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Speaker foam questions?

mdewberry

mdewberry

Member
Just acquired some Advent 6003 speakers (Advents first 3 way) and they didn't sound bad. While going through some different styles of music to hear them, thats when the foam start to disintegrate. Mind you, I wasn't pushing them to their limits. They were supposedly made in 1982. The question I have is with everyones experience here, is there a difference between one companys foam surround and another? I notice some companys have a dvd or vhs tape to instruct you and some don't. I have never refoam a speaker in my life, but I am a technically minded individual. Does anyone have a suggestion of what and where to get some replacement surrounds?
 
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Parts Express sells replacement surrounds.

Doing a refoam job is pretty straightforward. Just take your time, especially in cleaning the basket :)
 
I have done the search on this site. My main question is is there any quality differences between lets say parts express and another company? Is all foam surrounds essentially the same?
 
I've use several different sellers products. I haven't noticed a difference.

The biggest issue is cleaning the old glue and residue off. if you have a Dremal, the fiber brush wheel is supposed to do a great job on the metal frame. The cone is just patience and for me, usually a sore thumb…

Some glues for poly cones will wipe off with a solvent, but some solvents might attack the cone as well, so YMMV.

If you get a kit without the glue supplied any craft store of Walmart has Aleene’s tacky glue which testing has shown to be a great replacement white glue. Elmer’s and most wood glues are NOT desirable. They dry very brittle.
 
mdewberry said:
I have done the search on this site. My main question is is there any quality differences between lets say parts express and another company? Is all foam surrounds essentially the same?
Click to expand...

Preferably, buy from one of the AK sponsors or members.:yes::thmbsp:
 
If you want to be sure that the original performance is restored regarding frequency extension to the lower registers, you must try and replicate the original surrounds, in spite of what others may say. The foam thickness and roll diameter are important.

I don't know if the Parts express surrounds are correct or not but I do know that the surrounds that looneytoon(I can never remember the suffix) sells on eBay are correct for the original masonite Advents and all-metal woofers. Others are RSSounds and GeoAli (I think that's correct) on eBay. I would think that these same vendors would sell the correct surrounds for the 6003 too.

I redid all of the surrounds in my four pair of original Advents (if they didn't already have the correct ones) and I did notice deeper bass reproduction afterward.

You might as well do it right the first time.

Doug
 
Virtually every foam seller on the web does NOT make their own surrounds. They all most likely get them from the same source I do. A wholesale distributor who's probably the largest in the US.

With that in mind, just be sure you match the diameters and roll size to your originals as another posted recommended. Measure what you have so you can specify to a seller EXACTLY what you need.
 
Many vendors, basically two options--foam or rubber (lasts longer, given same conditions--like don't place speakers by heat vent register or on fireplace mantel).
  • Check out SpeakerWorks for good photos and lists of their many speaker make/model "refoam" kits, been very good for me:
https://www.speakerworks.com/speaker-repair-kits-s/65.htm
  • Regarding duplicating exact foam thickness, I don't see choice of foam thickness anywhere. So far as different materials/thickness etc. affecting accoustics, I don't doubt it technically but would make an interesting study with scope response curves. IMHO, just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder so might change in audio quality be in the ear of the listener (probably most pronounced using rubber vs. foam); I'd give it a "blind listener test" like like Edgar Vilchur did with AR3s or "Is it live or is it Memorex".
Good luck, get 'em perfectly centered so voice coil doesn't rub!
 
There’s quite a difference in foam surrounds supplied by different companies. Whatever Rick Cobb eBay seller looneytune 2001 recommends will likely be the best match for your speakers. He’s never steered me wrong
 
We got the vendors, who used to sell incorrect, stiff, small roll surrounds, straightened out, years ago.

:D

Doug
 
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