Sub Cone material

[skooter]

There are so many different types! Pressed paper, Non pressed paper, poly, coated poly, aluminum, fiber woven, etc.... which will get the best sound? seems to me Paper tye would produce a more natural sound. poly just don't seem right! don't know bout aluminum.

[MJL21193]

Originally posted by skooter

which will get the best sound?

Hi,
Provided the drivers are used correctly, and they are of good quality, all of the materials will sound the same.
It is a sub after all.

[Flyin11]

poly not sound right? JL Audio subs have Polypropylene cones and so does MTX, Rockford Fosgates, JBL, Infinity, some Kenwoods, and even Kicker

[skooter]

Wasn't meening to knock any sub, I was just thinkin that some cone mite have a different sound. thats all. guess I was not thinkin when I asked that stupid question. sorry.

[grjr]

Not all cone materials are created equal and they all have different sound qualities. Ideal cone materials are strong but low in density. Paper sounds pretty good but isn't durable for long term use (or abuse). Plastic (polypropylene) is more durable but imo doesn't sound as good. My preferences are for Al and composite cone materials which are usually pretty expensive.

[skooter]

Thanks!

[454Casull]

Yeah, and you happen to have subs that are exactly the same except for cone material...

I think it's impossible for two subs (used properly) of different cone material but otherwise equivalent to sound different.

[grjr]

so equivalent speakers each with cones made of a different material have the same transfer function? Is this not the same as saying a plastic violin would sound the same as a wooden one?

edit: I'm gonna withdraw from this thread instead of continuing the discussion.

[ppia600]

If you cross the sub over at the correct frequency, the cone material will not cause issues. The only way it will matter is if you play frequencies high enough to cause an undesired resonance, and that would most likely be somewhere in the mid range. Subs are designed to play low frequencies, not mid. That is why they are called "subs". I don't have many requirements for cone material other than it be durable and not succeptible to water absorption or warping. I usually stay away from the paper cones even though they are usually treated to make them water resistant. Poly and metal types are good because they can be very thin and light and still very stiff, to keep the woofer cone from flexing.

[jol50]

Cheap poly subs do have noise in them but most are heavy enough not to. What I find is running subs IB you will hear more artifacts in the sound. It seems to dampen the cone more in a box. Either way you usually can't hear it unless the sub is visible to you and aimed at you. A sub with fair or better quality today should not make any noise at sub frequencies...but IMO there are differences in subs and it may or may not be the cone material. I like paper for quality, but it is less of an issue with better drivers. Also the slope of your crossover and its setting can affect it....and I think that is why you tend to hear it more if you are in front of the sub, and will not if sub is in trunk for example. I guarantee if you buy a $15 pyramid original poly 10" sub and run it IB in a rear deck, you will hear cone noise. With the same model paper it will be less or not heard, I have done it. I have some Infinity 12s now IB and I don't hear any noise at all in them, but there is a bump higher up...however it may not be the cones or even subs doing it, and its not that bad but I don't run them that high anyway. BTW the same 10" poly pyramids were fine in a ported box in a hatchback. For SQ daily driver they worked pretty well on 150rms. They didn't last that long though, they wear out and foam goes bad.