This may seem like an odd question, but if the cones on Alpair drivers really are that delicate, does that mean that one will be unable to re-foam them if they need it 10-20 years from now?
I know this seems like an odd question, but I've re-foamed a few speakers now, from Paradigm Atoms to JBL l36 and it is genuinely worth the effort in most cases. It would be a shame if someone else (perhaps even me as well) wasn't able to preserve the life of Alpair drivers when they get a little long in the tooth 10-20 years from now.
Phil
I know this seems like an odd question, but I've re-foamed a few speakers now, from Paradigm Atoms to JBL l36 and it is genuinely worth the effort in most cases. It would be a shame if someone else (perhaps even me as well) wasn't able to preserve the life of Alpair drivers when they get a little long in the tooth 10-20 years from now.
Phil
Hi Guys,
Early foam surrounds were (are) known in the "trade" for being service life limited. Typically, the service life of a foam surround will be around 10 years, depending on environmental factors, particularly UV exposure rates.
I think Phil's point about renewing front suspensions helps me to continue the work on the Alpair 8. I still believe in trying to create a driver(s) that allows end-users and/or their dealers to swop in/out power-trains. But will the home build community come to appreciate the long term benefits of such a system and make the higher initial investment? Or will we continue with the current situation where drivers aren't designed to be maintained or preserved?
Food for thought
Mark.
Early foam surrounds were (are) known in the "trade" for being service life limited. Typically, the service life of a foam surround will be around 10 years, depending on environmental factors, particularly UV exposure rates.
I think Phil's point about renewing front suspensions helps me to continue the work on the Alpair 8. I still believe in trying to create a driver(s) that allows end-users and/or their dealers to swop in/out power-trains. But will the home build community come to appreciate the long term benefits of such a system and make the higher initial investment? Or will we continue with the current situation where drivers aren't designed to be maintained or preserved?
Food for thought
Mark.
Thanks for the update on the nature of the surrounds. This is a good thing.
As for the design question, that's a tough one. In general there seems to be a tension in our society between an increasing awareness of the importance of reusing, recycling, maintaining, preserving and so on, and a pace of technological and industrial change that encourages an expectation of immediate gratification, disposability, replacement, a desire for the newest tech fix, and so on. Where the DIY community fits into that is difficult to gauge, but I suspect there might be a mixture of both these mentalities with an emphasis on periodically seeking to try something new. Other, younger enthusiasts might be better able to advise you on this.
The ideal of a speaker design that would allow one to swap out parts is certainly intriguing, but it seems to me that its long term success would require that the user develop a strong attachment to the speaker system in question. My guess is that for this to happen on a broad level, there would have to be something special about the speaker's performance that would make people want to keep them and work with them in the way you envisage. Designing and producing something that people will want to maintain and preserve is, however, much easier said than done.
Does the Alpair 8 have a real possibility of being a 'classic,' does it have the kinds of characteristics that will make people want to own it, develop it, play with it, and preserve it? I realize those are difficult questions to answer (if it was that easy to build a 'classic' then this kind of business wouldn't be such a risky venture), but that's the best I can offer on this end. I'm sure there are others who will have more insightful things to add.
As a final note, when I take on a project one of the things I sometimes ask myself is if the thing in question is something I would want associated with my name, something that I would want to 'own' as it were as part of how others (e.g. my children or my colleagues) might view or remember me. Silly I know, but that's what sometimes crosses my mind.
As for the design question, that's a tough one. In general there seems to be a tension in our society between an increasing awareness of the importance of reusing, recycling, maintaining, preserving and so on, and a pace of technological and industrial change that encourages an expectation of immediate gratification, disposability, replacement, a desire for the newest tech fix, and so on. Where the DIY community fits into that is difficult to gauge, but I suspect there might be a mixture of both these mentalities with an emphasis on periodically seeking to try something new. Other, younger enthusiasts might be better able to advise you on this.
The ideal of a speaker design that would allow one to swap out parts is certainly intriguing, but it seems to me that its long term success would require that the user develop a strong attachment to the speaker system in question. My guess is that for this to happen on a broad level, there would have to be something special about the speaker's performance that would make people want to keep them and work with them in the way you envisage. Designing and producing something that people will want to maintain and preserve is, however, much easier said than done.
Does the Alpair 8 have a real possibility of being a 'classic,' does it have the kinds of characteristics that will make people want to own it, develop it, play with it, and preserve it? I realize those are difficult questions to answer (if it was that easy to build a 'classic' then this kind of business wouldn't be such a risky venture), but that's the best I can offer on this end. I'm sure there are others who will have more insightful things to add.
As a final note, when I take on a project one of the things I sometimes ask myself is if the thing in question is something I would want associated with my name, something that I would want to 'own' as it were as part of how others (e.g. my children or my colleagues) might view or remember me. Silly I know, but that's what sometimes crosses my mind.
Assuming you don't put a finger or similar through them, or act the goat in general (e.g. put them in direct sunlight & leave them there), it should be almost indefinite. Think about a century. In the list of things to worry about, that's not one I'd have near the top. At present, I'd be rather more worried about the current, very rapid spread of Ebola in Western Africa.
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So you are trying to tell me that my speakers with rubber surrounds will not protect me from Ebola?
Given how thin and delicate the Alpair units are, I am having trouble trying to imagine a similar design that would survive the repair process, let alone achieve the same performance as the new driver would have.
Given how thin and delicate the Alpair units are, I am having trouble trying to imagine a similar design that would survive the repair process, let alone achieve the same performance as the new driver would have.
Just sold some Monitor Audio Studio 12's that I bought in 1994. Bass performance was below spec's and the rubber surrounds had some hairline cracks in them indicating dryness / stiffness.
Had some National Panasonic drivers with a linen surround dating back to 1970 that were still working fine (before I sold them).
With loosing mobility in my hands I searched for some Fostex FE127E to replace a pair of FF125WK. The FE127E has an impregnated linen surround whereas the FF125WK has a foam surround.
Had some National Panasonic drivers with a linen surround dating back to 1970 that were still working fine (before I sold them).
With loosing mobility in my hands I searched for some Fostex FE127E to replace a pair of FF125WK. The FE127E has an impregnated linen surround whereas the FF125WK has a foam surround.
OTOH, older fabric surrounds can be prone to their own problems - hardening of the doping materials which certainly has deleterious affect on performance
Stiff surround syndrome (SSS)... if i ever figure out a cure, i'll have at least 2 dozen decent small FRs freed up.
dave
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