Yes, I searched. Yes, I have not found much. Most of the searches leads to speaker protectors, DC protecting, amp protecting, not what I want to know.
I am interested to know if there is some treatment to protect speaker cone from UV. Ideally transparent, and ideally something which does not affect frequency response much.
Any available products?
I am interested to know if there is some treatment to protect speaker cone from UV. Ideally transparent, and ideally something which does not affect frequency response much.
Any available products?
Hi Adason,
I had the same conundrum a few years back. My dual driver EL70 Planet-10 MicroTowers each have a top-mounted driver and the speakers sit near a south-facing window. Those top drivers were getting noticeably bleached (grey/brown instead of black) and I wanted to stop things before the paper got brittle.
I searched around and didn't have much luck. Then one day I saw my wife putting on her "Gel" nail polish. The kind that is cured by UV light. No solvents and plenty of time to work with it (it doesn't get all sticky as you are applying it).
I am the kind of guy who sometimes just says "Eff it" and goes for it. I pulled the drivers out and very carefully applied a light coat of black gel nail polish and cured it with the UV light. I did all the drivers so they match.
They have been that way for at least 3 years now and I certainly can't hear any difference in the sound. Stopped the UV damage in its tracks.
You can get clear coat as well, but it seems obvious to me that an opaque colour will offer the best protection.
I had the same conundrum a few years back. My dual driver EL70 Planet-10 MicroTowers each have a top-mounted driver and the speakers sit near a south-facing window. Those top drivers were getting noticeably bleached (grey/brown instead of black) and I wanted to stop things before the paper got brittle.
I searched around and didn't have much luck. Then one day I saw my wife putting on her "Gel" nail polish. The kind that is cured by UV light. No solvents and plenty of time to work with it (it doesn't get all sticky as you are applying it).
I am the kind of guy who sometimes just says "Eff it" and goes for it. I pulled the drivers out and very carefully applied a light coat of black gel nail polish and cured it with the UV light. I did all the drivers so they match.
They have been that way for at least 3 years now and I certainly can't hear any difference in the sound. Stopped the UV damage in its tracks.
You can get clear coat as well, but it seems obvious to me that an opaque colour will offer the best protection.
Thanks for the inspiration cogitech. I will see if I can try it on some old leftover drivers.
khh, I rent, do not own the house...that would not work
khh, I rent, do not own the house...that would not work
There are UV resistant clear lacquer sprays available. Perhaps if applied lightly?
BIG BEN UV Resistant Clear Lacquer Spray - 400ml | Leach's Scaffolders Supplies
BIG BEN UV Resistant Clear Lacquer Spray - 400ml | Leach's Scaffolders Supplies
adason - the 3M product is described as a film. Without diving into the entire application instructions, I’d imagine they’d not be all that hard to remove if owner or ant subsequent tenants weren’t interested in the protection offered?
chrisb, I am familiar with similar stuff, I have it on the windows facing early sunrise. But the speakers I want to treat will go to a friend eventually, and he requested it.
Has anybody perhaps tried the brake fluid on the rubber surrounds to keep them soft as many claims that it works ?
In my young and handsome days I was a contract installer.
First, the new films do not darken in the way the older aluminum oxide films did so the owner might not even be aware of it.
Second, no they are not easily removed. They take a whole lot longer to remove than install.
Third, do not attempt this. Without the right equipment and experience, you will find it very frustrating and expensive. Expensive because of material wastage. Frustrating because of material wastage.
I like the idea of a spray but you have to be careful to not add so much that you change the properties of the driver.
The term “rubber” is used rather generically - aren’t most of the non-foam surrounds these days synthetic elastomers? I’d be wary of treating them with product likely to stiffen them - lacquers / cross linking cured urethanes, etc - or that includes a VOC type solvent carrier. Even if the latter didn’t damage the surrounds themselves, there’s always the adhesive to worry about.
Yes rubber is a generic term. I believe most surrounds are butyl or santoprene. I wish they would make them from EPDM and we wouldn't have to worry about the brake fluid.
Let’s give the driver manufacturers the benefit of the doubt in that they’ve selected materials for the compromise of specific qualities required - not the least of which I should think would be ease of fabrication and compatibility with adhesives required to attach to sometimes different frame & cone materials.
I use the 303 Aerospace Protectant.
https://www.amazon.com/303-Protecta...targid=aud-801738734305:pla-374671520048&th=1
The protectant liquid is applied carefully on the surrounds with a Q-tip. I have used it on both rubber surrounds and foam surrounds. Not sure whether it really works, but the treated surrounds have not cracked yet. I have never tried to use this stuff to treat the cones.
Kurt
https://www.amazon.com/303-Protecta...targid=aud-801738734305:pla-374671520048&th=1
The protectant liquid is applied carefully on the surrounds with a Q-tip. I have used it on both rubber surrounds and foam surrounds. Not sure whether it really works, but the treated surrounds have not cracked yet. I have never tried to use this stuff to treat the cones.
Kurt