can a Polk driver use a foam surround

leftwinger57

Lets say someone has a Polk 61/2'' driver and the butyl is ripped but the cone is ok. Can you install a foam surround on this driver which should last 15 years and be a working product. If no replacement is available from Polk is this a viable way of saving the speaker I'm talking hypothetical here not real world for me.

westmassguy

You could Lew, but the T/S parameters of the driver will change. What you'll end up with is anyone's guess, but it won't perform like it did originally.

pitdogg2

foam will be a lot stiffer than the rubber.....

Schurkey

Won't be like original, but will be better than an air-leaking, ripped-surround driver. (i.e., better than nothing.)

pitdogg2

Schurkey wrote: »

Won't be like original, but will be better than an air-leaking, ripped-surround driver. (i.e., better than nothing.)

true but it is not like they are not out there to be had at reasonable prices. That being said all the labor to fix the coin to get new foam + shipping for wouldn't be worth sub-standard driver in my book....

Schurkey

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Schurkey wrote: »

Won't be like original, but will be better than an air-leaking, ripped-surround driver. (i.e., better than nothing.)

true but it is not like they are not out there to be had at reasonable prices. That being said all the labor to fix the coin to get new foam + shipping for wouldn't be worth sub-standard driver in my book....

When was the last time you saw an MW6513 bass driver for an SRS 2.3 for sale? You are completely correct for SOME models of Polk drivers, but there's others with no current Polk support, and a scarcity of used items listed on the usual sites.

Might also make a difference for someone in a foreign country who can source replacement foams, but would face terrific shipping cost and import duties on a complete driver.

No, the replacement foam is not a great solution--but it's better than scrapping the rest of the speaker.

pitdogg2

believe it or not not too long ago on ebay...I thought Polk Still supported those?

For some reason I remember a member here stating that polk still had NOS on hand.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Polk-MW-6513-MIDRANGE-From-Polk-SDA-/231321713852?pt=US_Speaker_Parts_Components&hash=item35dbd93cbc


http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/164275/mw6513-mw6511-drivers-f-s

skrol

You can buy rubber surrounds. There are some on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/252089691250?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

I know I had seen a site where you can give your specific dimensions too.
http://www.speakerworks.com/foam_surround_sizing_s/63.htm

leftwinger57

Yes but Pit, remember Polk were out of RDO-194s for quite some time before they restocked. since no one has the correct butyl surround except Polk I think a $25 foam kit or if they still have cloth surrounds would fill the void. I'm getting a new driver from Polk C/S and a very nice gesture and was wondering if someone was willing to put in there own surround what ever the material it could be theirs. So I guess it is real world for me and the offer for the beat 6502 stands. On another point I needed a gray fiber/ beauty ring/ gasket. Nobody had one so I got 1 from Simply Speakers for $7 and it showed it in black. Well black it was but the other side was matching gray and all is well w/ the M7s and x-overs out later this month.

No affiliation just a customer.

westmassguy

skrol wrote: »

You can buy rubber surrounds. There are some on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/252089691250?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

I know I had seen a site where you can give your specific dimensions too.
http://www.speakerworks.com/foam_surround_sizing_s/63.htm

Those rubber surrounds are too thick. They'd be worse than the foam.
The Polk surrounds are paper thin, coupled with the spiders they used, and Xmax, they're able to get a 6.5" woofer down to an Fs of 30 Hz , and a Vas of 3 cubic feet.
That's quite impressive.

leftwinger57

Dave, way over my head. I haven't the slightest idea what your talking about. I'm just offering for someone in dire need of of a 6.5 driver to foam surround it until they can get the real deal or the foam doesn't bother them. Hey I'm a believer in butyl surrounds. ,Why not, if not in direct sunlight they could last a few lifetimes as heirloom speakers.

westmassguy

leftwinger57 wrote: »

Dave, way over my head. I haven't the slightest idea what your talking about. I'm just offering for someone in dire need of of a 6.5 driver to foam surround it until they can get the real deal or the foam doesn't bother them. Hey I'm a believer in butyl surrounds. ,Why not, if not in direct sunlight they could last a few lifetimes as heirloom speakers.

No worries Lew.