High Efficiency Speaker Asylum

stiff LE5-2 - is it worth a try to massage it back towards original fs?

173.80.184.112

freddyi

A

my ancient LE5-2 are running fs ~340 and qts ~2 - also, checking a 104-H2, fs ~260, qts ~0.85. It was one time mentioned that John Karlson treated a 4" tv speaker's surround with polysorbate-80 but that was a new driver. I'll have to do some response sweeps, perhaps these driver's will still function well on Bruce's 250Hz tractrix with 2.5" x 2.5" mouth. Is there something which could be applied to the paper surround? (I think its paper -?) The spiders may also be stiff but the one on my LE5 was still pliable.

I could use suggestions of a modern cone speaker favorable to that horn.
Karlson Evangelist

Follow Ups:

RE: stiff LE5-2 - is it worth a try to massage it back towards original fs? - freddyi 19:55:38 12/06/15 (3)
LE5's surround appears to be doped cloth so I coated it with Permatex then went around the surround with lacquer thinner a few times while carefully massaging the suspension - that should drop the portion of stiffness contributed by the dried-out surround and in hope when the lacquer thinner evaporates, the Permatex will keep things pliable for a while - not sure what might be safe for the spider,
Karlson Evangelist
- RE: stiff LE5-2 - is it worth a try to massage it back towards original fs? - Kloss 07:22:06 12/07/15 (2)
  Time for a rebuild?
  - http://reconingspeakers.com/product/jbl-le5-2-c8rle52-l100-m (Open in New Window)
  - RE: stiff LE5-2 - is it worth a try to massage it back towards original fs? - freddyi 09:06:51 12/07/15 (1)
    thanks - "probably" - maybe it'll work as is as a mid horn driver - the Permatex and thinner made the surround pliable again but sure looks funky.
    If my experience is average, then I'd bet most LE5 seen at Ebay have fs and qts pushed up around double. If vintage speaker sales included T-S data then things might not look so good when suspensions age. There are survivors.
    
    Karlson Evangelist
    
    Edits: 12/07/15
    - RE: stiff LE5-2 - is it worth a try to massage it back towards original fs? - Kloss 07:21:08 12/08/15 (0)
      I talked a few collector friends into trying DATS they were not happy after testing some of there collections. I tried for awhile to get near spec matching RCA LC1A ended up buying 7 drivers only 1 was close to original rest not one matched the other. Used the best one as a center channel.
      http://www.daytonaudio.com/index.php/dats-dayton-audio-test- (Open in New Window)

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