Replace Dynaudio woofers?

Thank you.

I didn’t find any tutorials on Dynaudio specific woofers, but plenty in general woofer replacement. Seems pretty simple. Would it be the same for a pair of Dynaudios? 

I just unscrewed the bolts to see and there must be some glue on it or something because they are not budging :( Considering the plus the scarcity of the part, looking less and less hopeful. 

These are great tips; thank you. But my issue is that it’s the woofers that are blown (maybe that wasn’t clear in my OP). I would imagine they’d have some dampening glue on it. But I’ll take a look with your tweeter tips soon; too deflated now to have another go lol You’re certainly right about having nothing to lose, but Inwoukdnt want to scratch the wood. Thank you!!

Wow. I want to thank everyone so very much for all the amazing contributions. I was feeling pretty deflated, but now the mission is back on.

@perkadin  and @audioman58   Part of the reason I tried to remove the woofer so quickly was because there was an inkling (hope) it might be the crossover. I'll give the woofers another go (thank you @elliottbnewcombjr for the putty knife recommendation) and connect it to another speaker. 

Confession time: but it's probably the woofers: they blew during a party. I was young and stupid and let my friends keep turning up the volume (/cry). 

@timlub @jetter Thank you for the parts and service recommendations. I'll probably start looking into these immediately. And these "knock offs" are as good as OEM? Usually knock-offs of things aren't up to snuff, but I can imagine the it's different in the passionate world of hi-fi. 

Again, thank you everyone for your knowledge. I bought the Contours from Audiogon back in the day, and I'm happy to find it's still a great community after a 15 years absence. 

@timlub Are these the ones you're referring to? https://www.parts-express.com/HiVi-D6.8B-6-Poly-Bass-Midrange-Shielded-297-444?quantity=1

They look the part. My concern (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that Dynaudio designed the woofers to work specifically with the tweeter. Wouldn't one run the chance of throwing off the speaker's sound with a driver that is not OEM?

But that may not be a concern after all...

So after trying and failing to remove the woofer with a plaster knife, I approached it from the rear, thinking I could push the woofer out from behind. The wire connector came off more easily, but it had definitely been glued. As I was removing the foam, this appeared:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ezr21z0dvga8k6814sbi0/2023-09-02-11.33.22.jpg?rlkey=4flggloj4xpbb00hz9gdkp2ml&dl=0

(I'm not sure the picture is showing up, so I'll described it as a corner of the foam covering the crossover as burnt)

Lo and behold the component looks fried

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oxd0kdj9hqopde1jq56br/2023-09-02-11.44.51.jpg?rlkey=nxh9irj6nb17p2m4d9re3uuqv&dl=0

So maybe I can assume the problem is actually the crossover? It doesn't look good, either way. Do I replace only the component or the entire crossover?

I still need to figure out how to remove the drivers to be sure; plus I obviously need to get the crossover out through the woofer hole. And I want to change the Ferrofluid while I'm at it. I tried pushing it out from behind but it still won't budge: considering the speaker connector was glued, I can only assume it's glued (maybe they didn't glue it on the mkII...I'll contact Dynaudio). Any advice on removing a glued driver? I am honestly stuck ;)

Thank you all again for your help in this journey. For reasons I won't get into, it's been a therapeutic process giving these some TLC after all this time. 

Whelp no sign of burnt component in the other speaker. 🙄 "Back" to checking drivers: if anyone has suggestions on how remove glued drivers, I’d love to hear it.

@perkadin Yeah, they’re just so lovely, aesthetically and sonically. My usual upgrade path is to sell units I’m replacing - these aren’t going anywhere ever. I was looking at the manual, and this was the last bit of text:

We listen to glue. “I know exactly what goes into this,” says Daniel Emonts. He’s the man behind Contour’s drivers. “I know all the materials and everything. But there’s magic behind it too, when you hear the result.” Daniel should know. In Dynaudio Labs, our R&D department, they listen to everything. Everything. Even glue. “We decided to change the glue between the voice-coil and the cone. We thought it would take two or three months, but we ended up taking a year measuring, recording and listening,” he says. “I think 80 percent of us could tell the difference between the glues. And now that’s going to be part of our R&D procedure. Listening to glue.” 

Maybe that something "special" you refer to is glue? :) I hope Dynaudio can tell me what glue they used; tips on removing the drivers.

@timlub Thank you so very much. I’ll email you directly.

@perkadin Yes! That would be super helpful. I'll go to the hardware store to find a proper putty knife in a bit. I'll keep updating this thread.

God. Phish. That brings me back. I followed them in 2000; seen a total of 21 shows. These speakers have definitely played their fair number live tapes. Which show? My taste has changed a bit since then lol. And I take it you haven't changed the ferrofluid? Maybe I needn't worry about it then. I'd like not to have to pry off another driver.

If the crossover doesn't come out from the woofer hole, and I can't repair it on the inside, then I think it's over: I do not want to have to cut into these cabinets...

Or maybe idk. This whole process has really demystified the internals of a speaker. And I was looking through parts and they're so inexpensive. Maybe I'll get into the DIY game?  

Thanks for your support. Until the next step! - Michael

Ok got one out. Ours are different because mine did not have that thin black strip. Glued all the way. I lifted a bit while my partner made tiny slices in the glue. After three or four, it all started breaking down. 

(Sorry still don't know how to post images)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vwffhe9kuirduvaf182k9/2023-09-03-14.53.28.jpg?rlkey=rplbcqc5x75l64njgta0r428w&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/anlsai9gacrypo7vklo53/2023-09-03-14.59.32.jpg?rlkey=dew0nh8dw4emleyl5t6ds4luk&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3qwwaa5y6a6o7qcz7ccd6/2023-09-03-14.59.57.jpg?rlkey=wo619vys28p6rs072yg45vmfi&dl=0

Now the part I had dreaded all along: I don't have any soldering skills. Do I need them to test the driver/crossover? 

I was under the impression that ferrofluid can dry over time and cause damage/distortion in the tweeter. 

@tecknik Yes, I know that blown drivers can't be repaired. I already have the part number from Dynaudio and some good aftermarket recommendations from the thread. My situation now is figuring out if it's actually the driver that's blown or the crossover. 

What would you recommend to replace the wiring? 

@oldrooney Thank you for the support and commendation! And thanks for the bit of knowledge on the components. If I already knew how to solder I'd be all over this..

But I dont and I'm actually not at a place right now to learn or invest in a good soldering set-up. Someday, for sure. I'll be calling around techs after the holiday break. 

I'll be sure to update this thread with whatever transpires! Fingers crossed thrice it works out.