Hi all,
I own a 1996 Jaguar X300 XJR with the Harmon Kardon uprated audio pack. THis was an £800 option when the car was new, and instead of using the ISO speaker outputs, it takes a signal from the preamp port of the original Alpine AJ9500R head unit, to a Harmon Kardon amp in the boot, and then routes wiring to a series of Harmon Kardon speakers throughout the car.
There are speakers (I think 6", but checking) in all four doors, plus tweeters in the A pillars and the rear doors, plus a 6x9" dual voice coil subwoofer in the parcel shelf.
The foam has deteriorated completely on the 6x9, and there were holes in the cone. These speakers are very expensive secondhand, given that they're DVC and shallow. You can't get a deeper speaker in the hole as it would foul the fuel tank, so originals are in demand. I'm attempting a repair on the basis I can't make it any more broken than it was, and that I could save myself an expensive bill. I have repaired the holes using tissue, and intend to replace the foam around the cone.
While I'm at it, on the logic that they're all the same age, I'll be replacing the foam on the 6" door speakers too. A couple of them sound flat, so it's probably about time for them to be done.
I appear to have a choice of foam or rubber surrounds for 6" speakers. I'm led to believe that both will offer different sound qualities, but that rubber will last longer.
Would I be better to replace like with like, or to choose rubber for longevity? If the climate matters, I live in the UK.
Thanks for your advice!
I own a 1996 Jaguar X300 XJR with the Harmon Kardon uprated audio pack. THis was an £800 option when the car was new, and instead of using the ISO speaker outputs, it takes a signal from the preamp port of the original Alpine AJ9500R head unit, to a Harmon Kardon amp in the boot, and then routes wiring to a series of Harmon Kardon speakers throughout the car.
There are speakers (I think 6", but checking) in all four doors, plus tweeters in the A pillars and the rear doors, plus a 6x9" dual voice coil subwoofer in the parcel shelf.
The foam has deteriorated completely on the 6x9, and there were holes in the cone. These speakers are very expensive secondhand, given that they're DVC and shallow. You can't get a deeper speaker in the hole as it would foul the fuel tank, so originals are in demand. I'm attempting a repair on the basis I can't make it any more broken than it was, and that I could save myself an expensive bill. I have repaired the holes using tissue, and intend to replace the foam around the cone.
While I'm at it, on the logic that they're all the same age, I'll be replacing the foam on the 6" door speakers too. A couple of them sound flat, so it's probably about time for them to be done.
I appear to have a choice of foam or rubber surrounds for 6" speakers. I'm led to believe that both will offer different sound qualities, but that rubber will last longer.
Would I be better to replace like with like, or to choose rubber for longevity? If the climate matters, I live in the UK.
Thanks for your advice!
Thank you, Flashheart.
The parts to repair the 6x9" are not available in the UK unfortunately - I can source round ones of both types in the UK, but I can't source a 6x9" repair surround here at all let alone a "correct" one.
I've only found one source of the surrounds that will ship here without costing silly money, and that is in Hong Kong. I have one in transit as it's the best I can do. Those ones you linked are available as an option, but as they list for the later X308 Alpine system I'm unsure if they would also be correct for the Harmon Kardon system.
My query is primarily about the 6" door speakers, as I have more choice there. Can you please explain the T/S parameters and how they will affect the sound? I am not an audio expert and don't understand the technical terms, I just want it to work again!
Thank you.
The parts to repair the 6x9" are not available in the UK unfortunately - I can source round ones of both types in the UK, but I can't source a 6x9" repair surround here at all let alone a "correct" one.
I've only found one source of the surrounds that will ship here without costing silly money, and that is in Hong Kong. I have one in transit as it's the best I can do. Those ones you linked are available as an option, but as they list for the later X308 Alpine system I'm unsure if they would also be correct for the Harmon Kardon system.
My query is primarily about the 6" door speakers, as I have more choice there. Can you please explain the T/S parameters and how they will affect the sound? I am not an audio expert and don't understand the technical terms, I just want it to work again!
Thank you.
I’m very far from being an expert and I’ll post a link to a very good video explanation but in short the Thiele/Small parameters of a driver describe how it behaves electrically, mechanically and acoustically and how those factors all interact. They describe how e driver behaves in response to inputs and enclosures and help predict the result at the end.
YouTube
I don’t think It makes a massive difference going from one sort of foam surround to another as long as they both similar in dimensions and thickness but going to a rubber surround would make more to a difference.
I have re-foamed several drivers and in all cases with foam that was made specifically to fit but not oem as this was years after they were discontinued with excellent results. In the circumstances I would be tempted to go with the stuff in the eBay link as it seems unlikely they would have made any major changes.
YouTube
I don’t think It makes a massive difference going from one sort of foam surround to another as long as they both similar in dimensions and thickness but going to a rubber surround would make more to a difference.
I have re-foamed several drivers and in all cases with foam that was made specifically to fit but not oem as this was years after they were discontinued with excellent results. In the circumstances I would be tempted to go with the stuff in the eBay link as it seems unlikely they would have made any major changes.
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