How important is spider stiffness?

[audiomagnate]

I'm repairing some vintage woofers with brittle/crumbling spiders with new spiders that seem to really firm up the woofer. Am I screwing up the T/S parameters of these old woofs. They still go low but feel stiffer than stock.

 

[dragonweed]

Yes, stiffer spider means less Cms, Vas, and lowers the Qms (therefore Qts) values. Also raises Fs of course.

 

[norman bates]

stiffer spider may make it less detailed in the high end because the driver is fighting harder to move.

 

[JMFahey]

Am I screwing up the T/S parameters of these old woofs.

Don't think so, simply because you are getting them back to "as new" spec.

brittle/crumbling spiders

is definitely what original Speaker Designers did NOT have in mind.

 

[chris661]

Yes, stiffer spider means less Cms, Vas, and lowers the Qms (therefore Qts) values. Also raises Fs of course.

On most drivers, Qts will barely change, as its dominated by Qes.