Cloth vs paper surround

What specific speaker/driver?

From my experience with vintage drivers (late 50's to mid 70's) paper surrounds survive and cloth surrounds get stiffer with age - changing the sound.

This said, I've never replaced the surrounds though I did try treating/softening some of the cloth surrounds.

DeKay

AFAIK, the majority of the suspension comes from the spider next to the voice coil, not the surround, so they should be interchangeable in terms of driver performance .  I don’t know which is longer lived however.

PS - Good question for DIYaudio

@johnto Wrote:

 

Cloth vs paper surround

See article below: Page #6 figure 3.

Mike

https://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/reference/notes/tech1-3a.htm

@dekay ...so, what happened in your 'soft' endeavours?

Just curious..

+1 @dekay I had a pair of old Radio Shack Optimus 1s with cloth surrounds. They dried up and became stiff so I think that would be the main issue with them 

ALWAYS go with the original material, the surround can be considered like the suspension of a cartridge's cantilever, CONTROLLING Movement.

My vintage electrovoice 15" woofers from 1958 MUST be cloth.

Last much longer: To alter the response, more than likely detrimentally for every day of their longer life is a 'wrong' decision. Paper lasts a long time, the original surround for that size cone is likely to be around for generations!

Avoid any hvac heat discharge nearby, shut that vent to prevent premature aging/drying of the paper. Very dry house, get a whole house humidifier or if radiators nearby, add water gizmos,

https://www.amazon.com/air-vent-blocker/s?k=air+vent+blocker

avsjerry:

I tried something a local phile gave me that (to me) smelled like brake fluid and then I tried a skin lotion my wife used (think it was lanolin based).

Also tried re-doping a pair of US made drivers (forget who originally made them as they were marketed under various brands - including Lafayette - maybe Jensen).

In all cases they stiffened back up within 2-3 months, or so, and I gave up.

I still have 2 pairs of Japanese made 4.5" drivers with porous (screen like) cloth surrounds that I have not messed with (the surrounds).

They mated OK with a Gallo TR2 sub set @ the speaker level default of 100Hz and I assume that they fall like a rock @ around 90Hz.

I own/owned "vintage" Stephens Trusonic, Coral, Elac, R&A, RCA, Foster (predecessor of Fostex), Altec and Jensen(?).

Maybe a few others I've forgot.

DeKay

 smelled like brake fluid and then I tried a skin lotion my wife used 

@dekay ...reading that triggered "Love Potion #9" replay in my mind....and your drivers kinda had their own kind of ending....

Surround Arthritis...the bane of ancient cloth....🙁

Asked the Goog about non-drying lubes, got 'personal lubes' which, although handy (..no, not punning, but there it is...) except for dry lubes like WD40 variants,,,,*shrug*

I've seen those 'screen surrounds'.....reminds me of the inside of bicycle tires...

Wanders never cease...

Thanks for the insight.....👍

Forgot to mention that I purchased the "dope" used locally from a shop on Ventura BLVD in North Hollywood.

The guy I dealt with reminded me of a creepy character from a John Connolly/Charlie Parker novel (assume that they are no longer in business).

DeKay