Replacing AR Woofer Surrounds / Refoaming

[Guest matty g]

I have a question about refoaming kits regarding the optional foam edge preservatave that is offered by many suppliers. Has anyone gone this route, and if so, would you recommend it? I have replaced foam surrounds on a number of speakers (AR3A's mostly) and I'm currently working on a set of AR5's, but I've never used preservative on the edges. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or just snake oil. Also, I wonder if it changes the sonic properties of the surround, though the manufacturer claims it does not. Forgive me if this topic has been raised in the past - I'm kind of new to The Pages.

Could anyone who has had any experience with this product - good or bad - please post your thoughts on it? I'm undecided but leaning toward using it.

Thanks

Matt

[dynaco_dan]

Hi Matt;

There is nothing to forgive.

This is a very valid question.

I do not have any answer, unfortunately.

Until some really good quality feedback arrives, I would not coat the surrounds or cones with any compound.

The only coating that has been noted here is the Armorall coating for the AR cloth surrounds.

Some have diluted other glues or silicones in an attempt to preserve the flexibility and porosity of the cloth surrounds.

[Carlspeak]

I saw the stuff Simply Speakers is offering called "Foam Guard". I haven't used it for that purpose, however. It looks to me like standard fabric surround prep I've used on large pro-audio speakers. It's a solution of solubilized rubber and water used to impregnate the textile/fabric surrounds.

Will it harm foam? I doubt it? Will it change the speaker's performance? Probably not so much as you'd notice it. The resonant frequency might shift a bit.

Is it worth doing? In my opinion, no. Your new surrounds will last at least 10-15 years. If they fail again, there most likely will be someone still selling replacements.

It's all about the music

Carl

Carl's Custom Loudspeakers