Speaker foam surround repair kit help

[WT]

Just had an old Aiwa powered sub die a farting death on me. I pulled the cover only to find that the foam surround was cracked and coming off in chunks. I initially thought it would involve a total speaker swap, but see that I can just replace the foam surround. My question is, I can't find one specifically for my 8" Aiwa, so will another brand fit properly.

Unit: Aiwa 8" TS-W50 (paper 8" with foam surround)

Would I be OK using one for a Sony or JL ? Also, is there any difference between a cheap Ebay repair kit for $10 and a kit from a speaker shop going for $25+?

Ebay link -> http://www.ebay.com/itm/190834103874?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true (if it filters the link, you know what to do)

OC Speaker -> http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=genem&Product_Code=11-005-W-8K&Category_Code=

 

[NutBucket]

No difference. As long as the size is correct go ahead and use it. I suspect you could probably buy a generic 8" driver and it would sound the same.

 

[WT]

Many thanks for the reply, NutBucket ! I assumed that to be the case, but wanted to confirm before I plunked down $$ on it. Last time anyone hear of Aiwa was 2001 I think, as they were bought up by Sony, so you know we are dealing with some vintage gear here.

The stereo shops trumpet the fact that you are getting a more resilient foam surround from them, as opposed to the 'chinese junk', but I'm inclined to be more worried about the glue in the kit than the foam itself.

I also wonder if I could use a rubber surround instead of the foam one ? Might be best to stick with what came with the sub to begin with.

 

[NutBucket]

There's (usually) a reason to use foam vs. rubber. I'd just stick with foam. It lasted this long anyway!

 

[WT]

Good point. Ordering a JBL foam 8" surround from Ebay. I measured it and it is in fact a proper fit for my Aiwa speaker. The auction comes with the glue, as opposed to the one I linked that shorts you the glue and brushes. I'd rather get everything in a kit and save myself a trip to the hardware store.

Will update thread once I get the surround and glue it back in place. Just glad I have 2 more subs available (HTPC and my main rig) so I can still make the proper low frequency noises as God intended it.

 

[jtvang125]

Not to discourage you or anything but I never had much success with these diy kits. Maybe applications where perfect alignment of the speaker cone isn't critical it will sound fine but applications where the sub is being push hard and close to its limit perfect alignment is a must. Even small misalignment here will cause noise and pops during cone movement.

With the kits so cheap it doesn't hurt to try. You may have much better luck than I did.

 

[WT]

Totally agree with you. I educate myself to these DIYs before jumping in, and many videos exclude that info that you mention, simply because its their job to SELL these kits, so it's easy to see why it is overlooked.

I myself don't care to cut the dustcover to align the driver using the paper shims the kits provide, but I also don't push that small Aiwa 8" sub at all. I'm not expecting it to be as capable as it was when new, but if I can make it sound better without the sub farting, I am ahead if where I am now.

The Z5300 sub on my main rig does all the work when I want it loud. Its actually the main 'complaint' in regards to that Logitech model - the bass overwhelms the sats by a considerable amount, so I dial it back to around 50% of its default setting.

 

[WT]

Ughhh, yea, that didn't turn out as I had hoped it would

I made sure to coat the inner ring with a few coats of glue, one on the inner surface, aligned the foam as best as I could (without cutting the dust cap) and let it dry. Another coat along the foam lip, followed by an outer coat on the foam, held in place with clothespins. Allowed it to dry overnight, then another coat on the inner and outer ring, and left it dry overnight again.

Assuming the cone was knocked out of alignment on the coil and it sounds horrible ... a buzzing mess with no punch and sounds worse than th originally ripped ring !!! OK, lesson learned .. to do it right, you MUST cut the dust cap and shim the cone. Guess I will start looking for a replacement speaker now - it'd cost as much to do it right than it would to buy another cheap 8" speaker ...

 

[jtvang125]

Yes, the alignment is critical. I think the tolerance of the coil sitting within the gap is just too tight to be aligned by hand. Even with the coil properly shimmed I think the surround will throw it off since that can shift and deform as the glue dries. It's just too flexible so you'll need something to help hold its shape as the glue dries.

I tried twice and with the second time taking extreme care to get it as perfect as possible but it still wasn't enough. Still got pops, crackling, and poor sound.

 

[WT]

Called the local stereo repair shop and the guy said he wasn't even interested in repairing it. At $56/hr, he said it is a waste of time. I asked if he could recommend a local vendor and he again came up empty for me.

A search of CL shows a powered Aiwa sub for $30 (different model than mine, its a TS-W6) down in Baltimore. Contacted the seller, got a fast reply, and I'm working out details now. Obviously, I want to test the sub out. Since that model does not have rear speakers inputs and outputs, I would pull the Aiwa speaker from that sub and swap it into mine.

 

[Excelsior]

I was going to say, you'd be better off matching a cheap replacement speaker from a place like www.partsexpress.com http://www.parts-express.com/hp-8030-8-poly-cone-woofer-with-foam-surround-8-ohm--299-2128

 

[WT]

Wow, that is indeed a better option. After getting a fast reply from the CL seller, I haven't heard anything back. Nothing new there ... I should be used to it.

That speaker looks to have equal specs, but my only concern is the ground spade on my Aiwa is about half the width of this speaker. Easiest option would be to remove the thin spade and replace it with one to equal the width of power lead ? I know I could just cut it and wrap it around the spade, but that's a bit too cheap for me.

 

[Excelsior]

You can pick up some connects that'll fit and just cut off the old and crimp on the new to the existing wire. With something like this, you just want a roughly similar speaker. Hell, the folks at PE would probably be happy to talk to you about the best budget replacement. I just perused the options real quick and that one looks good for the $.

 

[MongGrel]

Called the local stereo repair shop and the guy said he wasn't even interested in repairing it. At $56/hr, he said it is a waste of time. I asked if he could recommend a local vendor and he again came up empty for me.

A search of CL shows a powered Aiwa sub for $30 (different model than mine, its a TS-W6) down in Baltimore. Contacted the seller, got a fast reply, and I'm working out details now. Obviously, I want to test the sub out. Since that model does not have rear speakers inputs and outputs, I would pull the Aiwa speaker from that sub and swap it into mine.

I'd imagine the is true. I still have a couple if pairs of speakers that the woofers work well from 30 years ago, but I replaced the mids and tweeters on the JVC set at one time. The Kenwood 777Z's I've never had to mess with, I actually use those with a separate amp for dual sub woofers these days.

Sometimes you might do good looking around at some old speakers these days, but I have never went that route myself, most have just held up over time.

Are a lot of things floating around I guess.

 

[WT]

I just perused the options real quick and that one looks good for the $.

Ordered !! Many thanks. Shipping was only $6 to me here in PA, so I'm quite happy to score a comparable speaker for under $25.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Honestly that whole sub assembly isn't worth the time and money you're putting into it. You can find a decent used Polk or JBL for $50 on Craigslist from time to time. Or you can find kickass deals like this:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/5265980187.html

If I had a not-so-decent audio setup (i.e., 2000 era Aiwa) and came across a deal like that and could scrounge up $300 then I would be all over that like a fat kid on cake. You could keep the sub and sell the other speakers and receiver and still make a hunnie or two.

 

[WT]

isn't worth the time and money you're putting into it.

The linked 8" speaker below cost me $15 and change. Is that better ? Why throw extra money at it when I can replace what I had for that low amount ?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045506KU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00

I'd say I use this bookshelf/powered sub maybe 12 times a year. It sits on my workbench and I only use it when working on customer PCs that require extra effort to repair. If this were for my HTPC, I would be looking for something like you linked. But as it is, I'd be spending $325 instead of $15, and that isn't worth the investment in my opinion.