AR91 driver repair?

[gcrimmins]

I just purchased a pair of AR91 speakers at a yard sale very inexpensively. The woofers desperately need to be re-foamed. I see that many places sell re-foam kits. Does it matter where I buy a kit from, or all they all essentially the same thing?

Both mid-range drivers have been poked in, and appear to have been that way for years. They are not torn, just poked in. Can these be repaired (by me or a repair shop) or will they need to be replaced?

The domed dust caps on both woofers have been poked as well. Should I try to repair these, or just leave them alone?

Thank you for any suggestions. I'm currently using a pair of AR2ax speakers, and am eager to hear the 12" woofer on the AR91's.

--Geoff

[ar_pro]

Many believe the AR-91 to be AR's best 3-way, 3-driver design.

If the midrange dents aren't too severe, it's possible to carefully lift them with duct tape.

That said, if they've been poked in for 20 years, this probably won't work.

Replace the dust caps when you re-foam the woofers.

How did your tweeters avoid being pushed in, too?

Photos, please!

[JKent]

Does it matter where I buy a kit from, or all they all essentially the same thing?

The domed dust caps on both woofers have been poked as well. Should I try to repair these, or just leave them alone?

Hi Geoff

Many of us here really like MSound. Here is a link to his refoam instructions and there you will find a link to his ebay store

http://www.citlink.net/~msound/

His kits are great and so is his support. If you tell him you are a CSP member you may get a bit of a discount. He will also be sure to include the correct dustcap for your speakers, and if you need some for the mids he has quite a selection:

http://www.citlink.net/~msound/dustcaps/

Kent

[gcrimmins]

Thank you for the replies. I've coerced the mid-range drivers into being convex again, though they aren't completely smooth. I'll know soon enough if they are working. I ordered an MSound re-foam kit, which should be here any day. I sanded the veneered portion of the cabinets and re-finished them with Watco Danish oil. I'm not sure why the tweeters were not damaged, maybe the kid who was poking the drivers was too short to reach them. I'm using a pair of AR-2ax speakers now, so I'm eager to test the AR-91's and see how they compare, especially in the bass.

It's a bit difficult to get all the sticky goo from the rotted foam surrounds off of the edge of the woofer cones. I carefully scraped off as much as I could with an X-Acto knife. Any suggestions?

--Geoff

[JKent]

It's a bit difficult to get all the sticky goo from the rotted foam surrounds off of the edge of the woofer cones. I carefully scraped off as much as I could with an X-Acto knife. Any suggestions?

Did you read the MSound instructions online? Here is the relevant part:

REMNANTS OF THE OLD FOAM CAN BE REMOVED BY SCRAPING WITH YOUR THUMBNAIL, OR WITH THE BACK EDGE OF THE KNIFE. ONCE THE BULK OF THE OLD SURROUND IS REMOVED, LIGHT SANDING WITH COARSE SANDPAPER WILL HELP TO REMOVE THE REMAINDER. A BIT OF A RUBBERY TEXTURE MIGHT REMAIN. THIS IS OK. DO NOT SAND INTO THE CONE! AN ALCOHOL SWAB IS ALSO USEFUL FOR GETTING THE EXCESS GLUE OFF THE FRAME.

You will receive sandpaper and alcohol swabs with the kit but you can use rough sandpaper and alcohol on a cloth before the kit arrives. Good luck!

Kent

[gcrimmins]

I completed the woofer re-foam yesterday and was able to test the speakers today. One of the tweeters is bad. Can it be repaired, or will I need to replace it? I'm hoping to avoid the $70 cost of a new tweeter. Thanks,

--Geoff