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"Reconed" vs "Refoamed"

Airjmax

Airjmax

Active Member
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I've seen many posts where someone refers to a speaker being "reconed", even though the discussion is about replacing the foam surrounds, which I thought was termed a "refoam". Are the terms interchangeable? I always thought a "recone" would be replacing the cone and the surround. In fact, are replacement cones even readily available?

I've also noticed that when the term "recone" is used in reference to the surround being replaced, it seems like nobody is correcting the usage.

Please help me understand.

Thanks!
 
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No, you're 100% correct, a "recone" is an almost complete rebuild of the driver, while a "refoam" is just what it sounds like.

It's possible that we've seen this misuse so many times that we've tired of correcting it... :)

ETA: sax6 beat me to it by mere seconds...
 
Airjmax said:
View attachment 1488358

I always thought a "recone" would be replacing the cone and not the surround. In fact, are replacement cones even readily available?

I've also noticed that when the term "recone" is used in reference to the surround being replaced, it seems like nobody is correcting the usage.

Please help me understand.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not quite. A recone typically includes the cone, the surround, the spider, and voice coil while a refoam is just the foam ring. And yes, for popular models, new/aftermarket complete recones are available.
 
I had a pair of 6" midranges reconed once. For the same cost, I could have gotten a totally compatible pair of brand new ones. But being a stickler for originality, I opted for the recone.

I came to regret it - sort of.

I felt the new surround was too compliant and looked for ways to stiffen it up a little bit. The product I decided on was guaranteed to remain flexible. That was more than ten years ago and to this day, I can't shake the feeling I used too much of it.

I never heard those speakers or any like them in their original state so nothing to reference their current sound to. And to fair, they sound pretty good to me as they are. But there will always be doubt.
 
Airjmax said:
are replacement cones even readily available?
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I've had a couple of bass (instrument) speakers reconed by AKer GordonW for my son. I do my own refoaming, but am not willing to do a recone. I leave that to the experts.
 
Last fall I found a pair of KLH 6s at a great price. I got them home for a test run and a blown STK pack on my Fisher integrated blew apart one of the spiders. So I packed them up and took them up to Neal's Speaker Service and had them both rebuilt. Using Advent cones and a 3D printer he reconed and rebuilt the spiders and got rid of the infused surrounds. People should hear a KLH 6 with the foam surrounds instead of the stock ones.......a big difference.

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SaturationPt said:
What did he print on the 3D printer?
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Ya know, I am not sure. When I picked them up we were both in a hurry and he said that without the printer he could have not done the job the way he did. I was going to ask more questions but it was pouring down rain when we were loading them in the car.

But let me tell you, they sound simply incredible with new caps and rebuilt woofers. They almost dont sound like the same speaker.
 
Bodyblue said:
Last fall I found a pair of KLH 6s at a great price. I got them home for a test run and a blown STK pack on my Fisher integrated blew apart one of the spiders. So I packed them up and took them up to Neal's Speaker Service and had them both rebuilt. Using Advent cones and a 3D printer he reconed and rebuilt the spiders and got rid of the infused surrounds. People should hear a KLH 6 with the foam surrounds instead of the stock ones.......a big difference.

View attachment 1489037
Click to expand...
The whole point of the infused surrounds is to maintain a sealed cabinet in an acoustic suspension speaker. By using foam surrounds and a completely different cone, you will not achieve the sound that was intended when the speaker was engineered.
 
Airjmax said:
The whole point of the infused surrounds is to maintain a sealed cabinet in an acoustic suspension speaker. By using foam surrounds and a completely different cone, you will not achieve the sound that was intended when the speaker was engineered.
Click to expand...

I asked Mike about that (The owner of Neal's) and he said they still seal, remember even new there is still some air leakage. He promised that they would sound better than before and he was right. They still have acoustic suspension tight bass, especially compared to my Imperial 6s.
 
About the only thing I can think of that could be 3D printed is the voice coil former. The spider is woven fabric, the cone was Advent, the surround foam. That leaves only the former. Which would mean he hand wound new voice coils too? :idea:
 
Since I have the Marantz 250 out of my main rig while I sand and oil the case and the Onkyo is in its place, I decided to put the KLHs in place of the Imperials. They are not nearly as sensitive as the Imperials but they sound great with the 105 wpc the Integra feeds them. I am always torn between the KLHs and the Imperials.

I have medium brown speaker cloth on the way from China for the KLHs. I dont care for the white cloth at all.

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