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sticky L20T woofer 115H-1
Here are pics of all my 115H-1 that succumbed to the same "sticky" phenomenon you encountered. I can't see any evidence that something was 'applied' to the surround, i.e. looks like just deterioration/melt (they all arrived this way). Maybe the Texas heat?? Never seen anything like this on any other surround but the 115H-1.
Attachment 89188
Attachment 89189
Attachment 89190 (I really like the 034 in this application)
Attachment 89191
Attachment 89192 (everything (dust, dirt, cat hair) sticks to it and is hard to remove from fingers.
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Hmm... maybe good news...
Maybe good news, and currently having an alternate theory about this . . .
Well, now that the 'Armor-All' has settled into the surround, the woofer is no longer seized! Hahahaha, I WISH!! :D
But I went further w/testing for you Cozmo:
1. I tried the 'Goof-Off' on part of a surround: with slight pressure it does remove the gook, but within ~1 second the Q-tip turns pitch black from absorbing the surround material.
2. I tried some 'Purell' on a Q-tip, and it seems to remove only the gook, and much more easily than the Goof-Off. No adverse impact seen from me doing this; although I'd worry about the long-term implications of any liquid contacting a woofer.
3. My less-impacted surrounds, while still glossy, are just barely sticky, such that the gook does NOT AT ALL transfer to my fingers.
4. No matter how sticky mine are, it has never seemed to impact the sound, nor the flexibility/function of the surround. (Unless you're getting glare lol or aesthetically bothered by it, maybe just keep the grills on (this will also prevent dust sticking to them).
My theory is based on my worst-condition woofer. I've also owned it ~15 years. With slight upwards pressure on the cone, the surround starts to separate from the basket. Hard to see it here (because the gasket comes up too obstructing the view) but when the surround comes off the basket, the adhesive is still 'gluey' and stretches like a spider web.
Attachment 89193
Theory: Since the surround is lacking the texture/absorptivity of a typical foam surround, maybe the surround adhesive doesn't dry correctly/fully between the rubber surround & metal basket, and hence stays a little 'wet'? Maybe standard woofer frequency/vibration causes some glue molecules to separate (or aerosols itself) and reattaches in a fine mist spray back to the front of the surround? Hmm, probably 'aerosolizing glue' is too far a stretch, maybe it just vibrates/migrates back onto front of surround through improper drying. Or maybe there was a bad batch of glue at the factory for a stretch, and/or did they change the type of glue?
I'm sooo curious about this issue. Hope I wasn't being too tacky about this sticky situation!
<Update: the Purell removes the stickiness from my fingers instantaneously, while the Goof-Off requires much harder/longer pressure>