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My mother's Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble satellites. I believe they're from the late 1980s, so no surprises here.
Yep, foam just disappears.My mother's Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble satellites. I believe they're from the late 1980s, so no surprises here.
View attachment 57839
Rubber is much better! My 1994 M26WRs are still solid, for which I'm grateful.OTOH I sold a pair of DIY speakers with KEF B110 and Audax HD25 last year. I bought the chassis in 1988 and they looked and performed as new.
That IS more unusual, isn't it? Can't say how many decisions were based on cost here, but the cabinet has no relief for "woofer" venting. It's very blocked. I'll try to remember to get a pic of that tomorrow.I think I'm more surprised to see that Cambridge put a cone tweeter in a speaker.
Yep, foam just disappears.
OTOH I sold a pair of DIY speakers with KEF B110 and Audax HD25 last year. I bought the chassis in 1988 and they looked and performed as new.
It's like people making pronouncements about Class D vs. Class ABRubber is much better! My 1994 M26WRs are still solid, for which I'm grateful.
You could make sweeping statements about 'plastic' too, and be just as wrong.
My mother's Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble satellites. I believe they're from the late 1980s, so no surprises here.
You can get replacement surrounds pretty cheap; might be fun to try and repair them: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rubber-Surround-Durable-Woofer-Edge-Ring-Folding-Speaker-Accessories-Universal/333544214284?_trkparms=aid=555021&algo=PL.SIMRVI&ao=1&asc=225114&meid=447378a0c23143d1ba2159c59f6b0510&pid=100752&rk=4&rkt=16&mehot=co&sd=174214961103&itm=333544214284&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&algv=SimplRVIAMLv5WebWithPLRVIOnTopCombiner&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982
I found some old unopened cans of Quaker State Motor Oil in the bottom of the cabinet last year.
Real old, like, from (guessing) 1980.
I figured it would still be good for something, but it had jelled.
I'm probably too old now to save a bottle of synthetic for 40 years, just to see.
Cambridge Soundworks isn't Cambridge Audio... Cone tweeters weren't unusual in that time frame, even Coral used to have them in their kits.
Year 1980. Dome tweeters were not a thing yet.
Any idea how close to original they measure after surround replacement? It has to be an improvement over the disintegrated one.I've done this kind of operation plenty of time.
Yep, absolutely correct.It's like people making pronouncements about Class D vs. Class AB
There are different sorts of 'foam' and different sorts of 'rubber' with significantly different properties, including the way the age in different environments. Some rubbers will stiffen and crack, especially in the presence of specific environmental contaminants. Some foams will fall apart. Other foams and rubbers will remain apparently unchanged after decades. You could make sweeping statements about 'plastic' too, and be just as wrong.