Why do speaker manufacturers do this?

[pacificblue]

This is a picture of the Eminence Beta 8". It is only an example, many other speakers look similar.

Speaker designers and manufacturers must be aware that most drivers are mounted from the front. So why do they still make so many drivers that are obviously optimised for mounting from the back?

 

[VictoriaGuy]

Companies like Eminence do a lot of business with the guitar amp and PA sound world- and a lot of those speakers are mounted 'from the back'.
Perhaps this is the reason?
I noticed that some Celestion speakers I bought came with two sets of gaskets for either front and back mounting.
It can be nasty if the gaskets are glued on, but most of the time they seem to be pretty easy to switch around.
Cheers
John

 

[Andersonix]

Also, the cardboard gasket is a good way to hide the seam between the outer edge of the surround and the basket, where glue squirts out and looks unfinished otherwise.

 

[nickmckinney]

Also, the cardboard gasket is a good way to hide the seam between the outer edge of the surround and the basket, where glue squirts out and looks unfinished otherwise.

In designs like this the gasket allows faster assembly as you just set the driver on its face with wet glue and let gravity do its job.

 

[pacificblue]

In designs like this the gasket allows faster assembly as you just set the driver on its face with wet glue and let gravity do its job.

The simplest answers are often the most surprising ones. While I suspected savings during manufacturing to be an issue, I would have thought of something less obvious. E. g. easier pressing process, if the brims are folded in the same direction as the rest of the basket or something like that.

 

[Cal Weldon]

The gasket also prevent little fingers like mine from picking at the edge of the surround to see how well glued it is.