Appropriate speaker cloth for ADS grills...

[Seaneman]

Hey experts, I'm sure this has been covered elsewhere, but couldn't find just the right thread. I need to replace some moldy cloth in my just purchases ADS 1090 project. The grills are pretty good, except for one dislodged pin, which I think I can fix, but the cloth is shot. What is a good suggestion for replacement cloth, and a light contact adhesive spray, since as you know, the cloth attaches directly to the back of the grills? I would try to go without cloth, but the notorious 'sticky dome' dust attraction is already an issue.

Thanks Mucho.

 

[Aptone]

Porkloin started a thread with a similar subject @Porkloin

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....s-and-interfacing-cloth.743997/#post-10093782

 

[Blue Shadow]

Agreed the grilles on the towers with the gaps on all edges do lousy job of keeping the sticky clean. Similarly the metal grilled 'bookshelf' speakers suffer dirty sticky, too. The cloth-grilled ones usually have clean mids and tweets.

Anything used to cover the metal grilles needs to be very free breathing as on my towers there is significant air moving along the edges of the speaker from the woofer motion. Only speaker I use without the grilles.

 

[Seaneman]

Porkloin started a thread with a similar subject @Porkloin

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....s-and-interfacing-cloth.743997/#post-10093782

that's the ticket.

 

[Seaneman]

Agreed the grilles on the towers with the gaps on all edges do lousy job of keeping the sticky clean. Similarly the metal grilled 'bookshelf' speakers suffer dirty sticky, too. The cloth-grilled ones usually have clean mids and tweets.

Anything used to cover the metal grilles needs to be very free breathing as on my towers there is significant air moving along the edges of the speaker from the woofer motion. Only speaker I use without the grilles.

Good observation... I wonder where I can source something low density?

 

[Porkloin]

Good observation... I wonder where I can source something low density?

I've seen the cloth behind the ADS grilles here referred to as "interfacing" and "cambric" - both of those are terms used by quilt and clothing makers. I found an EXACT match of the original fabric on the back of my grills at a local fabric shop in the upholstery section. The gals there referred to it as "dust cover", but I think a more official term that would yield better results in a search or inquiry would be "upholstery backing cloth" or "upholstery underlining." It was 89 cents a linear yard (4 feet wide) where I got it in my neck of the woods. You could get it at Jo Ann's in Atlanta (5 stores).
It was cheap enough that I did my entire grill, as opposed to the racing stripe down the middle. The aesthetics don't change as the baffle and drivers are black (I had to use a white blanket here to dramatize the effect), so you don't see the cloth, but I'm hoping dust protection for the sticky domes is better.
ADDENDUM: You'd be pretty hard pressed trying to tell the difference in high frequency sound quality with and without this material. I've had several ears better than mine attempting to hear a difference to no avail.

 

[Old Guy8]

What does not make sense to me is. I have L880 series ones and twos. The "racing stripe" of fabric, as Porkloin calls it, does not wrap up to top edge. BUT, it does wrap to the bottom edge.Where it would do most good on top, it isn't. I could flip the grills180 degrees so the badge is at the top. The pairs were made five years apart. So likely not an assembly issue. Strange.
edit: I just rotated the grills so cloth wrap is at top. Flipped the badges. Moved removal tab to bottom. Daa. Maybe dummy hasdhad them upside down since he bought them in '85. Have to get used to badge at top.

 

[Porkloin]

What does not make sense to me is. I have L880 series ones and twos. The "racing stripe" of fabric, as Porkloin calls it, does not wrap up to top edge. BUT, it does wrap to the bottom edge.Where it would do most good on top, it isn't. I could flip the grills180 degrees so the badge is at the top. The pairs were made five years apart. So likely not an assembly issue. Strange.
edit: I just rotated the grills so cloth wrap is at top. Flipped the badges. Moved removal tab to bottom. Daa. Maybe dummy hasdhad them upside down since he bought them in '85. Have to get used to badge at top.

"Removal Tab" you say? I've been using an L-Shaped pick tool all this time.
Can you post a picture and a description? That's obviously something I need to duplicate.

 

[Old Guy8]

Porkloin, Took a couple tries before loaded. There should be a slight cutout at both top and bottom edgin middle. Where the plastic tabs go. There is a little grip tang.
I'm missing one of four. Sure aluminum one could be made and painted. Maybe plastic tape where it could contact wood. If you need better pics, I can find a camera.

 

[Porkloin]

View attachment 835594 View attachment 835584 View attachment 835587 View attachment 835588 View attachment 835589 Porkloin, Took a couple tries before loaded. There should be a slight cutout at both top and bottom edgin middle. Where the plastic tabs go. There is a little grip tang.
I'm missing one of four. Sure aluminum one could be made and painted. Maybe plastic tape where it could contact wood. If you need better pics, I can find a camera.

No need. Your photos show all I need to know. Thanks OldGuy.

 

[Seaneman]

I've seen the cloth behind the ADS grilles here referred to as "interfacing" and "cambric" - both of those are terms used by quilt and clothing makers. I found an EXACT match of the original fabric on the back of my grills at a local fabric shop in the upholstery section. The gals there referred to it as "dust cover", but I think a more official term that would yield better results in a search or inquiry would be "upholstery backing cloth" or "upholstery underlining." It was 89 cents a linear yard (4 feet wide) where I got it in my neck of the woods. You could get it at Jo Ann's in Atlanta (5 stores).
It was cheap enough that I did my entire grill, as opposed to the racing stripe down the middle. The aesthetics don't change as the baffle and drivers are black (I had to use a white blanket here to dramatize the effect), so you don't see the cloth, but I'm hoping dust protection for the sticky domes is better.
ADDENDUM: You'd be pretty hard pressed trying to tell the difference in high frequency sound quality with and without this material. I've had several ears better than mine attempting to hear a difference to no avail.
View attachment 835561

Thanks Porkloin... I'll pop in JoAnn's next time I pass. I agree with you on the with/without sonic difference. I would describe myself as a experienced listener. I've worked in plenty of recording studios etc, and if there's an audible difference in much of what gets discussed on this and other threads, it's masked by the rest of my system or the room. Since pro-audio is all about 'accuracy', which is fatiguing and stark, when I'm home just enjoying music, I try not to overthink it and default to the 'warm and flattering' side of 'detailed'. The a/d/s seem to fit that bill nicely for me. I like to hear pick on string, and low end that doesn't 'bloom'.

 

[Porkloin]

Thanks Porkloin... I'll pop in JoAnn's next time I pass. I agree with you on the with/without sonic difference. I would describe myself as a experienced listener. I've worked in plenty of recording studios etc, and if there's an audible difference in much of what gets discussed on this and other threads, it's masked by the rest of my system or the room. Since pro-audio is all about 'accuracy', which is fatiguing and stark, when I'm home just enjoying music, I try not to overthink it and default to the 'warm and flattering' side of 'detailed'. The a/d/s seem to fit that bill nicely for me. I like to hear pick on string, and low end that doesn't 'bloom'.

The sticky-dome midrange is the most universally beloved driver out there. I single that driver out as I think it's solely responsible for that ADS sound.
You hit the nail on the head with the word "overthink". Music should be a visceral experience. I'm trying to make myself stop internally critiquing my speakers when I listen to them - it's akin to counting the number of bullets out of the bad guy's six shooter at the movies. It's a comparatively shallow left-brain distraction from the more divine, if you will, experience of allowing yourself to be immersed in the content.
Not to mention the value of some prioritizing. Even if there WERE a slight audible attenuation of the higher frequencies with the cloth (grills) on, isn't that outweighed by the protection said cloth gives to your drivers?

 

[Old Guy8]

Porkloin,
thanks for info. l think have seen similar open weave black cloth on bottom of sofas. Easy to see through.

 

[Seaneman]

I guess I got spoiled because my first ADS find was my L7e's that were essentially NIB when I picked them up a couple years ago. One was still sealed. I think I gave him 150$. Not a fleck of dust. If those guys had just a little more on the bottom, I'd never think about anything else. I guess the eventual hope is that the 1090's will sound like the 7's with a bit more booty. Side by side first listening was encouraging. My replacement mid driver i found on the bay arrived yesterday and it's way, way cleaner than the better of the two in the 1090's. I guess I'll keep looking for cleaner replacements as I can. Now I need to research the whole 'ferro-fluid' concept and see if it's worth trying to replace. I ordered some cheap cloth mentioned in another thread that was described as 'slightly too light'. I thought that would be a good starting place. I guess if I'm going to the trouble of pulling all the drivers out for inspection and working on the grills, I might as well work on the finish on the boxes while the getting is good. They were in a typical Atlanta sun-porch so they are a little faded and splotchy, but I think a light sanding and a serious waxing will help a bunch. If money were no object, I'd jump on the bandwagon and send it all off to Richard So for the much lauded rebuild.

 

[Porkloin]

I might as well work on the finish on the boxes while the getting is good. They were in a typical Atlanta sun-porch so they are a little faded and splotchy, but I think a light sanding and a serious waxing will help a bunch. If money were no object, I'd jump on the bandwagon and send it all off to Richard So for the much lauded rebuild.

Put serious thought into your finish. The original ADS finish was laquer, and I you sand just enough to get the scratches out, you'll probably have to go with a like finish. If you want to change over to an oil finish, you'll have to sand all of the lacquer off and basically start over. Most will recommend the liquid paint removers, but I had a bad experience with it on my 780's.

 

[Seaneman]

Yikes.