Repairing Vandersteen Model 2C Mids (?)

[Furtwangler]

I just picked up a pair of used Vandersteen Model 2CEs without testing because the price was so low. Get home, the tweeters and the woofer are in great condition, but there is a ton of crackling coming from the mids. I pulled down the sock on one of them to take a look and it is not grey or cracked, like I have read damaged drivers will look.
I noticed that if I gently pressed on the diaphragm while music was playing the crackling instantly went away and the driver sounded totally normal and fine. (I know touching the diaphragm is against the cardinal rules of speakers, but I figured this might be shot anyway).
What is wrong here? And is that anyway I can fix this without needing to buy replacement drivers?

 

[Furtwangler]

Update: these have rubber surrounds, they are peeling ever so slightly away from the diaphragm and causing that sound. Has anyone ever successfully reattached rubber surrounds to a diaphragm? What substance did you use?

 

[johnebravo]

Update: these have rubber surrounds, they are peeling ever so slightly away from the diaphragm and causing that sound. Has anyone ever successfully reattached rubber surrounds to a diaphragm? What substance did you use?

By diaphragm, I'm assuming you mean cone? I had a surround glued back to the cone on one of mine -- I had a professional do it for $50, but if you're reasonably handy, you can probably glue it back yourself. It's been a long time since I had the sock off -- what's the midrange cone made of? The woofer was some sort of poly-something material.

 

[Furtwangler]

I was wrong. I hoped it was the rubber surround but after removing the surround the cone still encountered resistance, so someone definitely blew these out and the voice coil is warped.

Have to replace the drivers.

 

[johnebravo]

That's a bit of a set back, but a true heir to the spirit of Wilhelm Furtwängler would not be deterred.