Allison woofer driver surface treatment

[Jordac]

Does anyone know what the surface treatment on Allison driver cones consists of? My question emerges in a roundabout way. I recently replaced the surrounds on my Al-120 woofers. The new surrounds came with a PVA post install application treatment that is supposed to increase their longevity. While applying, a wee bit got on one of the cones. It dried clear and a bit tacky, very much like the original treatment, but looking fresher. Got me thinking about, but hesitating for now, to cover the whole cone. I should probably leave it be, but figured it is worth some other opinions.

On another note, I’ve temporary installed some Madisound SB tweeters (https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/sb-acoustics-soft-dome-tweeters/sb-acoustics-sb26stac-c000-4-1-textile-dome-tweeter/) until I can find some decent replacement originals. I have a stash of 3 mismatched and beat up Allison tweeters, but the two best are in another pair of Allisons.  I know this might be blasphemy here, but dare I say the SB tweeters sound pretty good (to me, at least). I placed an Allison tweet in one speaker and the sb in the other, comparing them in mono. The SB tweeter sounded fresher, cleaner, warm and round. The Allison tweeters in my stash are well over 30 years old,  so perhaps time and abuse hasn’t been kind. So for now, I rest easy and enjoy the SBs. The speakers on whole sound very sweet in my little budget nostalia system, with my Advent 300 pre-and Adcom GFA 535-II power amp. I’m playing vinyl, CDs and even streaming (Allo streamer into Schiit modi 3 and then into the Advent), and basically enjoying the heck out of the Allison Al-120s!

[newandold]

Really, I never saw the Allison woofer cones coated until I bought a replacement woofer for an Allison One around 1994. Big changes by then within the company and that woofer (though it sounded perfectly fine) had the entire surface surround and all shiny coated. It looked different from the originals but not nearly as far of a departure as what happened later in 2000 when David Faulkner bought the company and tried to jump start it.

 From what I’ve seen over the years, any coating applied to the surrounds has done nothing to add to the longevity, only wishful thinking. Just a gooey mess with the surrounds rotting and the coating separating from the foam.

Right now, I’m a “ crash test dummy” for all new surrounds on my current Allison’s with no coating on any of the woofer surrounds. They range between 2012 and 2016. We’ll see....

Can’t speak to the tweeters. If you’re happy with the sound then that’s all that matters.

For what it’s worth, the foam surrounds of today chemically are supposed to hold up better than the foam of the 70’s and 80’s.... If true that would be the REAL ticket!

Bill

[Jordac]

Thanks, Bill. Interesting information. PVA is a good moisture barrier, so maybe that’s part of it. I live in Alabama, so I guess that will make my surrounds a high humidity test. Also interesting...I’m an original owner of a pair of LC 110s from the mid-late 80. They have the cone coating. Thanks again for your reply. Best, Chris

[newandold]

8 minutes ago, Jordac said:

Thanks, Bill. Interesting information. PVA is a good moisture barrier, so maybe that’s part of it. I live in Alabama, so I guess that will make my surrounds a high humidity test. Also interesting...I’m an original owner of a pair of LC 110s from the mid-late 80. They have the cone coating. Thanks again for your reply. Best, Chris

Hi Chris,

You’re right!

 I had the older, original lineup of Allisons in mind. (None of the cones from my A1’s (1977) were coated.
All of the smaller woofers I’ve seen and Owned from the eighties and nineties were coated. I have the AL 115s, close in age to your LCs and the newer NL1440.

That being said, it’s always the surrounds that go.

Spiders get weak and loose compliance also. I have had both spiders and surrounds replaced in all my systems between 2012 and 2016.

The quest to stay “new” continues.,...