique myself (with silicone,  it's easier to detach) to
mount big capacitors to perf-board.

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