Aging new speaker cones???

[Jalmeida]

The topic of older cones being different and pulsonic cones no longer around there are companies that recreate the softer more flexible cones. Several experts have even shared that the older cones used long fiber pulp due to the older growth trees which are long gone in the paper world. And the shorter fibers requiring more chemicals etc making them inherently stiffer than the older cones.

That said, I have read numerous posts with people trying to age/soften new speaker cones with different methods and products. Weber allegedly used/uses a mixture of Fabric softener and Acetone. But this can also destroy a cone. Scumback uses some proprietary method/product in addition to a break-in. I have also read that Glycerine lightly applied to the backside can help soften the cones.

Any thoughts? I’d love to hear if anyone has any thoughts on this. Any personal experiences on this to share?

[idsnowdog]

I brush a little acetone on the spider to loosen that up.  I also brush fabric softener on the cone and apply two coats of rubber cement on the accordion pleats.  The fabric softener relaxes the cone fibers and I run the speaker for 72 hours at around 100db with burn-in frequency sweeps on YouTube.  Some speakers have a lot of doping that can be removed with acetone or alcohol.  I haven't damaged anything yet and I find after breaking it in this way they become less harsh sounding and more sensitive to nuances.  They also sound louder afterward because more frequencies are being reproduced.

[Jalmeida]

I brush a little acetone on the spider to loosen that up.  I also brush fabric softener on the cone and apply two coats of rubber cement on the accordion pleats.  The fabric softener relaxes the cone fibers and I run the speaker for 72 hours at around 100db with burn-in frequency sweeps on YouTube.  Some speakers have a lot of doping that can be removed with acetone or alcohol.  I haven't damaged anything yet and I find after breaking it in this way they become less harsh sounding and more sensitive to nuances.

Interesting about the acetone on the spider. Is there a technique to this to avoid ungluing or shifting the voicecoil?

I had heard about fabric softener. Any technique to application on this or concerns? 

[idsnowdog]

No special techniques for the spider or cone.  I only use a little of the acetone and I try to keep away from where the voice coil meets the spider and where the spider is glued to the frame.  I use just enough fabric softener to darken the cone evenly.  You will notice it becomes supple when wet but when it dries it becomes rigid again.  Although it will be more flexible than when you started.  If you are worried about the noise from the frequency sweeps you can also use the brown noise loops on youtube because you can get them loud without anyone noticing because they blend into ambient noise like wind or car traffic.  Just be careful with the lower-frequency noise loops because if they are the same as the speaker's resonant frequency you can burn out your voice coil.  The speaker will start rattling/crackling if you hit the resonant frequency so you have warning.

[Jalmeida]

No special techniques for the spider or cone.  I only use a little of the acetone and I try to keep away from where the voice coil meets the spider and where the spider is glued to the frame.  I use just enough fabric softener to darken the cone evenly.  You will notice it becomes supple when wet but when it dries it becomes rigid again.  Although it will be more flexible than when you started.  If you are worried about the noise from the frequency sweeps you can also use the brown noise loops on youtube because you can get them loud without anyone noticing because they blend into ambient noise like wind or car traffic.  Just be careful with the lower-frequency noise loops because if they are the same as the speaker's resonant frequency you can burn out your voice coil.  The speaker will start rattling/crackling if you hit the resonant frequency so you have warning.

For the acetone, is it a dampened cloth and gently wipe? I assume not soaked. Or cotton swabs?

For the fabric softener, just mist on the backside of the cone?

[scstill]

I'm a fan of if it ain't broke don't try to fix it...
Why risk the speaker with all this witches brew?

Simpler solution, get a great speaker and play it. It will sound awesome.
Or get a great vintage speaker already used over the years and play it.

[Jalmeida]

I'm a fan of if it ain't broke don't try to fix it...
Why risk the speaker with all this witches brew?

A few reasons…

1. A specific vintage speaker is rare and finding in original condition is difficult.
2. The current speaker cones are stiffer than the older Pulsonic ones.
3. If you have an some older speaker that needs a recone, new cones sound completely different than original even after being broken in. Throwing away a blown speaker just is a waste.
4. It’s fun to learn about some of the tricks other speaker manufacturers are using to duplicate old unobtanium cones.

Also, this would be something to experiment with on a cheap speaker, not a $300 blue Celestion or something. So I can definitely see why that could be scary. But just like probing around live amps with 600v and deadly caps, knowledge on the front end goes a long way. 

[idsnowdog]

I used a paintbrush for both the acetone and fabric softener.  I used the acetone sparingly on the spider.

[BrownIsound]

1. A specific vintage speaker is rare and finding in original condition is difficult.
2. The current speaker cones are stiffer than the older Pulsonic ones.
3. If you have an some older speaker that needs a recone, new cones sound completely different than original even after being broken in. Throwing away a blown speaker just is a waste.
4. It’s fun to learn about some of the tricks other speaker manufacturers are using to duplicate old unobtanium cones.

For 1, my more recent amp purchases  were as much for the original speakers as much as the amps themselves.

And I appreciate the experiments on this topic, because even a well broken in new speaker or recone doesn’t really achieve the same tone as the old speaker. Some are closer than others.

Though even above and beyond optimized treatment or break-in of a speaker, there are just some speakers that can’t seem to be replicated these days, like the alnico CTS 10” as an example. I wish someone would work on cloning those. I think Weber used to have a speaker close to those, but the cones were no longer available so discontinued?



Me seeing a super reverb appear on the marketplace…
 

-then seeing the replacement modern speakers, or the “hodgepodge “ of random unoriginal speakers
 


Fixed quote, Willabe

[scstill]

I have repaired speaker cones and spiders using "Aleene's tacky glue" (amazing stuff)
The glue is flexible and if you water it down maybe by 25% it brushes on well. I use it on all the paper parts.
When dry it has renewed the cone and since it is flexible will move with the speaker.
I also use humidity to soften the old speaker by putting the speaker in a large plastic bag with a wet sponge in a dish. Don't let cone and sponge touch.
These techniques work very well on revitalizing old dried out speakers
maybe they will also work on your new speakers.

But if you are doing this on an cheap speaker you likely will never get the sound you want.
Buy a good quality speaker.

This has a great old speaker repair story
https://stillampd.com/aetna-19a66w-tombstone-radio

[Willabe]

3. If you have an some older speaker that needs a recone, new cones sound completely different than original even after being broken in. ......   

That's not always true, depends on if you get the right, correct re-cone kit. Have to know who has the correct cone. But not all vintage speakers have the correct cone still available. 

They used to talk about this in Tone Quest Report Magazine. David, was the publisher, now past away, would buy a used vintage amp, speaker would blow and he would send it out for a re-cone. He would say who he sent what speaker to for the re-cone.

      Brad 

[Jalmeida]

3. If you have an some older speaker that needs a recone, new cones sound completely different than original even after being broken in. ......   

That's not always true, depends on if you get the right, correct re-cone kit. Have to know who has the correct cone. But not all vintage speakers have the correct cone still available. 

They used to talk about this in Tone Quest Report Magazine. David, was the publisher, now past away, would buy a used vintage amp, speaker would blow and he would send it out for a re-cone. He would say who he sent what speaker to for the re-cone.

      Brad

True that not all are beyond replicating. But speaker builder have been trying to replicate Pulsonic cone characteristics for years and have come close by treating Curt Mueller cones. There was a change in the wood pulp fibers that new cones just don’t incorporate anymore that makes them
Not like the Pulsonic cones.