Thanks for the suggestions - I'm also slightly nervous about the allen wrench issue, but I think it'll be alright. I'm actually not going to do anything until tomorrow after I can talk to someone at Axiom, as he/she/they may have their own ideas or less invasive suggestions perhaps (even if unlikely). Didn't really matter this afternoon/evening - football games aren't particually aurally challenging - so I decided to wait to do a dissection beyond what I've done thus far.
Again, thanks for the tips, and I'll keep you all posted on developments. Given Axiom's customer service reputation, I'm sure it'll be sorted out quickly!
