Damon Hill wrote:
<snip>
> I found my current speakers, Acoustic Research AR-11's, at a Goodwill
> for $18; the only thing they really needed despite some cosmetic damage
> was to replace the woofer surrounds. I'd never done one before then.
> It was a straightforward procedure, but a bit tedious. It's im****tant
> to ****m the voice coils so accurate coil/magnet gap alignment is
> maintained.
>
> --Damon
>
I've also bought thrift store speakers with deteriorated surrounds. My
first experience was enough to make me think hard about doing it
lightly. One woof went intermittent within a week or two, presumably
due to a fatigued connection between voice coil and terminal (exactly
where, I haven't yet determined).
To the OP: since your surrounds are obviously trashed, absolutely--and
immediately--unplug them! Irreparable damage can be done to the rest of
the driver unit by operating them with compromised surrounds. Not only
do they provide suspension for the cone, they also seal the cabinet.
It's very easy to overdrive a woofer with that seal gone, much less one
which has lost its capacity to keep the voice coil located in the center
of the gap (another function of the foam surround).
Fix them immediately or store them until you can...no other option. For
those of you who, like me, spot thrift store finds; be aware that the
original owner might have overdriven the woofers through ignorance or
inattention. The process of refoaming is sufficiently complex,
expensive and time-consuming that it can be pretty discouraging when it
doesn't work out. Replacement woofers are available, and reconing is an
option, of course; but factor in the possibility when making deciding
whether to buy.
Many nice vintage speakers used rubberized cloth surrounds. These hold
up almost indefinitely. My KLH Model Seventeens are a prime example: $9
at a local thrift. I'm going to refurb those surrounds with a coat of
rubber cement and recap the crossovers--along with a cabinet
refinish--but they sound quite nice as purchased. I've also found a
couple of HH Scott speaker systems for less than $20/pair...same
situation; sounded great as purchased, but benefited from
cosmetic/electrical attention.
All those systems date from the mid-60's.
jak
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