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replacing driver surrounds

say it as it is

pfm Member
This might be a better place to ask

I have picked up and old pair of speakers the fabric surround on the drivers have gone stiff and brittle

how easy is it to replace these with rubber or foam or would that not work?

who best to ask about this and what sort of costs in refoaming 8inch drivers?

thanks
 
Driver surrounds are part of the suspension. Changing a fabric surround for a different material can affect how it sounds, particularly its bass response - if the driver has such duties. Normally fabric surrounds are quite durable, so it may be a simple matter of giving them a clean and finding out what to use to keep them pliant.
 
Check out "Good HiFi" on their website - https://www.speakerrepairshop.nl/en/.

They do surrounds in foam, rubber and fabric although foam is their largest range of models/sizes.

I have found them extremely helpful, giving a very quick response to email enquiries.

If they can't help with Sony surrounds they may tell you what diameters to measure to see if they something to match.
 
Ok have checked several different places no one stocks a replacement surround for these.
Looks like only option is rubber or foam.
Winslow don't want to touch them only replace them.
Who else does refoam work then?
 
Fabric softener? Half kidding, I remember reading about using it on guitar speakers for some strange reason, maybe to break them in faster. You could try it, diluted, a little at a time, as a last resort before tossing them or cutting them up for a new surround.
 
(NB: 'fabric softener' is a total misnomer: they do not soften fabric,it just makes it feel better on the skin - by adding-back the kind of lipids (fats) you've just carefully washed out of it... just, er, 'cleaner' ones in small doses. )
 
Could you use acetone to dissolve whatever it is that is stiff when dry, and sponge that up repeatedly until it is gone?
 
In the link I attached above, the guy uses a toothbrush to loosen the goo once softened with acetone. According to him it seems to work.
 
well looks like refoam then, tried the toothbrush method nothing would come away but the surrounds started to peel off the cone so off they came.

so need to try and find correct size foam or rubber as fabric is non starter no one willing to touch it.

either brave pills and give it a go myself or pay someone to do it
 


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